Author: project_manager

Introduction:

What is climate change?

Climate change stands as one of the most urgent and far-reaching global challenges we face today, casting profound impacts upon the natural world, economies, and societies alike. According to United Nation’s official webpage, climate change encompasses prolonged alterations in temperature and weather patterns. These alterations may arise from natural factors such as fluctuations in solar activity or significant volcanic eruptions. However, since the 1800s, human activities have emerged as the principal catalyst of climate change, predominantly resulting from the combustion of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and gas. Extensive research by climate scientists has unequivocally demonstrated that human actions are the primary driver of nearly all global warming observed over the past two centuries. It’s time to take matters into our own hands and do something to lead a sustainable lifestyle and live in harmony with nature, thereby preventing climate change. To address this crisis effectively, we must engage people on a deeply emotional level, and one powerful tool for achieving this connection is art. Art transcends language and cultural barriers, making it an ideal medium to raise awareness, inspire action, and foster a sense of responsibility toward our planet.

The Emotional Impact of Art:

Art has a unique ability to evoke emotions and convey complex messages in ways that statistics and scientific reports cannot. By art we consider everything that helps us express ourselves as individuals and thus contribute to our community and environment. Whether it’s painting, photography, sculpture, or fashion, art touches the deepest parts of us and has a significant impact in today’s world.

Raising awarness:

Art can play a big role in raising awareness about climate change and its effects. With their artworks, artists can visually present the current situation and problems the world is facing, thereby introducing and raising people’s awareness of climate change. The resulting artworks remain as a constant reminder of the urgent need for action. Art exhibitions, installations, and performances can create a space and environment in which people from various backgrounds come together and share their perspectives, engage in conversations about climate change, its impacts on our lives and the environment, and through these conversations, people gain new knowledge, ideas, and solutions for addressing the climate change related issues.

Education and Empowerment:

Art can be a tool for educating, raising awareness, and empowering people from a young age about climate change and sustainable living. This way, we can create younger generations who are aware of climate change and sustainable living, and will continue to pass on their knowledge to others. Children and adults can learn how to be creative, create art using recycled materials, keep planet earth clean and contribute to the environment and a sustainable lifestyle.

Conclusion:

In the fight against climate change, art is a powerful weapon that transcends language barriers, evokes emotions, raises awareness about the issue, and provides ideas on how to effectively address the problem. By using art as a medium and encouraging artists and people to participate in the creation of climate change-related art, to use recycled and eco-friendly materials, to leave a lasting mark we call artwork, they leave behind a permanent reminder of the issue we have faced and the problem that has been successfully resolved.

References and Related Articles:

What is climate change? United Nations, Available at: https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/what-is-climate-change (Accessed: 06 September 2023).

Home – climate change: Vital signs of the planet (2023) NASA. Available at: https://climate.nasa.gov/ (Accessed: 06 September 2023).

We are living in a digital era where digital elements and tools have immersed more or less in all aspects of life. Learning as a process could not remain untactful from these developments. If someone asked you about the parts thar are affected by these developments, you would probably name as an example e-learning and the corresponding online learning formats.

But what about serious gaming?

Many falsely could think that games and gaming can work only as part of one’s amusement. Yes, they entail fun, joy, the will to achieve goals/ levels leading to unbelievable emotions of pride and satisfaction of all that the gamers received through the “journey”. These key elements, where the starting point for teachers and pedagogists to start searching the advantages of exploiting and integrating such innovative practices into the learning process.

According to Portuguez Castro & Gómez Zermeño (2020), challenge-Based Learning (CBL) is an innovative teaching methodology that engages students to resolve real-world challenges while applying the knowledge they acquired during their professional training.

Research has revealed that serious gaming in general and escape rooms in particular, can facilitate youths to cooperate, communicate, and be critical and active learners. As a didactic tool with a motivational purpose, they can create memorable learning experiences that cannot be replicated by standard classroom activities. They can inspire learners to seek more knowledge, help them reflect upon learning, develop their intrinsic motivation to learn and explore instead of just responding to extrinsic motivations.

