Czech exhibition promotes environmental sustainability

With the ongoing concerns of climate change, global warming and irreversible damage to the environment, widespread discussions and the search for methods of economic sustainability have never been more prominent than today. Climate change affects all organic life on Earth and unless universal action is taken soon, then the challenges that future generations face could be cataclysmic and astronomical.

This discussion about climate change is arguably the catalyst of what inspired the new, temporary exhibition currently showing at the National Museum of Prague, right in the heart of the Czech Republic.

The exhibition, poetically called "The Earth Is Me", introduces the idea of economic sustainability through simple but concrete, everyday activities that, in the long run, could have a much healthier effect on the environment as a whole. It was created by the Czech Ministry of Culture as the result of a collaborative research project with both the Czech Technical University and the CESNET research organisation.

During a recent trip to Prague, I took the liberty of visiting the museum. After exploring for some time, I stumbled across their "The Earth Is Me" exhibition and I found myself pleasantly surprised and impressed with the level of detail and research that went into its creation.

Not only does the exhibition encourage sustainability through its content in a comprehendible and interactive way, but also through its brilliant execution; the majority of the displays are built using recycled materials from previous exhibitions in the museum, and could perhaps be used for future showings.

Another factor of the exhibition that genuinely interested – and concerned – me was the shocking revelation of how much food is wasted every year just in the Czech Republic. Annually, the average citizen of the Czech Republic disposes of up to 33 kg of food, with bio-waste representing up to 42 per cent of unseparated garbage.

With this number in mind, it makes me wonder and shudder to think how much food is being wasted worldwide. Societies are being deprived of valuable resources through such a high volume of wastage, leading to the insufficient usage of bio-waste, unnecessary transportation and poor sustainability of the food supply chain.

Scattered around the exhibition are various videos that showcase ingenious methods of preserving ingredients instead of disposing of them; for example, using the leftovers of lemons to make homemade lemonade. Some of the creative displays even offer gentle encouragements for people to attempt, albeit only temporarily, new economically friendly diets such as being a pescatarian or flexitarian, along with distinguishing the difference between "best before" and "expiry" dates on consumable products.

The exhibition also features a room reminiscent of a miniature library where you will find dozens of books covering the topics of climate change, global warming, sustainability and how to take better care of the environment, including "How To Change Everything: A Young Human's Guide to Protecting the Planet and Each Other" by Canadian author and social activist Naomi Klein.

"The Earth Is Me" exhibition is currently running in the Czech National Museum until the end of June 2023 and is well worth a look if you are planning on visiting the scenic Czech capital, especially if you yourself are interested in making a positive difference that the exhibition invites you to make. But, ultimately, the decision is yours.

"It depends on me what the Earth will be like" – "The Earth Is Me".