Improving public involvement – examples of education and information frameworks

Rachel CarlessCoastal Literacy Officer, Coastnet

How can effective public involvement be encouraged? (Emma McKinley, Bournemouth University)Personal attachment• Responsibility• Involvement• Desire to participate• Proximity to coast• Dependency• Socio-economic and

cultural links

Education• Awareness • Access to information• Knowledge of marine

issues• Concern• Capacity for

involvement

BackgroundThere are a number of education programmes/ frameworks

both that utilise key principles or concepts. Different programs will have different aims and objectives. These could be;

• Create / raise awareness (distil the essence of what an informed person needs to know)

• Encourage understanding• To enable people to make informed decisions and

therefore participate in decision making • To encourage action / activity

Environmental education in UKe.g “Switch off the lights to save energy” (Energy Saving Trust)

“Put your litter in a bin to protect the environment” (Keep Britain Tidy, ENCAMS)

These are simple messages They are familiar because Government has promoted them

over many years They have had considerable success, but their promotion is

still required because people easily forget and there is always the new generation to educate

Coastal management is a very complicated policy area and has some very complex messages that need to be communicated. Herein lies the challenge!

One Planet Living

One Planet Living is a global initiative based on 10 principles of sustainability developed by BioRegional and WWF (www.oneplanetliving.org)

The 10 principles – are aspirational, concise and comprehensive (in terms of scope and accessibility)

OPL has separate resources for encouraging implementation / encouraging action. e.g WWF campaign for One Planet Living, Bioregional's www.oneplanetcommunities.org/

One Planet Living principles: Zero carbon Zero waste Sustainable

transport Local and

sustainable materials

Local and sustainable food

Sustainable water Natural habitats and

wildlife Culture and heritage Equity and fair trade Health and

happiness

Climate Literacy (USA) 'The Essential Principles of Climate Science' presents

information that is deemed important for individuals and communities to know and understand about Earth’s climate, impacts of climate change, and approaches to adaptation or mitigation.

Principles in the guide can serve as discussion starters or launching points for scientific inquiry. The guide aims to promote greater climate science literacy by providing this educational framework of principles and concepts. The guide can also serve educators who teach climate science as a way to meet content standards in their science curricula. (www.climatescience.gov/Library/Literacy/)

7 guiding principles1. The sun is the primary source of energy for Earth’s climate

system

2. Climate is regulated by complex interactions among components of the Earth system

3. Life on Earth depends on, is shaped by, and affects climate

4. Climate varies over space and time through both natural and man-made processes

5. Our understanding of the climate system is improved through observations, theoretical studies and modelling

6. Human activities are impacting the climate system

7. Climate change will have consequences for the Earth

system and human lives

Climate Literacy – Cont’dEach principle then has a series of sub statements (around 5 per principle) e.g;

• a. Sunlight reaching the Earth can heat the land, ocean, and atmosphere. Some of that sunlight is reflected back to space by the surface, clouds, or ice. Much of the sunlight that reaches Earth is absorbed and warms the planet.

• b. When Earth emits the same amount of energy as it absorbs, its energy budget is in balance, and its average temperature remains stable.

• c. The tilt of Earth’s axis relative to its orbit around the Sun results in predictable changes in the duration of daylight and the amount of sunlight received at any latitude throughout a year. These changes cause the annual cycle of seasons and associated temperature changes.

Climate Literacy - summary

• Scientific, factual statements• Not really guiding principles?• Assume certain level of scientific knowledge /

literacy? • Accessible?