Sam Dupont at the Department for Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg has published an article in the Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom describing his collaborative project to engage people in facing global environmental challenges through art.
Recent events in world politics demonstrate that a part of society has lost faith in their institutions. The importance of facts and evidence in citizens’ decision making is weakened by opinions and belief systems. This post-fact or alternate facts era is a new challenge in the field of science communication as we urgently need to tackle global environmental challenges. Not only do scientists need to better communicate their work, they also need to explore alternative ways of transferring knowledge to help citizens reconnect with nature and actively take responsible decisions to protect it.The activity ‘I am theOcean’ has been developed by an artist and a scientist with the goal to help students understand, connect and be equipped to take actions on marine global changes. The activity was a mix of field trips, open discussions and sensory immersion. It illustrates how art and metaphors can add an emotional and physical dimension to science communication, allowing a better understanding of otherwise invisible threats, and move from knowledge to passion.
