The Anthropocene beyond stratigraphy – towards a normative imperative for science and universities

The Anthropocene, regardless of which interpretation of content and time one follows, is characterised by the fact that humans have become one, if not the global driver and creator. The increasingly intensive interventions in the Earth system result in global challenges that increasingly call the future of all humankind into question. A way out of this crisis situation only seems possible by means of a comprehensive socio-ecological transformation. In the context of this dualism between challenges and solution options, science is expected and demanded to take on a central role in overcoming the existential crisis. In order to fulfil this social responsibility, the science system must transform itself and overcome inherent lock-ins that have so far prevented significant impacts beyond the academic world. In the sense of a ‘normative imperative for science in general and universities in particular’ (also see Allerberger and Stötter 2022, this issue), we aim to provide starting points for such a self-transformation in relation to four different fields of action of universities. These include transdisciplinary and transformative research, among others, to fulfil the Third Mission, overcoming excellence fetishism, teaching that empowers students to deal with challenges in a solution-oriented way, and a completely different attitude towards the governance of universities, including changes in the dimensions of culture, structure, communication and cooperation

Anthropocene – humankind as global actor: Insights into historic and current perspectives

By proclaiming a new geological epoch in which humankind has become a dominant global driver and force of Earth system processes, Crutzen and Stoermer have triggered heated and unexpected debates among the scientific community in 2000. Yet, limiting the Anthropocene to a geological-stratigraphically defined time unit is highly questionable – if not absurd – as already in the 19th century scientists have dealt with the interaction of mind and matter with respect to the actions of humans and their impacts on the environment. Against this background, the article firstly provides an overview of historical concepts addressing humankind as global actor, whereby the differentiation and interplay between mind and matter is explicitly considered. Secondly, several characteristics of the Anthropocene are outlined but without claiming completeness. These considerations lead us to questions regarding the consequences of the Anthropocene as a “diagnosis of present times [Gegenwartsdiagnose]” (Horn and Bergthaller 2019: 12) for science itself, which are discussed in more detail in our second contribution in this Special Issue

Simulation of debris flows in the Central Andes based on Open Source GIS: Possibilities, limitations, and parameter sensitivity

A GIS-based model framework, designed as a raster module for the OpenSource software GRASS, was developed for simulating the mobilization and motion ofdebris flows triggered by rainfall. Designed for study areas up to few square kilometres, thetool combines deterministic and empirical model components for infiltration and surfacerunoff, detachment and sediment transport, slope stability, debris flow mobilization, andtravel distance and deposition. The model framework was applied to selected study areasalong the international road from Mendoza (Argentina) to Central Chile. The inputparameters were investigated at the local scale. The model was run for a number of rainfallscenarios and evaluated using field observations and historical archives in combinationwith meteorological data. The sensitivity of the model to a set of key parameters wastested. The major scope of the paper is to highlight the capabilities of the model—and ofthis type of models in general—as well as its limitations and possible solutions.Fil: Mergili, Martin. Vienna University of Technology; AustriaFil: Fellin, Wolfgang. Universidad de Innsbruck; AustriaFil: Moreiras, Stella Maris. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales; ArgentinaFil: Stötter, Johann. Universidad de Innsbruck; Austri

Erfassung von räumlichen Daten in multiplen Dimensionen – topographisches LiDAR

In den letzten Jahren stieg die Bedeutung räumlicher Information nicht nur in den Bereichen Forschung, Wissenschaft und öffentlicher Verwaltung, sondern auch für alltägliche Anwendungen. Durch neue Entwicklungen in der Sensortechnologie ermöglicht die Fernerkundung die Erfassung von geographischen Daten in zunehmend höherer zeitlicher und räumlicher Auflösung. Dies eröffnet zum einen neue Möglichkeiten in der Auswertung, Analyse und Anwendung solcher Daten, andererseits werden jedoch auch neue Anforderungen von themenspezifischen Anwendungen an die Datenerfassung gestellt. Ziel der Forschungen in der LiDAR Research Group des Instituts für Geographie an der Universität Innsbruck ist die Entwicklung und Anwendung von Methoden für die Analyse neuer Fernerkundungsdaten und Geoinformation zur Detektion, Kartierung und Quantifizierung von geographischen Phänomenen und Objekten im Natur- und Kulturraum. Ein Hauptaugenmerk liegt in der Erforschung des Potenzials der topographischen Information von Laserscanningdaten für die dreidimensionale Kartierung, das Monitoring von zeitlichen Veränderungen und die Modellierung von Prozessen in verschiedenen Maßstabsebenen. Im vorliegenden Beitrag wird ein Überblick über die Grundprinzipien der Abstraktion von realen Objekten zu digitalen 3D-Objekten aus Laserscanningdaten gegeben. An ausgewählten Beispielen werden konkrete Anwendungen für die Zivilgesellschaft gezeigt

Bridging the Action Gap by Democratizing Climate Change Education—The Case of k.i.d.Z.21 in the Context of Fridays for Future

