As a part of the WaterChain project, an exhibition “Pesticides” was created.
Combining art with science, Kärt Viljalo (Estonian Environmental Research Centre, Tallinn University) and Marko Veinbergs (Tallinn University) aimed to bring the problem of pesticides closer to the public. The exhibition combined photographs by Marko Veinbergs with descriptive information about pesticides. With the aim to attract a wider audience the information was provided in two languages: Estonian and English.
The exhibition “Pesticides” gave the audience a general idea about what pesticides are, what types can be used (herbicides, insecticides, fungicides and zoocides), who the biggest consumers in the world are (Europe), and what kind of harm can pesticides do to the environment (deterioration of pollinator’s health and abundance, food and soil contamination with chemicals), as well as the benefits of using the pesticides (higher food quality, longer shelf life, improved food security, healthier livestock, and reduced veterinarian costs). Additionally the exhibition explained the work of Estonian Environmental Research Centre and showed what kind of pesticide residues have been found in Estonian waters so far.
The exhibition was organized in collaboration between Marko Veinbergs, Estonian Environmental Research Centre, Tallinn University and Tallinn University of Technology.
“Pesticides” was open to public at Tallinn University from 28 Sept. 2017 till 19 Nov. 2017 and at Tallinn University of Technology from 20 Nov. 2017 till 01 Feb. 2018. Complementing the exhibition, two public events were held: an opening event at Tallinn University on 28 Sept. 2017 and a topical seminar at Tallinn University of Technology on 30 Jan. 2018.
The public seminar “Pestitsiidid Eesti vetes” (“Pesticides in Estonian Waters”) was held on 30 Jan. 2018 to conclude the exhibition period at Tallinn University of Technology, inviting all interested parties to participate. The event was advertised via Central Baltic Waterchain and TTÜ Student union‘s Juulius Tipikas Facebook pages and TTÜ official web-page. During the seminar, a brief overview of the WaterChain project was given as an introduction, after which a representative of Estonian Environmental Research Centre introduced the results of analyses of pesticide residues in Estonian waters (groundwater, surface water).