A Digital Escape Room is an innovative learning resource that makes learning more attractive, and thus, more memorable- especially for young people. Living in a digital and fast- changing era, young people need stimulating and challenging environments of learning. Escape rooms are challenged based resources; something that adds value on the topics to be tackled through learning. Creating a more visually attractive and interactive learning environment, it is easier to engage young people to comprehend those topics and reflect upon them. Solving quizzes and riddles to escape a room, the young people improve the above- mentioned key competences and at the same time, acquire a more structured knowledge on media literacy education, whilst developing crucial skills such as critical thinking skills and digital skills to further support them and encourage them to be engaged, connected, and empowered as active citizens. Working with facts and myths, intentional error, etc. the participating actors will need to figure out the quizzes and riddles presented to them (case study) to move to the next step and eventually escape the(digital) room. The variety of topics that can be developed and taught through digital escape rooms are countless, however it is a fact that these kind of learning tools contribute significantly to the field of active citizenship as well as the one of raising awareness on environmental issues and sustainability.

If you want to delve into the world of digital escape rooms and how they work within the learning process, just visit ACTIVEYOUTH4Life project. Soon there will be available 6 different Digital Escape Rooms in different languages (English, Greek, Italian, Spanish, and Bosnian). Are you ready to escape?

From the 3rd to the 4th of May 2023, our consortium of ActiveYouth4Life project had a 2-day meeting in the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo.  During our partners’ meeting, all the previous steps were analyzed and evaluated and the next ones were discussed and confirmed. It was a chance to unite the partnership, with each one sharing opinions and impressions for the results that have been achieved up to now.

The meeting started with the evaluation of the Training Handbook for raising the awareness of youths about climate change and sustainability development through filmmaking that was developed within the project and the piloting that took place in every partner country and aimed at testing the effectiveness of this Handbook. The 51 young participants of the piloting process confirmed with the result of 10 successfully produced videos, that the Handbook and its proposed materials and tools constitute a valuable and easy-to-use source without the need to be an expert in filmmaking.

The Training Handbook will be soon available on the platform of the project along with all products and materials of the project.

After this topic, it was time to discuss about the Digital Escape Rooms that are being developed by all partners. This innovative learning resource makes learning more attractive, and thus, more memorable- especially for young people. Living in a digital and fast- changing era, young people need stimulating and challenging environments of learning. That is the reason why creating a more visually attractive and interactive learning environment, makes it easier to engage young people to comprehend the topics of active citizenship and environmental awareness and reflect upon them. Solving quizzes and riddles to escape a room, leads young people on developing crucial skills such as critical thinking skills and digital skills that further  encourage them to be engaged, connected, and empowered as active citizens.
This impactful tool of Digital Escape Rooms is in the process of development and soon will be available online.

Another product of our project that was discussed during the partners’ meeting, was the Training and Virtual Communication platform, in which there will be included: the e-learning and digital tools and resources for carrying out training activities for the enhancement of youths civic participation, climate change and sustainable development awareness. All that is needed in order to have full access to the platform is to register, because in this way it is possible to use  all the digital learning resources, such as the online modules, the film-training handbook and the digital escape room activities. This learning space will also include an e-library in forms of videos, assessment framework, and online publications that the educators/youth workers will be encouraged to access and benefit from them to learn more about the LIFEComp framework and sustainable development. On the platform, there is already available the training curriculum, which provides a certificate to every user who completes it. The curriculum consists of the following modules:
1)Climate change & Sustainable development
2)The role of Active Citizenship in EU in sustainable development awareness

3)Necessary behavioral changes, cultural and human values, consumption habits and lifestyles that contribute to sustainable development
4)Solutions to environmental problems through social entrepreneurship.

The results of our ActiveYouth4Life project are already tangible and soon they will all be available on our platform, so that anyone can profit from them.
During the meeting of our consortium, it was confirmed that the “AY4L” project is already having an impact in the local communities and at the same time through the platform will soon create a virtual community where users can interact and inspire each other.

Finally, the meeting in Sarajevo was an opportunity to empower even more our vision for our project and our passion to try to make the biggest impact possible starting from the local communities and the empowerment of the youth, in order to inspire them to become active citizens fighting for climate change.

YOUNG PEOPLE ACROSS THE WORLD PERCEIVE CLIMATE CHANGE AS THE BIGGEST GLOBAL CHALLENGE FACING OUR WORLD TODAY

Today’s environmental challenges are characterised by complexity. We live in a digitalised environment, our biodiversity is impacted, we over-exploit our natural resources and these factors are considerably impacting the environment.

Environmental Citizenship requires new ways of thinking and acting. Being an active environmental citizen includes recognising the value of liveable environments for humans and nature, promoting conservation and restoration of resources, and supporting nature protection and biodiversity.

