Skip to 0 minutes and 1 second Our planet is changing beyond recognition. Glaciers and ice caps are melting. Droughts are becoming ubiquitous even across the wettest parts of our planet. Plastics are found in the most pristine environments around the world, and we have seen dramatic declines in plant and animal diversity all around the globe. Why is this happening? And what can we do about it? My name is Thijs Bosker. And my name is Paul Behrens. We are both associate professors in environmental science at Leiden University. The destruction of our key support systems for our civilization, such as food production and our climate, impacts everyone and everything. We must all understand what’s happening, what’s at stake, and what we can do about it.
Skip to 0 minutes and 47 seconds That’s why we created this online course called The Great Sustainability Transition, Global Challenges and Local Actions. We hope that by providing the latest scientific information we’ll give you the tools to take action and talk with family and friends about the urgency of that action. The challenges we face are enormous. We’ll focus on biodiversity loss, climate change, and pollution, and we’ll discuss what we call The Great Sustainability Transition. How do we minimize adverse impacts and move to a sustainable way of living for the long term? The course is not just theory. We want you to make a small but real impact.
Skip to 1 minute and 26 seconds For example, by participating in a citizen science project to survey your local biodiversity and by investigating the environmental impacts of your own diet. Of course, given the content, we’ll discuss difficult, serious topics. We need to, because without knowledge, we can’t act. However, acting can sometimes be simple and enjoyable. And if you want to know how, then join the course to find out. We’ll be shooting most of our videos here in Leiden, The Netherlands, at a location called The Field. Sandwiched in between roads, train tracks, concrete and asphalt, it’s a green oasis with a high diversity of native plants and animals. The buildings that you can see behind us use reclaimed and recycled materials from other buildings that were being demolished.
Skip to 2 minutes and 12 seconds It’s a small example, but it offers a really interesting perspective on how we can construct our urban environment. But even though we have some positive examples, it’s nowhere near enough. If we don’t act faster, our planet will become an unstable biological dead zone. However, so far, governments and companies have overwhelmingly moved too slowly to make any meaningful impact. And this is why it’s on us to pressure them into taking action and to take action ourselves. But to do that, we need the right facts. By following our course, you’ll learn to separate facts from fiction, enabling you to bring about meaningful change, both for ourselves and the communities in which we live.
