The annual pre–New Year event for schoolchildren participating in the educational projects of the Coordination Center for TLD .RU/.РФ has become a well-established tradition. Each year, students visit engaging venues across the capital, combining leisure with meaningful learning. Over the years, they have attended a film premiere, an immersive theater performance, museums, a planetarium, and the Skolkovo Technopark. This year, the group visited the Vorobyovy Gory Environmental Education Center.
The centerpiece of the program was an interactive lecture exploring the role of digital technologies in everyday life and the impact of technological progress on the environment. Yekaterina Kolesova, head of the eco-center, spoke to participants about how digitalization can benefit nature. She explained that modern technologies – such as artificial intelligence, big data, and the Internet of Things – help optimize natural resource management, reduce costs, and improve quality of life. Digital ecology, she noted, includes the creation of virtual models of cities and natural areas, enabling more accurate assessment of human impact and helping identify effective ways to minimize it. As an example, Kolesova highlighted the Moscow government’s digital twin project, launched in 2019, which supports urban infrastructure planning and improves solutions to key economic challenges of the city.
The discussion then turned to the negative consequences of global technological progress. Electronics are becoming the largest source of municipal solid waste, much of which is not properly recycled. The production of electronic devices requires the extraction of rare earth elements, placing significant strain on natural ecosystems. In addition, the rapidly growing energy consumption of data centers poses a risk of increased carbon dioxide emissions.
The discussion then shifted to issues of personal responsibility and the development of in-demand professions of the future. Future specialists, for example, will be able to help address environmental challenges by applying innovative approaches and solutions, such as creating eco-friendly building materials, designing smart parks and green spaces, managing climate risks through insurance, and implementing carbon trading mechanisms. Among the most sought-after professions will be environmental disaster management specialists, bioecologists, soil and ecosystem restoration experts, low-carbon investment specialists, and many others.
After the lecture and lunch, the students took a guided tour of the eco-center. During the tour, they learned that responsible resource use and care for the environment not only benefit nature but also offer tangible advantages for everyday life. The center’s staff shared practical tips on how to organize daily routines in an eco-friendly and cost-effective way: how to properly sort waste and dispose of hazardous materials; why choosing energy-efficient appliances and energy-saving light bulbs matters; effective ways to conserve water and heat; the benefits of locally produced food and the importance of supporting local farmers; and what eco-friendly transportation is and how it helps improve urban air quality.
The program concluded with pleasant surprises – a sweet gift and a comic book from the Coordination Center’s educational project, Explore the Internet & Govern It.