Environmental attitudes and behaviour characterises and influence our production and consumption choices and therefore affect largely our environmental impact.

More than 154 experts from 39 countries participating in the European Network for Environmental Citizenship (ENEC) conseptualise what environmental citizenship means today.

“Environmental Citizenship” is defined as the responsible pro-environmental behaviour of citizens who act and participate in society as agents of change in the private and public sphere, on a local, national, and global scale, through individual and collective actions, in the direction of solving contemporary environmental problems, preventing the creation of new environmental problems, achieving sustainability as well as developing a healthy relationship with nature.

Environmental Citizenship includes the practise of environmental rights and duties, as well as the identification of the underlying structural causes of environmental degradation and environmental problems and the development of the willingness and the competences for critical and active engagement and civic participation to address those structural causes and to act individually and collectively within democratic means, taking into account inter- and intra-generational justice (ENEC 2018a).

To try to define this key concept, the European Network for Environment Citizenship (ENEC) was launched in 2017 with the aim to improve understanding and assessment of environmental citizenship in European societies. Environmental Citizenship is a key factor in EU’s growth strategy and plays a crucial role in achieving environmental sustainability, green transition, circular economy, and a carbon neutral future. ENEC COST Action gathers 154 academic researchers and scientists from more than 88 universities and research institutions from 39 countries in a multi-national and multi-disciplinary approach.

ENEC has developed new concepts, methods, metric tools, and pedagogical approaches. The network also tries to improve the protection of our planet with Teachers Professional Development Guidelines and policy recommendations.

“Environmental Citizenship, and its novel conceptualisation, is a promising environmental innovation which can help us reach our goals for achieving environmental sustainability, green transition, circular economy, and a carbon neutral future.“

Dr Andreas HADJICHAMBIS, Action Chair.

The aim of this European network is to deliver reflection papers and strategic recommendations for the Education for Environmental Citizenship (EEC) that will empower a new generation of environmental citizens, capable of promoting the necessary environmental and social change for the benefit of our environment.

In this attempt, ENEC decided to go beyond the necessary scientific publications and developed a book for children and three animated videos, explaining in lay formats the main concepts and approaches.

References:

Article retrieved from: Stokes, L. (2022, June 3). What does it mean to be an environmental citizen? – COST. COST. https://www.cost.eu/environmental-citizenship/

ActiveYouth4Life is a project with the main target to enhance youths’ civic participation and their sustainable and environmental awareness. What does this mean in practice? It means that it aims to shape active citizens who fight effectively to tackle climate change issues that nowadays are being more and more observed even at the local level.

It is an undeniable fact that strengthening young people’s sense of initiative and cooperation towards the confrontation of environmental problems is the stepping stone to make the change towards the urgent issue of climate crisis. For this reason, ActiveYouth4Life project is already contributing to this change through all the steps that have been taken so far within our consortium .

What has been done up to now?

The last months, we developed a Training Handbook for raising youths’ awareness on environmental issues and sustainability through film-making. Useful tools, material and creative ways to address these issues, are all included in the Handbook, so as to equip youth workers with a simple methodology on film-making, without having to be specialists on the field. At the same time, through the implementation of the Handbook, specific LIFEComp competences such as communication, collaboration, flexibility, well-being and empathy are being enhanced to the youth.

We had the chance to test the effectiveness of the Handbook in each country by involving young people in the procedure of the piloting implementation. Under the guidance of a trainer, and following the steps that are being described in the Handbook, the participants cooperated and exchanged ideas with the ultimate goal to create a short film about environmental awareness. During this procedure, young people had the opportunity to develop their personal competences and become more sensitive on the issues of climate change and more motivated to take initiatives for the environmental protection. Furthermore, by using the proposed materials and the ideas of the Training Handbook and working as a team, they managed to create a space of dialogue, inspiration and collaboration, within which the final product were the short films that displayed how climate change has its effects even on a local level and how we can tackle these problems by making small, but important changes in our daily lives.

What is the next step?

Living in a digital and fast- changing era, young people need stimulating and challenging environments of learning. For this reason, our next step is to develop digital escape rooms aiming to foster active citizenship to youths. Creating a more visually attractive and interactive learning environment, can motivate young people to engage and cooperate for fighting for better societies. Lastly, by solving quizzes and riddles to escape a room, young people can develop crucial skills such as critical thinking skills and digital skills to further support them and encourage them to be connected and empowered to take initiatives and thrive as active citizens in the society of today.

