Young people ask:
What's so hot about Climate Change?
If the future belongs to young people, so does the Earth! ECO-UNESCO ran its annual National Youth ECO-Forum to bring young people together to discuss and discover more about this hot topic.
On 26 November, 100 students from across Ireland travelled to Collins Barracks to join us at the National Youth ECO-Forum 2008: What’s So Hot About Climate Change? The day was full of learning and innovation as our new Climate Change Leaders questioned the experts and presented recommendations for tackling Climate Change.
Speaking at the opening of the event, Minister John Gormley said that he was delighted to attend the forum addressing the “biggest issue facing humanity” and urged everyone in attendance to take steps to create a more sustainable society.
Fellow Green Party member, Senator Deirdre De Burca, asked the crowd of 16-18 year olds what future they imagined for the world. She stressed that it is important to become active and engaged in environmental issues today, in order to have a secure tomorrow.
At the ECO-Forum, young people attended participatory workshops in the areas of education, science, media, policy, and the cost of Climate Change. During the Speed-Networking session, the attendees circulated around the room of experts. Through frank discussions with influential adults, the young people developed their own creative solutions for addressing Climate Change.
In the coming year, we will work with this group of Climate Change Leaders as they take the recommendations forward and develop projects in their own communities. Watch this space for more news on our new Climate Change Leaders.
Many thanks to the expert panel and our wonderful volunteers that helped organise the event. We earned some great coverage of the event on RTE News on Two (at 00:48 and 14:56) and News2Day (at 05:36), as well as the Irish Times – be sure to check it out!
Experts at the National Youth ECO-Forum 2008 included:
• Elaine Nevin, National Director, ECO-UNESCO
• Minister John Gormley, Minister for the Environment, Heritage, and Local Government
• Senator Deirdre De Burca, Green Party Senator, Wicklow
• Dylan Townsend, Challenge Europe Campaigner and Environmental Business Consultant
• Gavin Harte, Sustainability Consultant
• Oisin Coghlan, Director, Friends of the Earth
• Colm O’Callaghan, Executive Producer of Youth Programming, RTE
• Lisa Ryan, Director of Research, COMHAR-The National Sustainable Development Council
• Tony Larkin, Director of Services for Housing, Wexford County Council
• Bill Murphy, Sustainable Development Coordinator, Wexford Partnership
• Noel Cassidy, Director, COMHAR
• Joanna Davidson, Change.ie
• Mary Cunningham, Director, National Youth Council of Ireland
• Tido Semmler, Meteorologist, MET Eireann
|