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Future Earth and UNDP Collaborate to Promote Climate Action Through Behavioral Change

Who better to talk about extinction than a dinosaur? On April 11, the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Miraikan), Tokyo, hosted the event, “The Future of the Earth with Frankie: ‘Geo-Cosmos’ Special Demonstration”. The event featured special guests including Frankie, a dinosaur from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) (interpreted by Hideko Hadzialic, Director of the UNDP Representation Office in Tokyo), and Fumiko Kasuga, Director of Future Earth Global Secretariat Hub Japan. About 100 people, including junior high school students, showed up for the event.

Produced by UNDP in 2021 as part of the “Don’t Choose Extinction” climate change campaign, Frankie was shocked by an exhibit on projected temperature increases through 2100 in the “Geo-Cosmos” Earth exhibit at Miraikan, and stressed that while the extinction of the dinosaurs was caused by a giant meteorite that could not be prevented, current climate change is the result of human activity and each of us can have a significant impact if we take immediate action.

Professor Kasuga provided insights into the critical situation of climate change and Future Earth’s ongoing efforts to provide the knowledge needed to combat it. She referenced the themes covered in the 2023 edition of Future Earth’s integrated policy report “10 New Insights in Climate Science,” and stressed the significance of the concept of planetary health. Prof. Kasuga called for collective action to address climate change impacts, particularly those affecting future generations and developing countries.

Chieko Asakawa, Chief Executive Director of Miraikan, expressed the museum’s commitment to raising awareness about climate change through initiatives like the “Planetary Crisis” exhibit. Asakawa highlighted the importance of encouraging behavioral change and expressed enthusiasm for future collaborations with UNDP and Future Earth to address climate change challenges.

Reference: National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation General Information page