Formal schooling frequently lacks both democratic learning culture and effective climate change education (CCE). This study analyzes the effects of the participatory CCE initiative k.i.d.Z.21 and the impacts of the current Fridays For Future (FFF) climate protests on teenagers’ climate change awareness. The mixed-methods approach comprises online pre-and post-tests, and personal interviews with selected students. k.i.d.Z.21 follows moderate constructivist, inquiry-based learning approaches and addresses 14-year old students from secondary schools in Austria and southern Germany. Considering the effectiveness of the CCE intervention of school year 2018/2019 (N = 169), quantitative findings reveal an increased mean of major components of climate change awareness, including climate-friendly behavior. When separating participants and non-participants in Fridays For Future, personal concern and refusing meat have both increased significantly only among protest participants. A closer examination of this group identifies an enhanced feeling of self-efficacy that might be triggered by perceived collective efficacy. Besides, more climate-friendly consumption behavior, as well as enhanced multiplicative action, are detected. The interviewed students also clearly assigned increased action-related components of climate change awareness to the attendance of FFF. From the findings, we conclude that democratic learning in and out of school can enhance action-related components of climate change awareness, and a combination of both can have an even stronger effect

Erfassung von räumlichen Daten in multiplen Dimensionen – topographisches LiDAR

In den letzten Jahren stieg die Bedeutung räumlicher Information nicht nur in den Bereichen Forschung, Wissenschaft und öffentlicher Verwaltung, sondern auch für alltägliche Anwendungen. Durch neue Entwicklungen in der Sensortechnologie ermöglicht die Fernerkundung die Erfassung von geographischen Daten in zunehmend höherer zeitlicher und räumlicher Auflösung. Dies eröffnet zum einen neue Möglichkeiten in der Auswertung, Analyse und Anwendung solcher Daten, andererseits werden jedoch auch neue Anforderungen von themenspezifischen Anwendungen an die Datenerfassung gestellt. Ziel der Forschungen in der LiDAR Research Group des Instituts für Geographie an der Universität Innsbruck ist die Entwicklung und Anwendung von Methoden für die Analyse neuer Fernerkundungsdaten und Geoinformation zur Detektion, Kartierung und Quantifizierung von geographischen Phänomenen und Objekten im Natur- und Kulturraum. Ein Hauptaugenmerk liegt in der Erforschung des Potenzials der topographischen Information von Laserscanningdaten für die dreidimensionale Kartierung, das Monitoring von zeitlichen Veränderungen und die Modellierung von Prozessen in verschiedenen Maßstabsebenen. Im vorliegenden Beitrag wird ein Überblick über die Grundprinzipien der Abstraktion von realen Objekten zu digitalen 3D-Objekten aus Laserscanningdaten gegeben. An ausgewählten Beispielen werden konkrete Anwendungen für die Zivilgesellschaft gezeigt

Can Education Save Money, Energy, and the Climate?— Assessing the Potential Impacts of Climate Change Education on Energy Literacy and Energy Consumption in the Light of the EU Energy Efficiency Directive and the Austrian Energy Efficiency Act

The Austrian Education Energy Initiative ETSIT has been established as a response to the EU Energy Efficiency Directive and the Austrian Energy Efficiency Act. This paper investigates the energy literacy of its young participants, i.e., 6000 primary and secondary school students altogether, on a cognitive, affective and behavioural level, and it compares the putative energy-saving effectiveness of the workshops to that of conventional energy audits.For the current analysis, data from, 640 students who validly answered an online survey shortly after participating in one of the energy education workshops, and 353 students who validly answered the online survey approximately one year after having participated (overall n = 993) were analysed. The results indicate that ETSIT raises students’ energy literacy on a cognitive, affective and behavioural level with about three-quarters of participants claiming they will positively change their energy consumption behaviour in the future as a result of workshop participation. This is true shortly after participation in the workshops, and also at the 1-year follow-up. In its second impact perspective, this paper delivers an innovative attempt to look at education from a cost-benefit analysis. A default formula for energy audits is adopted to quantify the kilowatt hours (and thus emissions and costs) saved through workshop participation. Despite limitations, the surprising results show that such workshops can compete with conventional energy audits, and that education can, in fact, help save money, resources, and, most important of all, the climate

Can Education Save Money, Energy, and the Climate?— Assessing the Potential Impacts of Climate Change Education on Energy Literacy and Energy Consumption in the Light of the EU Energy Efficiency Directive and the Austrian Energy Efficiency Act

The Austrian Education Energy Initiative ETSIT has been established as a response to the EU Energy Efficiency Directive and the Austrian Energy Efficiency Act. This paper investigates the energy literacy of its young participants, i.e., 6000 primary and secondary school students altogether, on a cognitive, affective and behavioural level, and it compares the putative energy-saving effectiveness of the workshops to that of conventional energy audits.For the current analysis, data from, 640 students who validly answered an online survey shortly after participating in one of the energy education workshops, and 353 students who validly answered the online survey approximately one year after having participated (overall n = 993) were analysed. The results indicate that ETSIT raises students’ energy literacy on a cognitive, affective and behavioural level with about three-quarters of participants claiming they will positively change their energy consumption behaviour in the future as a result of workshop participation. This is true shortly after participation in the workshops, and also at the 1-year follow-up. In its second impact perspective, this paper delivers an innovative attempt to look at education from a cost-benefit analysis. A default formula for energy audits is adopted to quantify the kilowatt hours (and thus emissions and costs) saved through workshop participation. Despite limitations, the surprising results show that such workshops can compete with conventional energy audits, and that education can, in fact, help save money, resources, and, most important of all, the climate