Climate change is a pressing issue that affects everyone, but its impact is most severe on young people. Thus, engaging young people in the fight against climate change is crucial. Young people have a unique perspective and a sense of urgency towards the issue, and they are future leaders who will have to deal with its long-term consequences. Empowering young people to take action on climate change can tap into their natural leadership and mobilization skills. Furthermore, young people’s presence on social media and online platforms can be a powerful tool for raising awareness and building support for climate action. Lastly, youth engagement on climate change is essential to ensure that the solutions we develop are equitable and just. In summary, prioritizing youth engagement in the fight against climate change can drive real change and create a sustainable and resilient future.

Climate change is one of the biggest threats facing our planet today, and it is a problem that affects everyone regardless of their age, gender or location. However, the impact of climate change is most severe on young people, who will have to live with the consequences of the actions taken by previous generations for decades to come. Therefore, it is crucial that young people are engaged and involved in the fight against climate change, and their voices are heard and taken seriously by policymakers and other decision-makers.

One of the key reasons why youth engagement on climate change is important is that young people have a unique perspective and a deep sense of urgency when it comes to the issue. Unlike older generations, young people have grown up in a world where the impacts of climate change are already being felt, and they are acutely aware of the severity of the problem. They are also more likely to be open to new ideas and solutions, and they are more willing to take action to address the problem.

Furthermore, young people are the future leaders of our society, and they will be the ones who will have to deal with the long-term consequences of climate change. By engaging with young people and empowering them to take action, we can ensure that they are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and tools they need to create a sustainable and resilient future for themselves and future generations.

Another important reason why youth engagement on climate change is essential is that young people have a unique ability to mobilize and inspire others. Young people are natural leaders, and they have a strong sense of social justice and a desire to make a positive impact on the world. By empowering young people to take action on climate change, we can tap into this innate desire to make a difference and create a movement that can drive real change.

In addition, young people have a strong presence on social media and other online platforms, which can be an incredibly powerful tool for raising awareness and mobilizing support for climate action. Young people are highly active on social media, and they are skilled at using these platforms to connect with others and spread their message. By engaging with young people on social media and other online platforms, we can tap into this vast network of potential supporters and build a powerful movement for climate action.

Finally, youth engagement on climate change is crucial because it helps to ensure that the solutions we develop are equitable and just. Climate change disproportionately affects marginalized communities, including low-income and indigenous communities, and it is essential that their voices and experiences are taken into account when developing solutions. By engaging with young people from these communities, we can ensure that their perspectives are heard and that the solutions we develop are fair, equitable, and effective.

In conclusion, youth engagement on climate change is essential if we are to tackle this urgent global crisis. By empowering young people to take action, we can tap into their unique perspective and ability to inspire others, and create a powerful movement for climate action that can drive real change. Furthermore, by engaging with young people from marginalized communities, we can ensure that the solutions we develop are fair, equitable, and effective. As we work towards a sustainable and resilient future, it is essential that we prioritize youth engagement and ensure that young people are at the forefront of the fight against climate change.

Summary: Storytelling can be a powerful tool for encouraging young people to be active citizens. It inspires empathy, develops skills, raises awareness and provides a sense of agency, all of which motivate young people to make a positive change in their communities and the world.

Keywords: Storytelling, Active Citizen, Agency

Storytelling is a powerful tool for encouraging young people to seek change in the world. Through storytelling, young people can learn about different perspectives, experiences, and cultures, which can help them understand and relate to the issues and challenges facing their communities and the world at large. Storytelling can play a significant role in fostering active citizenship in young people.

One way storytelling can encourage active citizenship is by inspiring empathy and compassion. Hearing stories about the struggles and triumphs of others can help young people understand the impact of social and political issues on real people. It can also help them to identify with the people affected by these issues and understand their perspectives. This can motivate them to take action to make a positive difference in their communities. For example, hearing a story about a child who is living in poverty can inspire a young person to volunteer at a local food bank or to advocate for policies that support low-income families.

Storytelling can also help young people develop important skills for seeking change. For example, listening to stories about how people have successfully advocated for change can teach young people about effective communication, negotiation, and leadership. Additionally, storytelling can help young people develop critical thinking skills by exposing them to different perspectives and encouraging them to question assumptions and consider different solutions to problems. This can be particularly important in the context of environmental issues, where there may be multiple solutions to a problem and a need to evaluate the pros and cons of each.

