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Which was bustling with many families, on May 5th (Mon, public holiday) to May 6th (Tue, public holiday), we invited Mr. Shinichi Takemura, a professor at Kyoto University of the Arts and the representative director of the NPO ELP, as a lecturer to joyfully convey the charm of the sea and the Earth to children aged 10 to 18.
Learn about the digital globe “Sphere”
Sphere is a digital globe that projects the progression of phenomena occurring on Earth based on data provided by scientific research institutions. aiming to create a world where these globes are commonplace in every school. a workshop focused on the sea was held in conjunction with the BLUE OCEAN DOME.
When you ask Sphere, “”What’s the current weather in London?””, a live camera displays the streets of London, allowing you to experience the atmosphere of cities around the world in real-time. The children observed the boundary between morning and night, the path of typhoons, and the movement of ships departing from oil fields, as if they were astronauts.
We held a workshop to appreciate the importance of the oceans that exist on Earth.
A sphere that allows you to rotate and view not only the Earth but also stars and planets. Mr. Takemura explained the characteristics of the planets in the solar system while discussing the differences with Earth. It is explained that Mars, which is farther from the sun than Earth, is cold and turns to ice, while Venus, which is closer to the sun, evaporated and lost its water, and it is argued that the existence of such vast oceans on Earth is not a given. Mr. Takemura mentioned that, in comparison with the moon, which is a satellite orbiting the Earth, water has the property of being slow to heat and cool, which stabilizes the temperature and climate of the Earth’s oceans, creating a comfortable environment for life. It was an opportunity to once again realize how precious and important the oceans on Earth are.
The impact of natural phenomena on a global scale.
Next, we focused on the living things and land of the Earth. The sphere showed the movement of a bonito fish moving from the Philippines to Hokkaido, heading for plankton that live there. To explain why Japan has such mountainous topography and famous water, the plates covering the Earth’s surface were moved and pushed against the Japanese archipelago. The sphere showed how past earthquakes and tsunamis progressed, and it became clear that tsunamis also have an impact on the other side of the Earth. When showing the path of a typhoon approaching Okinawa, it was explained that the typhoon plays a role in maintaining the water temperature by mixing the warm surface water with the deep sea, thereby maintaining the water temperature and maintaining the coral reefs and ecosystem. The children were able to understand the laws of nature from a multifaceted perspective, realizing that natural phenomena such as earthquakes and typhoons are not only disasters but also blessings.
Who Will Inherit the Earth of Tomorrow
Global warming is a major force that will prevent coral reefs and ecosystems from being sustained even if we harness the power of typhoons. We followed the rise in water temperature over the past five years and the trend of global warming from 1950 to 2100. It was warned that if we continue to emit carbon dioxide, the Arctic ice will disappear by 2050. The Sphere, which can also simulate future predictions, also shows hope that if all humanity works toward decarbonization, the Arctic ice will remain even in 2100. “The Sphere teaches us that the future of the Earth can be changed by what humans do now,” said Takemura. Human existence is very large, and a bright future will emerge if the nearly 10 billion people living on Earth change their lifestyles. Many children thoughtfully and actively answered Takemura’s questions. As people who will carry the future of the Earth, we were able to create an opportunity for children to take action themselves. Using the Sphere, which projects the past and the future, the workshop was an opportunity to think about the Earth we live on from various perspectives.
▼The event is currently available on YouTube on the ‘BLUE OCEAN DOME Official Channel’. Please visit the site.
【#021】 The Sea and the Earth (ZERI JAPAN/Shinichi Takemura)