DEVELOPING THE ROSATOM INITIATIVE: "GREEN SQUARE" EDUCATIONAL PROJECT
The main present-day challenge to the global civilization, i.e. global warming caused by the increasing greenhouse effect due to increasing carbon dioxide releases to the atmosphere is analyzed. Consideration is also given to the «Green square of zero-carbon power engineering» being the only meaningful Initiative of international organizations, which is capable of responding to these releases and protecting the planet. The Initiative addresses the development of nuclear power engineering. This paper is an attempt to draw attention of the pedagogical community to the fact that information work and learning activities with the secondary-school and college students to the benefit of nuclear power engineering development are necessary. Radiation awareness-building activities are needed in order students could understand that modern civilization has no future without development of the eco-friendly large-scale power engineering, i.e. nuclear power engineering. Radiation-awareness education need to begin at schools, colleges, and universities and should not be limited to public awareness efforts. Radiation-awareness will be of vital importance within the next two or three decades and therefore, it is reasonable that the work with the youth would begin in advance as in the nearest future these young people will govern paths of our country development. ROSATOM Public Council invited college and university students to submit, on the competitive basis, their papers devoted to nuclear power engineering with the follow-on participation of the winners in scientific conferences including their participation with Public Council support. Basic proposals on the further development of “Green Square” Initiative from papers prepared by Ekaterinburg and Chelyabinsk students, as well by their tutors are presented. Proposals aimed to change public acceptance of nuclear power engineering within the “Green square” Initiative are also forwarded.