Launch of the 2nd edition of the UAB Science Carriage to raise awareness on the need to reduce fossil fuels
The rector of the UAB, Javier Lafuente and Toni Segarra, president of the Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC), presented the second edition of the UAB Science Carriage. This year's edition is dedicated to the need of reducing the consumption of oil, carbon and gas, and increasing that of clean and renewable energies. The science carriage is made up of one of the FGC trains on the Barcelona-Vallès line in use during the 2024/25 academic year.
18/09/2024
The first edition of the Science Carriage, dedicated to mental health, was very well received during its first edition in the 2023/24 academic year. Conceived as a co-creation laboratory for scientific and technological dissemination, it is a place where topics of general interest in which research and innovation are fundamental are addressed, with the aim of reaching the public and improving scientific and technical education in society. Among the issues it will address this year are the impact of fossil fuel consumption on biodiversity and human health, alternative energies, climate justice and responsible consumption.
This year's second edition will include the participation of over 30 researchers from the UAB Departments of Animal Biology, Plant Biology and Ecology; Geography; and Chemical, Biological and Environmental Enigneering; and from the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA-UAB) and the Centre for Ecological Research and Forestry Applications (CREAF).
In the presentation of the Science Carriage, FGC President Toni Segarra highlighted that “this initiative, which was a success in the past edition, reaffirms our desire to encourage that the FGC trains also be a space for reflection and knowledge”. Thus, “we are eager for FGC users to enjoy the journey while they become aware of issues of general interest to citizens”, he added.
Per la seva banda, el rector de la UAB, Javier Lafuente, ha assenyalat que “la temàtica del Vagó d’enguany està completament alineada amb la política climàtica de la Universitat”, i ha destacat el paper pioner i la llarga trajectòria de la UAB en el compromís amb el medi ambient. “El Vagó és una mostra del compromís que tenim amb les persones i la resta d’éssers vius del planeta i amb la divulgació d’informació basada en la recerca en matèria mediambiental”.
UAB Rector Javier Lafuente also pointed out that “the theme of this year's Carriage is completely aligned with the University's climate policy”, and highlighted the pioneering role and long-standing history of the UAB in its commitment to the environment. “The Carriage is a sign of the commitment we have with people and the rest of living beings on the planet and with the dissemination of information based on environmental research.”
The rector recalled that this year the University has approved an ambitious plan to reduce the consumption of resources (water and energy), abandon the use of fossil fuels, and make progress in reducing indirect emissions with the aim of achieving climate neutrality by 2030 for activities carried out by the UAB itself. He also pointed out that four types of renewable energy are used on campus: solar photovoltaic on the roofs of some buildings, biomass installed in the Physical Activity Service, solar thermal energy to heat sanitary hot water and, finally, geothermal energy, which the ICTA-ICP building has been using since 2014.
Infographics, podcasts and dialogues with experts
The carriage, which is vinyl-covered on the outside with the name of the project, "Vagó de la Ciència", contains information and illustrations related to the reduction of fossil fuels consumption, which can be expanded in audio format using the QR codes available. The contents include ten audio guides that address cross-cutting issues such as the origin and use of fossil fuels, their impact on biodiversity and human health, and alternative energies. There is also a series entitled El pòdcast del Vagó, with 16 chapters, available on the Science Carriage website and on the Spotify and Ivoox platforms, with interviews with researchers on topics in their field of study. Some of the issues they address are climate change and biodiversity, the challenges of the energy transition, climate justice, regenerative agriculture and responsible consumption.
On this occasion, the FGC train also has a space within the Science Carriage in which it shows the data on emissions, energy and economic savings of the journey between Plaça Catalunya and the UAB using the FGC instead of a car. Specifically, the savings in emissions each time this journey is made is equivalent to the carbon capture of 1.38 trees in one year, and the economic savings is 2.2 coffees per journey. Thus, users will be able to become aware of the difference in the environmental impact of their journeys when they choose one means of transport or the other, and of the savings for the planet that travelling with FGC represents. The carriage also shows the company's commitment to mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, which aims to be carbon neutral by 2030. In this regard, Ferrocarrils has reduced Scope 1 (direct emissions) and 2 (indirect emissions from imported electricity) greenhouse gas emissions by 85.87% since 2018.
The Science Carriage once again will be offering the Expert Seat, an initiative that seeks to encourage interaction with users and in which a researcher periodically occupies a seat in the carriage during the train ride between Plaça Catalunya and the UAB to answer questions, exchange experiences and maintain a dialogue on their field of knowledge. The proposal will take place this year every Thursday between the months of October and February.
In addition, the Science Carriage includes samples of a new type of smart windows developed by researchers from the UAB Departament of Chemistry and the ICN2 that modulate the transmission of solar radiation depending on weather conditions to improve energy efficiency. Based on nanoparticles of organic waxes, these windows have high transparency on cold and cloudy days to favour the passage of light, while they become opaque and block solar radiation when the weather is hot.
The project, which includes funding from the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT) of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, also includes other actions, such as the publication on train screens of short animations and conversations between researchers filmed on the old UAB bus on topics related to environmental preservation.
The next UAB activity in the framework of the thematic year on the need to reduce the use of fossil fuels will be the opening lecture of the academic year, to be given by Kevin Anderson, professor of climate and energy change at the School of Engineering's Tyndall Centre, University of Manchester. The institutional event inaugurating the new academic year will take place on 14 October at 12 noon in the conference hall of the Rectorat building, and will also be streamed live on the UAB's YouTube channel.
All of the informative material of the Science Carriage is accessible through the project's website: www.uab.cat/vago.