ICARUS Climate Research Centre

Maynooth University Climate Change Students Showcase the ‘Circus of Climate Horrors’ at Maynooth University Green Week.
 

Figure 1: Students from Maynooth University's MSc Climate Change ready to run the “Circus of Climate Horrors” exhibition and engage with the public for Maynooth University Green Week 2025.
The Maynooth University Green Week runs from the 24th to the 28th of March, showing you how to reduce energy consumption, fix your clothes, learn about climate action and show some beautiful biodiversity. As part of Maynooth Green Week 2025, a group of Climate Change Master's Students from Maynooth University oversaw the running of the ‘Circus of Climate Horrors’ and its social media. The stall allowed for budding climate scientists to engage with the public on the topic of climate change and communicate science openly.
The ‘Circus of Climate Horrors’ was on display on the 27th and the 28th in the Arts Building on the North Campus. The exhibition showcased a range of impacts that climate change is having on our planet, which were communicated through fun activities spanning a range of different areas, from increased greenhouse gas emissions, atmospheric heating and future flooding in Ireland.
 Figure 2: The “Circus of Climate Horrors” interactive activities on display during the Maynooth University Green Week 2025. Activities on display included the ‘Great Wall of Atmospheres’ on the right, the middle showcases the ‘Wheel of Global Warming’, and the right shows the ‘Flood Map of Ireland’.
For Maynooth Green Week, several interactive activities were set up for public engagement. The ‘Wheel of Global Warming’ was set up out the front to educate the public on the range of different climate change scenarios based on different emission scenarios. The ‘Great Wall of Atmospheres’ ball activity was set up inside the tent to display how increased CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions result in a warmer climate at continued emission rates. And the final exhibition for Maynooth Green Week was the Flood Map of Ireland, which allows the public to see if their area will experience any coastal, groundwater water or river flooding, in a worst-case scenario event.
 
 
Figure 3: A look into the “Circus of Climate Horrors” social media page used to promote online engagement on the topic of climate change.] To attract more students to come and engage with the Climate Circus, a large emphasis was put on posting on social media. This also worked in line with the reduced volume of students on Campus on a Friday. To start the day off, videos and images were posted on where to find the Climate Circus and what games were set up at the stall. Some posts got reposted onto the main Maynooth University Instagram which boosted the amount of visitors! To increase social media engagement with the Climate Circus even more, a poll was posted on Instagram asking whether people would be flooded by looking at the Irish Flood Map. The results came out saying 75% of people will be flooded in the worst-case scenario!
 
Figure 4: A wonderful visit from the President of the University and the Minister of Higher and Further Education, providing the students with the chance to explain the importance of public engagement on climate change.] To top off the day, the students on the Climate Circus were greeted with a pleasant surprise with a visit from the President of the University and the Minister of Higher and Further Education. The students had the opportunity to explain the purpose of the ’Circus of Climate Horrors’ and highlight how engaging with the public on such serious matters can be done in a fun and open way. So much so, Minister Lawless gave the ‘Wall of Atmospheres’ his best shot, proving how important exhibits like the ’Circus of Climate Horrors’ is for public engagement about climate change.