Summary of the Erasmus+ meeting in Malaga for the project "A Lesson in Sustainability"

Young Climate Activists- Erasmus+ mobility in Malaga, 13-18 February 2023

Information gathered: What is sea pollution? Sea pollution is a combination of trash and chemicals thrown into the sea that damage the ocean. Causes (everything has its origin in humans): - Crude oils ships crashes (like the Prestige disaster in Galicia, Spain) which spill out damaging chemicals. - Pesticidal wastes. - Trash badly recycled. - Plastic, the most difficult to eliminate, because they last for centuries. Microplastics are very dangerous and affect everyone: the fishes that eat them and humans that eat fish. Consequences: - Lack of ocean protection will accelerate climate change and cause the extinction of many species. - Increase of chemicals in the coastal ocean promotes the growth of algal blooms which can be toxic to wildlife and harmful to humans.

Photo contest

This book was created as part of of the  Erasmus+ project no. 2020-1-DE03-KA229-077458_2, entitled A Lesson in Sustainability: Make your School Greener and Yourself Too, taking place in Málaga, Spain from 13th to 17th February 2023.

Photo Contest

Information gathered: What is biodiversity? Biodiversity or the variety of animal and plant life forms what populate the Earth. It's a unique and precious heritage and the result of 3.5 billion years of evolution. It's important because in addition to being a value in itself, it's also what allow our very survival. It supplies food, cleans the air, filters water, offers raw materials for production processes and constructions and it's a constituent of drugs and therapies. Consequences: - Habitat destruction and degradation. Human activities such as deforestation, urbanization and agriculture result in the destruction of naturel habitats which cause the loss of biodiversity. - Climate change. Rising global temperatures, changes in precipitation patterns and rising of the sea level are causing shifts in species ranges and altering the timing of important events such as migration and flowering. - Overexploitation. Overfishing, hunting and harvesting of species can lead to population's decline and eventual extinction. - Invasive species. Non-native species introduced to new environments can outcompete native species and cause decline in biodiversity.

First, the students needed to contact their group members via WhatsApp and discuss what their campaign would be like. Then, they needed to decide which information about it they would like to post. Their campaign would include a poster or a logo. All information were posted on a common padlet: <a href="https://padlet.com/erasmus49/7krr4gntujmcgiw8">https://padlet.com/erasmus49/7krr4gntujmcgiw8</a> Most of the students started to work on their campaign before their arrival to Málaga. On the first day of the mobility the teams gathered together for the first time in person and talked about what and how they wanted to conduct their presentation. They already knew that on the last day they would present it and perhaps win the contests.

This Erasmus week was a long but enjoyable one! We hoped that the students discovered new ways of acting against climate change. We have to start with ourselves but also act globally and raise awareness among people around us. Let's hope to see our students become greener and greener concerning their way of consuming and take action aginst climate change! It was a real pleasure to be with you all, to learn, to laugh, to exchange looks... We wish you the best and we hope that this little book made you smile.

Evaluation session

On the 17th of February, each group presented their campaign. They explained the cause they were fighting for, the causes, the consequences but also the solutions that everyone could do in their daily lives! We applauded their work and their creativity.

Mini-film contest

Possible solutions: - Pay more attention to our use of paper and wood. A product made by wood and derivatives, to be considered truly sustainable, must guarantee that the entire process is sustainable, right from the cutting of the tree. FSC and PEFC are the two main environmental forest certifications in the world. Both pursue the objectives of economic, social and environmental sustainability. - Reforestation. Replanting the forests of the planet which have been deforested in large quantities will help mitigate climate change. There are two types of deforested zones: urban reforestation, its main aim is covering the needs of the city, the purpose of this may be for aesthetic or improving air quality and rural reforestation that would allow preservation, restoration and productive purposes. Projects that are taking place right now: - Green belt movement not only involves planting trees but also deals with gender equality and other social battles. - The green Great Wall in China tries to stop the uncontrolled of Gobi desert. - The green wall of Africa consists in the plantation of a 7.000km line of trees on the south of the Sahara.

