Search by tag «Ecology» 49 results
Environmental Scientist Jaana Sorvari on Sustainable Waste Management in Europe and Russia
Jaana Sorvari, a professor at Aalto University (Finland) and researcher at the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), has come to ITMO University to deliver the intensive course “Environmental Risk Assessment in Waste Management.” During the course, Master’s students from the program Industrial Ecology and Cleaner Production learned about Europe and Finland’s experience of sustainable waste management. ITMO.NEWS spoke with Prof. Sorvari about the challenges currently faced by Europe in terms of waste management and learned why excessive consumption is an issue not only in Russia, but even in eco-friendly Scandinavian states.
21.05.2019
Two-Minute Beach Cleans and Plastic-Identifying AI: How Citizen Science Combats Plastic Waste in Oceans
Plastic waste has become a global environmental threat. The production of plastic has seen exponential growth, increasing from 1.7 million tons in the 1950s to 335 million tons in 2016 (PlasticsEurope 2017). Incorrect disposal of this material leads to a stark upsurge of its presence in natural environments. Information about the rapidly escalating situation with marine waste is crucial for finding a solution to this global crisis and saving thousands of animal species. That’s why today a range of citizen science projects have emerged that aim to gather data about marine pollution and step up volunteer effort to clean away the rubbish where it is possible. This article presents some of the local projects by participating in which you can contribute to the solution of the global issue in question.
16.05.2019
Green Campuses and Recycling: Sustainable Development by Youth International Forum at ITMO
Last week, ITMO University hosted the Sustainable Development by Youth International Educational Forum. Organized by students of ITMO’s Faculty of Technological Management and Innovations, the forum is aimed at introducing the youth to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015. At the forum’s plenary session, its participants discussed the role of universities in the promotion of the SDGs, as well as the issue of solid waste recycling in St. Petersburg.
25.04.2019
Partying for Sustainable Development: How Festivals are Going Green
Festivals all over the world regularly bring together thousands of people; few of them, however, are anywhere near as environmentally conscious as the Burning Man in Nevada, US, which leaves its desert venue even cleaner than it was before. Jürgen Forkel-Schubert, a senior expert on sustainable development at the Ministry for Urban Development and Environment of the City of Hamburg, explains how festivals can go green using Hamburg’s experience as an example.
12.04.2019
Professor Alessandra Bonoli on Ecodesign, Circular Economy and Life Cycle Thinking
In late February, professor Alessandra Bonoli from the University of Bologna (Italy) gave a series of lectures at ITMO University. Prof. Bonoli is an expert in the field of the Integrated Product Policy of the European Union, which aims to facilitate the transition from traditional manufacturing to environmentally responsible production. As part of the Industrial Ecology and Cleaner Production international program, Prof. Bonoli delivered the course “Eco-Design and Life Cycle Thinking”. ITMO.NEWS spoke to her and learned how circular economy, ecodesign and life cycle thinking contribute to sustainable development.
05.04.2019
Different Volunteering, Eco Camps and Fresh Perspective on Things: Belgian Gloria Sagaradze on Interning at ITMO
Belgian Gloria Sagaradze came to Russia to do a three-month internship at ITMO University’s Student Initiatives Development Office. Among the projects she worked on were collaborating with the organizers of the international ecological camp Ecological Raids held at ITMO’s sports and recreation center Yagodnoye, helping Nigerian students develop an events plan for their student club, and mastering student project management. ITMO.NEWS met Gloria to talk about the difference between volunteering in Russia and Belgium and the valuable lessons she learnt from traveling.
05.02.2019
What Future Does Climate Change Spell for St. Petersburg?
Climate change, global warming, and other environmental issues remain constant hot topics all around the world. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has recently published its latest assessment report, calling for immediate action against global warming. An increase of global temperature, even by a mere 1.5 degree Celsius, could have disastrous and irreversible consequences. Experts from Russia and Germany met at ITMO University to participate in a roundtable on climate change. One of the event’s speakers was Viktor Gorny, a researcher at the Scientific Research Center for Ecological Safety at the Russian Academy of Sciences (SRCES RAS), who reported how climate change would affect the citizens of St. Petersburg.
01.11.2018
Go Green in the City: ITMO Team Wins Regional Stage of Eco-Friendly Competition
Members of ITMO’s Department of Industrial Ecology and Safety Anastasia Pavlova and Violetta Savoscula won the regional stage of the international Go Green in the City competition, held annually by the Schneider Electric company. The contest’s participants had to solve one of five tasks on reducing energy waste and improving the quality of life in urban areas. ITMO team’s project on the use of thermoelectric modules in inland water transport for increasing the efficiency of diesel engines bested over 160 competitors.
31.07.2018
ITMO’s Environmental Camp EcoRaids Hosts First Eco-Festival
The Ecological Raids international volunteer camp has been recently held at ITMO University’s health-and-sports center Yagodnoe. For two weeks, students from six countries attended lectures and workshops on social and environmental projects and shared knowledge in the field of environmental protection. All of this happened on the shores of a beautiful lake in the Karelian isthmus. The camp ended with an open eco-festival.
05.07.2018
ITMO Volunteers Get Training in Germany
Olga Rybakina and Ilya Bokatiy, volunteers from ITMO's Student Volunteer Center, have recently returned from the German Niederkaufungen intentional community where they received training as part of the German-Ukrainian-Russian training as camp-coordinators. This educational course for students from different countries is organized by the German branch of SCI, an international organization that collaborates with volunteer centers from all over the world in order to train camp leaders and raise the participants' ecological awareness.
21.06.2018