Earth Week 2026

You Keep Using That Word … Sustainability” — A Philosophical Analysis of the Concept of Sustainability by CISPA’s Ethics Office Dr. Jannik Zeiser (presentation in English)

We take a closer look at the concept of sustainability and present a simple philosophical analysis of the concept. To have fruitful discussions about sustainability, we argue, two levels need to be separated:

1. What is supposed to be sustained and how it is threatened to be undermined (Persistence Condition)
2. Why future generations depend on it (Dependence Condition)

To put our sustainability concept to work, we apply it to the problem of AI generated media: Such generated content threatens to undermine the public’s trust in digital images and recordings. 1. That trust is no longer sustainable due to realistic fake images and recordings that are cheap to generate. To address this problem, we also need to be clearer about 2. why trust in images and recordings are relevant for future generations (e.g., it underpins a fact-based public debate on current events and thereby contributes to a functioning democracy). Both the Persistence as well as the Dependence Condition need to be considered to address a sustainability problem.

Zoom Meeting: https://cispa-de.zoom-x.de/j/66814056234?pwd=ia2DLg5GbljastLQWzqa5D7DWbFOlH.1
Meeting ID: 668 1405 6234
Passcode: 6k^ixs

“Privacy-Preserving Humanitarian Aid Distribution” Dr. Wouter Lueks (presentation in English)

Humanitarian aid-distribution programs help bring physical goods to people in need. Traditional paper-based solutions to support aid distribution do not scale to large populations and are hard to secure. Existing digital solutions, on the other hand, risk creating serious harms to recipients by collecting large amount of personal information including sometimes biometric data.

In this talk, I will explain how, in collaboration with humanitarian organizations including the International Committee of the Red Cross, we designed digital systems for aid-distribution systems with strong protection. We’ll see how we used privacy-enhancing technologies to prevent harm to vulnerable aid recipients; and touch on our experience working with humanitarian organizations.

Zoom Meeting: https://cispa-de.zoom-x.de/j/61876952067?pwd=KHZQBmDmf3CgVCRkoViAaqlLTm0xLF.1
Meeting ID: 618 7695 2067
Passcode: Q7TYp.

MDC x DKFZ: How do we store data sustainably?

Did you know that every terabyte of data on Helmholtz servers costs more than €100 per year? As data volumes continue to grow, so does the ecological and financial impact of our research. In this workshop, IT experts from the DKFZ Heidelberg (Michael Cop) and the Max Delbrück Centre (Mathias Decker) will pool their experience and demonstrate practical approaches to resource-saving data management.

Participants will gain insights into best practices and learn about a tool that makes the often hidden costs of "data waste" visible and manageable. The event is aimed equally at scientists and IT experts who want to manage data more sustainably - and more efficiently.

Zoom (German with English subtitles): https://mdc-berlin.zoom-x.de/j/66807061154 

This interactive game, next to the plant and seed exchange event, invites visitors to actively engage with the topic of nutrition. The "Nutrition Barometer" offers the opportunity to visualize and compare personal assessments of various foods and their impact on the environment and health.

Location: Foyer of the DKFZ Main Building, INF 280

MDC x EMBO: Explore SparkHub - The new tool for sustainable labs

How can we embed sustainability into research without slowing down scientific work? SPARKHub is a new open-access platform designed to do exactly that. It aims to provide a practical, science-based tool for all types of laboratories, from biomedical sciences, to physics to high-performance computing. SPARKHub is developed in collaboration with the international research and sustainability community.

Philipp Weber, Sustainability Officer at EMBO and one of the initiators behind SPARKHub, will introduce the platform and invite the Helmholtz community to explore and test it.

Zoom (English with German subtitles): https://mdc-berlin.zoom-x.de/j/61347899046

DESY x MDC: Helmholtz Sustainability Online Pub Quiz

Join us from 4:00 to 5:00 PM for the Helmholtz Sustainability Online Pub Quiz—an easygoing, interactive session on Zoom where you can challenge yourself, share some laughs, and maybe even win big. We’ve lined up five rounds packed with surprising sustainability facts, brain-teasing picture puzzles, and a music round. Whether you prefer to compete solo or team up with colleagues, there’s a spot for you. And here’s the highlight: the winning team takes home the legendary Golden Microscope trophy from MDC and the Golden Sextupol trophy from DESY.

How to join:

• Playing as a team? Just gather around one screen or hop into a conference room together.

• Pick a team name in Zoom so we can track your points.

• No registration needed - just join the call and jump right in!

Zoom (German with English subtitles): https://mdc-berlin.zoom-x.de/j/69439088466

FZJ Science Online: "The solution lies in the deep sea" (Dr Rebecka Molitor, IMET)

An expedition in the North Atlantic, deep-sea samples and a clear goal: sustainable processes for recycling plastics. The focus is on enzymes from microorganisms that have adapted to plastics under the extreme conditions of the ocean depths - and thus enable new biotechnological approaches for plastics recycling.

More information here: link

Link to the appointment via ZOOM: https://go.fzj.de/cTknX

AWIs4Future presents "Science for the living room" - Everything so colorful here - Why we need the diversity of plankton?

Every fortnight on Thursday at 8:30 pm live on YouTube, we scientists from the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) and our guests from other institutions report on our current, real and climate-relevant research in a cosy atmosphere. We bring the polar bear into your living room, the whale into the aquarium and the permafrost into your front garden. Make yourself comfortable on the sofa with a suitable drink and join us on a short, exciting research trip. You'll get to know us and learn a few fascinating things about our planet along the way. Afterwards, we'll be happy to answer any snack-related questions you may have.

Lecture by Prof. Dr. Helmut Hillebrand

Prof. Dr. Helmut Hillebrand is Director of the Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity (HIFMB) in Oldenburg and will give a lecture on the importance of plankton biodiversity in the oceans.
 

Phytoplankton comprises an impressive variety of photosynthetically active microorganisms. They are more diverse amongst themselves than land plants. This diversity enables them to cope with rapid changes in the marine environment. Their biodiversity is therefore a significant component of ocean biogeochemistry and is thus particularly important for the balance and health of our oceans.  
In episode 193, we delve deep into the colourful world of the smallest plants in our oceans. 

Link to the event:https://www.youtube.com/live/SpdrqXCM-q8?si=klieChQXPgMrYFBH