Information gathered: The food sector, from cultivation to distribution, is responsible for one third of man-made greenhouse gas emissions. The food industry touches on various aspects: land consumption, emissions from production processes, packaging. Then there are ethical issues (such as animal welfare), energy and logistics. From an environmental point of view, therefore foods that require profound transformations of raw material and long journeys, products that require a large consumption of resources and processes that do not respect ecosystems are not sustainable. Many analyses confirm that meat - especially red - and animal products are less sustainable. Intensive fishing can also lead to a marine life's scarcity and the extinction of certain species. Essential predator species, like sharks and tuna, are some of the most prone to overfishing. These species are also highly necessary for the maintenance of local ecosystems. Without predator species, there is a boom of prey species, leading to overpopulation, algal bloom, and eventually serious environmental damage.

Information gathered: What is Noise Pollution? Noise pollution is the presence of sounds that can be harmful to the physical and psychological health of people and animals. Even though the sound it does not persist in the air like CO2 does, loud noises are considered pollution because it affects people's health. Various sources contribute to noise pollution such as car and plane traffic, construction sites or nightlife. People can suffer physical problems such as migraines, insomnia or hearing loss, psychological problems such as stress, anxiety of irritability. In addition, noise pollution is a cause of memory loss. Possible solutions: - Using less noisy transport. - Making less noise at night. - Respecting hours for renovations. - Using headphones at a lower volume.

Group 2: Sea Pollution

- Barbara Sanita - Céline Ritter - Laura Fernández Sánchez - Liveta Guscenko - Luz Campano Barranquero - Olga Dimakopoulo - Álvaro Ruiz Llopis

Photo contest

Possible solutions: - Use less water. This would allow less wastewater going into the ocean. - Choose nontoxic chemicals and dispose of cleaning products properly. - Reduce waste and do not litter. - When grocery shopping bring your own reusable bag, choose sustainable seafood and buy less plastic. - "Catch and release" practices while fishing. - Respect marine habitat. - Volunteer at the beach cleanups in your community.

LOGO

Welcome to the online book that summarizes the work of students during their Erasmus+ mobility "Young Climate Activists"

During a week, students from Lithuania, Greece, Italy, Germany and Spain gathered together to act and educate themselves on the subject of sustainability. Let's take a look back on their adventure and see how much they learnt. Enjoy!

Loss of biodiversity won the contest for the best work and the best mini-film. We also rewarded the best picture taken of a totem with another team without them noticing it! Good job Alba!

They won a fan, a mug, sweets and a diy paper flower! 

- Adrija Sofia Lapinsicaite - Alba Riviello - Antonia Bischoff - Foteini Georgopoulou - Gerardo Medinilla Beltrán - Lourdes Bonachera Diáz - Teresa Alberti - Álvaro José Varcias Carillo

Acknowlegement : p.3 Introduction: p.7-8 Instructions about the campaigns: p. 10-11 Group 1, Deforestation: p. 13-19. Group 2, Sea Pollution: p. 20-25. Group 3, Noise and Air Pollution : p. 26-32. Group 4, Loss of Biodiversity: p. 33-39. Group 5, Overfishing/Intensive farming: p. 40-46. Evaluation session: p. 47-49. Conclusion: p. 50-51.

Campaigns against climate change by Young Climate Activists in Málaga, Spain. From the 13th to the 17th of February 2023 with representatives from Lithuania, Greece, Germany and Italy: - IES PABLO PICASSO, MÁLAGA, SPAIN - GENIKO LYKEIO PARALIAS, GREECE&nbsp; - IIS «L. DA VINCI -NITTI», ITALY&nbsp; - TRAKU GIMNAZIJA, LITHUANIA - DANIEL THEYSOHN IGS WALDFISCHBACH BURGALBEN, GERMANY&nbsp;

What is Air Pollution? Air pollution is the presence of small particles or gaseous by-products in the air, which may be a risk to people, plants and animals exposed to the environment. It is caused by domestic combustion appliances, motor vehicles, industrial facilities and forest fires which produce many pollutants such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide. It increases the risk of respiratory infections, heart diseases, strokes and lung cancer. In the environment, it affects to many areas but two of them are the most important: - The greenhouse effect which in reality is something good for the earth, the problem is that humans are increasing the gases that produce this effect making a real climate change in a really short period of time. - Damage of the ozone layer: this layer protect us from ultraviolets rays (UV) making life possible on Earth. Possible solutions: - Replace the car with public transport or other more sustainable means. - Reduce plastic consumption. - Adopt the 3R's rule: recycle, reuse and reduce. - Opt for energy efficiency and minimise energy consumption.