Another way storytelling can encourage young people to seek change is by raising awareness about important issues. Hearing stories about the impact of climate change, for example, can help young people understand the urgency of the issue and motivate them to take action to reduce their own carbon footprint and advocate for policies that address the problem. Additionally, stories about environmental disasters and their impact on communities and wildlife can help young people understand the importance of protecting the environment and inspire them to take action to reduce pollution and conserve resources.

Ultimately, storytelling can also be a way for young people to see themselves as agents of change. Hearing stories of young people who have made a difference in the world can give them the confidence and inspiration they need to believe that they too can make a difference. This can be particularly important for young people who may feel disempowered or disengaged from the political process. Hearing stories of young people who have successfully advocated for change can show them that their voices and actions can make a difference.

Storytelling can be a powerful tool for encouraging young people to seek change in the world. By inspiring empathy and compassion, developing important skills, raising awareness about important issues and providing a sense of agency, storytelling can help young people understand the impact of social and political issues and motivate them to take action to make a positive difference in their communities and the world. Whether it be through books, movies, podcasts, or community storytelling events, it is important to provide young people with a variety of stories that reflect the diversity of perspectives and experiences in the world. In this way, they can be better equipped to understand and engage with the issues that matter most to them and to their communities.

References:

Blenkinsop Clarke, K. (2017) “How active storytelling can promote and develop essential language and literacy skills.” Available at: https://www.ecsdn.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Kelly-Blenkinsop-Clarke-Submission.pdf (Accessed: January 18, 2023).

Ethnographies of Participation (2020) “Youth Active Citizenship in Europe.” Available at: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-35794-8 (Accessed: January 18, 2023).

Phillips, L.G. (2010) “Active Citizenship: Storytelling, Stories and Social Actions.” Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/266498430_YOUNG_CHILDREN‘ S_ACTIVE_CITIZENSHIP_STORYTELLING_STORIES_AND_SOCIAL_ACTIONS (Accessed: January 18, 2023).

World Bank (2014) “Breaking the Barriers to Youth Inclusion: Youth Participation, Voice and Active Citizenship.” Available at: https://www.worldbank.org/content/dam/Worldbank/document/MNA/breaking_the_barriers_to_youth_inclusion_eng_chap2.pdf (Accessed: January 18, 2023).

Summary: Active citizenship involves being engaged and invested in the community, taking actions to improve society, and using one’s voice to advocate for social and political issues. It is important for young people to learn and practice active citizenship to shape the future and make a positive impact on their communities.

Keywords: Climate Change, Active Citizenship, and Active Youth

Active citizenship allows young people to become informed about the issues that affect their communities and to take action to create positive change. For example, SDG goal number two, Zero Hunger, aims to end hunger and malnutrition by 2030. By volunteering at a local food bank, or supporting sustainable agriculture, young people can actively work towards achieving this goal. Similarly, SDG goal number four, Quality Education, aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. Young people can become involved in improving their local schools or advocating for education policies that support marginalised communities.

Furthermore, active citizenship also allows young people to develop leadership skills and gain valuable experience in planning, organizing, and making decisions. Through participating in local projects, volunteering, or serving on boards or committees, young people can gain the skills and experience they need to become effective leaders in their communities and beyond. This is crucial in achieving the SDGs, as it requires collective efforts and leadership from various sectors and stakeholders.

Active citizenship also has the ability to foster a sense of belonging and connection to the community, which is essential to achieving the SDGs. By becoming involved in community-based initiatives, young people can learn more about the issues that affect their community and the people living there. This understanding can foster a sense of empathy, compassion and a sense of responsibility towards the community, which can lead to the development of more inclusive and equitable policies and practices.

Additionally, the SDGs are interdependent, and their achievement relies on the active participation of citizens. For instance, SDG goal number thirteen, Climate Action, aims to take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts, which requires the participation of citizens in sustainable practices and supporting policies that address climate change. Similarly, SDG goal number five, Gender Equality, aims to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women and girls, which requires the active participation of citizens in challenging gender stereotypes and promoting gender-inclusive policies.

