School children to discuss EU and Global citizenship with MEP at Lifetime Lab

Press release

Immediate

 

Cork School Children to discuss European citizenship at Lifetime Lab

 

What is a global citizen, why is it important and should we stay with Europe? These are some of the questions that children from all over Cork city and county will put to Phil Prendergast MEP during an informal questions and answers as part of the An Taisce Global Citizen programme at Lifetime Lab on Monday 28^th November.

 

The programme is currently being developed to aid school children to gain a better insight to the workings of Europe and becoming a global citizen, as part of the programme schools are encouraged to learn about different nationalities in their school, look into purchasing habits, organising fund raising and to live more environmentally.

 

Being a European Citizen means we obey common laws and have common rights within the EU. Unlike in Roman times, being a citizen is not a status symbol anymore, as European Citizens we aspire to equal rights for all and we can all participate in the decision making process through our, democratically elected, Governments and MEP's. We are encouraged to be Active Citizens. The term Global Citizenship is not as easily defined as European Citizenship, there are no clear rules and regulations and, globally, we do not have democratically elected representatives to speak for us. Global Citizenship is more a moral understanding of our responsibilities and our rights in a global context. Being a true Global citizen indicates that we understand that all people have equal rights while at the same time valuing diversity. In addition, it means that we value the Earth as very precious, and as a resource upon which we all depend and should

 

For further information, contact Lifetime Lab at: 021-4941500 lifetimelab@corkcity.ie  or visit www.lifetimelab.ie

 

 

Notes to editor

·         Phil Prendergast will be addressing pupils at Lifetime Lab on Monday 28^th November between 9.30 and 10.30 am

·         Phil Prendergast is MEP for Munster and sits on many European committees including The Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection and The Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development

·         The global citizen programme is part of the An Taisce Green Flag programme

·         Over 2300 Irish schools now fly a green flag

 

 

Contact Details

Name: Mervyn Horgan

Address: Lifetime Lab, Old Waterworks, Lee Road, Cork

Telephone: 021-4941500

Fax: 021-4941519

Email: lifetimelab@corkcity.ie

 

 

 

 

Robert Boyle Science Festival

The Heritage Town of Lismore Co. Waterford plays host to the Robert Boyle
Science Festival from the 18th – 20th November 2011. Robert Boyle (1627 –
1691) was born in Lismore Castle and was perhaps the most influential scientist
of his day and the most respected of the founding members of the Royal Society
of London.

2011 represents the 350th anniversary of the publication of Robert Boyle's
famous scientific paper entitled, "The Skeptical Chymist". This document set
the scene for the establishment of the academic topic we now call the Chemical
Sciences. 2011 is also the year that has been designated the International Year
of Chemistry (or more simply, IYC) and so it is appropriate that Robert Boyle's
enormous contribution to the subject will be celebrated in a Science Festival to
be hosted at his birthplace in Lismore, Co. Waterford.

It is intended that this will be the first in an annual series of 'Robert Boyle Science
Festivals', no equivalent exists in Ireland currently. Educational activities of
the type that the Robert Boyle Science Festival will provide, that is connecting
schoolchildren to high level scientific policy makers and world renowned
scientists are exactly the type of national functions that will make science user
friendly both to adults and schoolchildren. The main objective of the festival is
therefore to promote science to a varied audience; children, students, academics
and the general public.

Talks by Professor Duncan Thorburn Burns (QUB) and Dr Allan Chapman (of
Channel 4 TV fame) will emphasise material on Boyle himself and also his
scientific partnership with the equally famous Robert Hooke.

Due to the universal importance of Boyle's law of gases, two further lectures
will be devoted to Earth's atmosphere. The first is to be presented by the Chief
Scientific Officer to DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural
Affairs) in the UK, Professor Bob Watson, and will provide a political perspective
relevant to human activities on air pollution, climate change and agriculture. Bob
is former chief scientist at the World Bank and prior to this he was White House
Associate Director for Environment Policy for the Clinton Administration.

The second lecture, by Professor Richard Wayne, renowned atmospheric

scientist from Oxford University, will attempt to put the evolution of our
atmosphere in proper perspective with our neighbouring planets in the Solar
System and answer the question: Why Life on Earth?

Armagh Planetarium will present their spectacular 'Stardome Portable
Planetarium' on Friday evening. Educational events specifically for schools
include the 'Robert Boyle Show' by Eoin Gill WIT, the Armagh Planetarium
and 'The Bubble Show' by The London Science Museum. Free events
on Sunday will be mounted by Dr Declan Kennedy (UCC), Calmast WIT
and Lifetime Lab suitable for both children and adults including lectures,
demonstrations and "hands-on" experiences.

The celebration ends with a spectacular Firework Display to point at the
essential "Air" that covers our planet and allows all forms of life to exist.

The Robert Boyle Science Festival is organised by the Lismore Heritage Centre
along with representatives from Lismore Castle, University College Cork,
Waterford Institute of Technology and local Chemical Industry. For further
information please see www.robertboyle.ie. For bookings please contact Eleanor
on 058 54975 or email ehoward@lismoreheritage.ie