- Rocío Martos Gómez - Irene Fernández Torres - Lidia Rodríguez García - Antonietta Santamaria - Fynn Groß - Christos Dimopoulos - Dominik Lipski

INTRODUCTION

The Erasmus+ project "A Lesson in Sustainability" links different high schools from Europe: Germany, Lithuania, Greece, Italy and Spain. It is meant to raise awareness about sustainability and climate change to young adults. 

Students were meant to raise awareness campaigns against climate change. We created WhatsApp group two weeks before their arrival so that they could start working on different issues: - Deforestation - Sea Pollution - Noise and Air Pollution - Loss of Biodiversity - Intense farming

Group 5: Overfishing/intensive farming

- Ana Fernández Olalla - Silvia Domínguez - Alessia Sordetti - Emir Bozaga - Georgios Katsigiannis - Martin Miter

- Fabiana Sansone - Francisco Ocaña Hierro - José María Montañer Mora - Luisa Sauer - Raquel Ramírez Baena - Robertas Birgiolas - Zoi Doumpa

LOGO

And this where the food of the future comes in: insects. A potential of insects is that they have percentages of proteins comparable to those of meat or some fish, and therefore removing these products from the diet, the human body would still take the same amounts of nutrients needed to live in a healthy way. There are, however, obstacles to overcome before you can add insects to our diet: people's prejudices, limited production technology, and lack of knowledge. Possible solutions: - Consume bio food. - Read the label to see where the food comes from and the expiration date. - Buy km O food and follow the seasons. - Buy ecological clothes. - Have a vegetable diet (avoid consuming lot of meat and fish).

Information gathered: What does deforestation mean? Deforestation is the purpose of clearing forested land. Forests are razed to make space for agriculture and animal grazing to obtain wood for fuel, manufacturing... For example, 2.000 years ago, 80% of Western Europe was forested; today only the 34% remains. Forests are vital for the health of our planet. They provided food, shelter and oxygen. When these forests are destroyed, animals lose their homes and are often unable to survive in the small fragments of forests left behind. For example, more than 90% of Madagascar's orignal forests have been destroyed. Trees also help to control the level of water in the atmosphere by helping to regulate the water cycle. One of the most important forests for regulating water cycles across the planet is the Amazon rainforest (20% has already been lost.) Causes of deforestation: - Temperature variates more drastically from day to night. - Higher presence of carbon dioxide and other greenhouses gases. - Forest loss and damage are the cause of around 10% of global warming.

- Pollution. Contamination of air, water and soil by pollutants such as chemicals, plastics, and heavy metals can have harmful impacts on biodiversity. - Disease: The spread of diseases can have severe impacts on populations of both wild and domesticated species. - Human population growth. The rapidly increasing human population is putting pressure on natural resources and causing habitat destruction and degradation leading to the loss of biodiversity. What will happen if people don't take action? We depend on biodiversity in our daily lives. Biodiversity loss can have significant direct human health impacts if ecosystem services are no longer adequate to meet social needs. Indirectly, changes in ecosystem services affect lives, income, local migration and, on occasion, may even cause or exacerbate political conflit. Possible solutions: - Check the products you buy and the companies you support to ensure that your buying habits are not contributing to the destruction of habitat elsewhere and they respect human rights. - Support local farms. - Take shorter showers.

There were also "fun" contests during the mobility. Each group was assigned a totem and there were two competitions revolving around it. - The first one was about taking a picture of their totem with a member of another team without them noticing it. - The second one was to create a mini animation film about their totem.

Name

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