How climate change drives biodiversity loss – and how to counteract it

Part of the Lecture Series: Give earth a chance – paths to sustainable living

Speaker: Prof. Dr. Martin Diekmann (University of Bremen)
Abstract: The earth currently experiences a loss of species richness – biodiversity – at an unprecedented speed. This biodiversity crisis also applies to Germany and other parts of Europe. The drivers of this change are manifold: the loss of natural habitats, more intensive land use, the application of pesticides and too many fertilizers, but increasingly also climate change. There is growing evidence that plants and animals are already responding to altered regimes of temperature and rainfall, and will increasingly do so in the near future.
The presentation will highlight the main changes in biodiversity and their underlying causes, using data from both long-term observations and experiments, looking at plants, but also birds, insects and other animal groups. Although the net effects of climate change on plants and animals are negative, some species may profit from the changes – and a conclusion of the talk will be that it is not too late to take counteracting measures to halt biodiversity loss.

Target audience: Open to All.
Date and Time (CET): 16 November 2022 from 17:00 – 18:30 CET Online
Language: English
Registration due date: 16 November 2022
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Sustainable building – from theory to practice

Part of the Lecture Series: Give earth a chance – paths to sustainable living

Speaker: Matti Buyle (University of Antwerp), Jona Michiels (Van Roey)
Abstract: We all know that the built environment’s sustainability should increase to reach climate targets. But how to achieve this? This presentation combines academic insights with concrete innovative examples from industry. Where the first stresses the importance of quantitative assessment techniques to support informed decision making, the latter shows that slowly but surely things are moving in today’s building practice.

Target audience: Open to All.
Date and Time (CET): 12 October 2022 from 17:00 – 18:30 CET Online
Language: English
Registration due date: 12 October 2022
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Sustainable tourism for sustainable society

Part of the Lecture Series: Give earth a chance – paths to sustainable living

Speaker: Juho Pesonen (PhD) (University of Eastern Finland)
Abstract: Tourism is one of the largest industries in the world. It is also an indicator of our society in many ways. There is a dire need for the society to rapidly become environmentally friendly, even regenerative, while at the same time taking into account economic and socio-cultural sustainability. This pressure is changing tourism. In this webinar the main aspects of sustainability are examined in the tourism context. This elaborates how tourism as an industry can provide pathways for the whole society to become sustainable in the long run.

Target audience: Open to All.
Date and Time (CET): 19 October 2022 from 17:00 – 18:30 CET Online
Language: English
Registration due date: 19 October 2022
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Online OPEN DAY – YUFE Student Journey

Speaker: Various
Abstract: YUFE, an Alliance of 10 European Universities, has got amazing opportunities for you, if you are a student registered at one of the YUFE partner universities, to enrich your degree programme with courses and activities from universities across Europe. 

• Are you thinking of enriching your degree programme with courses and activities from universities across Europe? Pick and choose for yourself how many, and when to take these courses? Either online or onsite!
• During the OPEN DAY we will inform you about the upcoming YUFE Student Journey application period (12 September-30 October 2022) and about the multiple opportunities YUFE has to offer you.

Target audience: Students enrolled in partner universities of the YUFE Alliance.
Date and Time (CET): 11 October 2022 from 11:30-13:30 cest Online
Language: English
Registration due date: 9 October 23:59 cest
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The Impact of environmental degradation on human migrations

Part of the Lecture Series: Give earth a chance – paths to sustainable living

Speaker: Dr hab. Marcin Świtoniak (Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń)
Abstract: The lecture is a richly illustrated journey from prehistoric times to the present day, answering a few fundamental questions important from the point of view of current environmental changes
• How did soil cover influence the rise and fall of great civilizations?
• Are the soil resources finite?
• How does Anthropocene scalp the Earth?
• Who are the environmental refugees and how much are they connected with soil degradation?

The presentation will show the effects of environmental degradation from ancient Mesopotamia to the contemporary problems of the Sahel zone. The causes of the disappearance of the Aral Lake, the formation of Dust Bowls and the floods in the Far East and Central America will also be shown. Examples of ways to deal with the above environmental problems will also be shown.

Target audience: Open to All.
Date and Time (CET): 26 October 2022 from 17:00 – 18:30 CET Online
Language: English
Registration due date: 26 October 2022
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Sustainable development and poverty reduction – interconnected causes, multidisciplinary research and integrated policies

Part of the Lecture Series: Give earth a chance – paths to sustainable living

Speaker: Esteban Nicolini (PhD) (University Carlos III of Madrid)
Abstract: The first two decades of the 20th century have challenged the ways in which the global scientific and political communities define their goals and paradigms. The new scenario incorporates an increasing amount of evidence on unexpected consequences of the complex interactions between human actions and environmental changes. Sustainable development is not only a useful idea to define common goals and expectations (embodied in the SDGs) but it also represents a substantial departure from many traditional scientific methodologies and political designs. One of its main innovations is the multidisciplinary approach. In this talk, we will discuss how the very well-known economic goals of reducing poverty and inequality are substantially transformed when they are understood together with other complementary non-economic goals like preserving biodiversity and mitigating climate change.

Target audience: Open to All.
Date and Time (CET): 9 November 2022 from 17:00 – 18:30 CET Online
Language: English
Registration due date: 9 November 2022
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D&I Grants – Innovative projects promoting YUFE Diversity and Inclusivity

Speaker: All YUFE D&I Grant holders
Abstract: All are welcome to join us online to hear and celebrate the YUFE D&I Grant holders’ project results! In this webinar we will hear short stories from our D&I project holders. What was done? What can we learn from this? What could be done next? No prior registration is needed.

Target audience: Open to All.
Date and Time (CET): 10 November 2022 from 13:30 – 15:30 CET Online
Language: English
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Click here › for more information about the individual projects.