In conclusion, the SDGs and active citizenship are closely linked, and both are essential for youth in the 21st century. The SDGs provide a framework for addressing the most pressing global issues, and active citizenship provides young people with the opportunity to become informed, engaged and active in their communities. By working together, young people can play a vital role in making the world a better place for themselves and future generations. Encouraging and supporting young people to become active citizens and aware of the SDGs is crucial for achieving a sustainable future for all.

References:

British Council (2022) “Active Citizens.” Available at: https://active-citizens.britishcouncil.org/about (Accessed: July 26, 2022).

Gov UK (2021) “Over 80% of young people eager to take action to help the environment.” Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/over-80-of-young-people-eager-to-take-action-to-help-the-environment (Accessed: July 26, 2022).

Imperial College London (2022) “Majority of young people distressed about climate change, even during pandemic.” Available at: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/239251/majority-young-people-distressed-about-climate/ (Accessed: July 26, 2022).

SALTO YOUTH (2022) “What can You(th) do? Empowering Youth Through Active Citizenship.” Available at: https://www.salto-youth.net/tools/otlas-partner-finding/project/what-can-you-th-do-empowering-youth-through-active-citizenship.12783/ (Accessed: July 26, 2022).

United Nations (2022) “Youth in Action .” Available at: https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/youth-in-action (Accessed: July 26, 2022).

People love to mix with the natural world. In fact, we have been interfering with our environment for tens of thousands of years, ever since our ancestors carved stone tools around the fire. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, from tsunamis to killer epidemics, many human interventions have been disastrous.

The way we live our lives, the things we produce and consume, and the way we move around, all impact the environment in a variety of damaging ways. To save our planet, we need to be aware of these impacts. As we destroy nature, we destroy ourselves.

Some examples that indicate the extent to which humans have affected the environment negatively with disastrous consequences.

1. Sparrow slaughter in China triggers insect epidemics

In the late 1950s, China’s leader, Mao Zedong, wanted to rapidly industrialise the country. This included the “Four Pest Campaign”, targeting mosquitoes, rats, flies – and sparrows.

He ordered all the sparrows in the country to be killed because he believed they were feeding on rice and grain and reducing the amount available for humans. Citizens were ordered to shoot the birds, tear down their nests, break their eggs and hit the pots so that they would scare the sky and fall exhausted to their deaths.

Sparrows were driven to near extinction in China. What officials didn’t realize is that sparrows rely on cereals for only a small part of their diet: most of it consists of insects. After the mass cull, there was an explosion of insect pests that devastated the country’s crops.

“This ecological disaster combined with years of drought and destructive agricultural policies led to one of the most devastating famines in history. An estimated 45 million people died,” says Professor Marc Cadotte, an ecologist at the University of Toronto.

2. Pesticides kill more than harmful pests

Since the Second World War, our main defence against crop pests has been artificial pesticides. But these chemicals also kill useful insects, such as parasitoid wasps, laurel and ladybugs. These hunt common pests and provide support for farmers and gardeners.

Researchers in Brazil have found that ants can be more effective than pesticides in helping farmers produce food. At the same time, they reduce damage to plants and increase yields. This is because they are “generalist” predators, going after pests that damage fruits, seeds and leaves.

The scientists examined the impact of 26 ant species on 17 crops. They found that they do better in diversified farming systems, such as agroforestry and shade crops, since there are more places for them to nest.

3. Indian vultures are declining and the number of rabies cases is increasing

In the early 1990s, vultures across India began to die inexplicably. The long-beaked vultures, the slender-billed vulture and the eastern white vulture declined to the brink of extinction. The number of the three most common vulture species in India declined by more than 97% between 1992 and 2007.

Six other species also declined sharply. Scientists began examining the dead birds. They found that they had been exposed to diclofenac, an anti-inflammatory drug commonly given to cattle in South Asia. The vultures were feeding on the carcasses of cows and were poisoned.

This was the beginning of a widespread chain reaction. As vulture populations collapsed, cow carcasses began to accumulate and the number of rats and wild dogs increased dramatically. Dogs became the main scavengers in the dumps previously used by vultures.

If you want to learn more about the effectiveness of the human activity in our planet and what actions we should undertake, then read Module 3- NECESSARY BEHAVIOURAL CHANGES, CULTURAL AND HUMAN VALUES, CONSUMPTION HABITS AND LIFESTYLES THAT CONTRIBUTE TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT.

Adapted by the article available at: https://www.in.gr/2022/12/28/b-science/perivallon-b-science/ti-symvainei-otan-oi-anthrop