The “Science Express”, redesigned as Science Express Climate Action Special (SECAS), the innovative mobile science exhibition mounted on a 16 coach AC train, was flagged off from Delhi’s Safderjung Railway Station on 15 Oct 2015.
The Science Express intends to contribute towards increasing the understanding of the science of Climate Change, the observed and anticipated impacts and possible responses.
The exhibition will convey a strong message about Climate Change and will also be a good opportunity to generate a dialogue and discussion on the impact of climate change and the possible strategies on mitigation and adaptation for enhancing sustainability of India’s development path. It will also put forth India’s action and the role of civil society, in combating Climate Change.
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The Science Express is an innovative science exhibition mounted on a 16 coach AC train which has been custom-built for Department of Science & Technology (DST) by the Indian Railways (IR). This unique mobile exposition was initially launched on 30 October 2007 by DST, in collaboration with German Government and Max Planck Society and it travelled across India in 4 phases of 6-7 months duration each.
In 2011, as a joint initiative of DST and then Ministry of Environment & Forests, Science Express was rolled out as ‘Biodiversity Special’ which showcased the myriad ‘Biodiversity of India’ and it traversed the length of breadth of India in 3 runs.
Science Express is now being redesigned on the theme ‘Climate Change’. It is a unique collaborative initiative of Department of Science & Technology and Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC), and Ministry of Railway, Government of India.
Of the 16 coaches of SECCS, exhibition in 8 coaches will be exclusively devoted to information, case studies and material related to various aspect of Climate change, the underlying science, impacts, adaptation activities, mitigation solutions and policy approaches in a manner that is easy to understand and interesting for not just school students but also the masses. The broad theme covered in each coach is as follows:
Coach 1 – Understanding Climate Change: The physical science of climate system, climate change- its causes & history- and industrial revolution & concept that all systems are connected.
Coach 2 – Impact of Climate Change: Introduction to concept of ecosystem services, Climate Change impacts on selected ecosystems and sectors and also how to reduce it..
Coach 3 – Adaptation-concepts: Concepts of adaptation and example form day to day life, adaptation strategies and stories from field.
Coach 4 – Adaptation-India’s action: Various national, state and local level action and adaptation programmes and their links with national strategies and international actions.
Coach 5 – Mitigation-concepts: Concept and definition with examples from everyday life, emphasis on restoring balance, enhancing sinks (carbon stores) and reducing emission through renewable energy (RE) technologies.
Coach 6 – Mitigation- India’s action: Various national, state and local level action and adaptation programme implemented by India and how those are linked with national strategies and international actions. Low carbon strategies, ambitious goal to increase RE.
Coach 7 – International negotiation on Climate Change: Introduction to UNFCCC, IPCC and internationally agreed action & targets. Explaining concept of equity and common but differential responsibility, Polluter pays, Kyoto protocol and other key outcomes of major COP, etc. Introduction to Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC).
Coach 8 – Handprint: What can one do at school, on roads, at home and in offices and focus on concept of lifestyle choices?
The rest of the rake will have exhibits on themes like Wildlife and Nature Conservation work being carried out by different research institutions across India with focus on Tigers, Turtles, Coral Reefs, Amphibians, etc. besides development in field of Biotechnology, Innovations in S&T, Science Education, Schemes of DST, Careers in S&T, and so on.
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While a Kids Zone has been created in a coach to indulge young ones them in fun-filled activities, games and puzzles in science, mathematics and environment, the popular Joy of Science (JOS) Hands-on Lab is once again put up in another coach where students are encouraged to perform experiments & activities to understand concepts in environment, science and mathematics in an interesting manner. A Discussion centre-cum-training facility is also provided in a coach for orientation of teachers.