TOONGABBIE Primary School, Victoria, hosted the CarbonKids Climate Change Workshop for regional school kids last week, a national event sponsored by Bayer, the Global Carbon Capture Storage Institute and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO).
The CarbonKids Workshop is a CSIRO schools initiative that educates children about science and sustainability best practices. The program reinforces the importance of sustainable living through environmentally friendly practices on the land and in the water.
“As Australia’s leading science agency, one of our key roles is to communicate science to the community. CarbonKids is part of that important role – we introduce basic science to teachers and students," program manager Angela Colliver said.
The students are engaged with interactive and hands-on science activities. This year, they learnt about carbon capture and storage, where the students experienced how power plants and large industries capture carbon dioxide, liquefy it, transport and store it in a safe underground location.
Yvonne Hamilton, CarbonKids co-ordinator at Toongabbie Primary School, said “We couldn’t be happier that Bayer, the Global Carbon Capture Storage Institute and the CSIRO are investing in our children, and teaching them the importance of sustainable living and the lessons of carbon capture and storage".
A spokesperson for Bayer said balancing economic growth with environmental and social responsibility was paramount. "With a focus on propelling the future of farming in Australia, the CropScience division at Bayer is committed to addressing the long-term sustainability and viability of Australian agriculture."
Richard Dickmann, head of New Business Development at Bayer CropScience, said “At Bayer we’re proud to be involved in such a great cause. It is extremely rewarding to see children getting excited about agriculture and growing food sustainably".