Climate and ocean education and communication: practice, ethics, and urgency
Climate and ocean education and communication: practice, ethics, and urgency
Editor(s): Eleanor Burke (Freelance Climate Writer, USA), Berill Blair (SKEMA Business School, France), Solmaz Mohadjer (University of Tübingen, Germany), Giuseppe Di Capua (National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, Italy), Mariana Rocha (Météo-France, France), Sebastian G. Mutz (University of Tübingen, Germany), Roberta Boscolo (World Meteorological Organization, Switzerland), Juliette Rooney-Varga (University of Massachusetts Lowell, United States of America), Svitlana Krakovska (Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Institute, Ukraine), Simon Klein (Sorbonne Nouvelle University, France), David Crookall (Université Côte d'Azur, France), Bärbel Winkler (Skeptical Science, Germany), Dean Page (University of Hull, UK), Geetha Plackal Njanaseelan (Ocean Integrity, India), Iain Stewart (Royal Scientifific Society, Jordan), Stacey Alvarez de la Campa (Worldwide Sustainability Warriors, Barbados), and Uyen-Phuong Klein (Mahidol University, Thailand)

Humanity’s impact on the climate and the ocean constitutes an existential threat of unprecedented magnitude. The consequences are dire, including the loss of life and ecosystems, parts of the Earth being rendered uninhabitable, species extinction, and increased vulnerability to disasters. Effective education and communication are crucial components of climate change mitigation and adaptation. By imparting knowledge, reinforcing skills, and fostering awareness, education has the power to enable individuals to understand the complexities of the climate and ocean crisis and its existential implications. It cultivates a sense of responsibility, motivating individuals to adopt sustainable practices and make informed decisions. Education needs to equip present and future generations with the skills needed to innovate, develop social justice, and advocate for policy changes. It fosters critical thinking, enabling us to challenge harmful practices and embrace environmentally conscious alternatives. Thus, education holds a heavy responsibility with respect to creating a knowledgeable and engaged citizenry and laying the foundation for collective action and a sustainable future.

Scope: This special issue comprises research articles that investigate a wide variety of topics, including, but not limited to, the following:

  • best practices and innovative approaches to climate and ocean education;
  • the ethics and geoethics of climate and ocean education, including social justice and equity;
  • the role of technology (including artificial intelligence) and new media in climate and ocean education;
  • the intersection of climate and ocean education with other issues, such as biodiversity, sustainable development, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs);
  • the impact of climate and ocean education on public opinion, policy, and behaviour;
  • the integration of climate and ocean education into formal and informal education;
  • the role of geoscience research in advancing climate and ocean education;
  • scientific investigation of outreach initiatives targeting different age groups, settings, and approaches;
  • learners’ content and procedural knowledge of climate science and options for action (e.g. climate feedbacks, impacts, adaptation measures, and renewable energy), cultivating science and communication skills (e.g. quantitative literacy, critical thinking, and writing to inform), initiating positive attitudes and actions (e.g. empathy and behavioural change), and issues related to the transfer of education into action and to timescales needed for mindset and behavioural change.

For more information, please see the dedicated website: https://oceansclimate.wixsite.com/oceansclimate/gc-special

Download citations of all papers

22 Aug 2024
From Five to Thirty-Five: Fostering the Next Generation of Arctic Scientists
Jenny Victoria Turton, Naima El bani Altuna, Charlotte Weber, Salve Dahle, Nina Boine Olsen, Elise Fosshaug, Katrine Opheim, Julia Morales-Aguirre, and Astrid Wara
Geosci. Commun. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/gc-2024-5,https://doi.org/10.5194/gc-2024-5, 2024
Preprint under review for GC (discussion: final response, 10 comments)
Short summary
09 Aug 2024
A collaborative adaptation game for promoting climate action: Minions of Disruptions™
Minja Sillanpää, AnaCapri Mauro, Minttu Hänninen, Sam Illingworth, and Mo Hamza
Geosci. Commun., 7, 167–193, https://doi.org/10.5194/gc-7-167-2024,https://doi.org/10.5194/gc-7-167-2024, 2024
Short summary
24 May 2024
Quantifying and communicating uncertain climate change hazards in participatory climate change adaptation processes
Laura Müller and Petra Döll
Geosci. Commun., 7, 121–144, https://doi.org/10.5194/gc-7-121-2024,https://doi.org/10.5194/gc-7-121-2024, 2024
Short summary
18 Apr 2024
| Highlight paper
Evaluating the impact of climate communication activities by scientists: what is known and necessary?
Frances Wijnen, Madelijn Strick, Mark Bos, and Erik van Sebille
Geosci. Commun., 7, 91–100, https://doi.org/10.5194/gc-7-91-2024,https://doi.org/10.5194/gc-7-91-2024, 2024
Short summary
28 Mar 2024
Climate Denial – the Antithesis of Climate Education: A Review
Gerald Kutney
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-339,https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-339, 2024
Revised manuscript under review for GC (discussion: final response, 23 comments)
Short summary
19 Jan 2024
Climate READY: A three-semester youth empowerment program
Rachel L. Wellman, Anne Henderson, Ray Coleman, Christopher Hill, and Bradford T. Davey
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-139,https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-139, 2024
Revised manuscript accepted for GC (discussion: final response, 9 comments)
Short summary
10 Jun 2024
Designing and evaluating a public engagement activity about sea level rise
Nieske Vergunst, Tugce Varol, and Erik van Sebille
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1649,https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1649, 2024
Revised manuscript under review for GC (discussion: final response, 4 comments)
Short summary
CC BY 4.0