Youth Environment Summit Blue Mountains
Students from fifteen Blue Mountains schools came together in February 2008 for the Blue Mountains Youth Environment Summit, held the day before the Blue Mountains Environment Summit. The event was hosted by Katoomba High School, sponsored by the Blue Mountains School Environment Network and supported by Blue Mountains City Council. It was a great opportunity for our young people to be heard in a way where their concerns can be acted upon in the near future.
The purpose of the Blue Mountains Youth Environment Summit was to:
- encourage environmental citizenship;
- create a forum at which students could discuss their concerns about climate change and other environmental matters in a powerful, active and productive way with their peers; and
- provide youth input to the Public Blue Mountains Environment Summit that was held 23 and 24 February.
Mr Phil Koperberg, the local state Member of Parliament for the Blue Mountains and the NSW Minister for the Environment and Climate Change, addressed the Youth Environment Summit. It was at the summit that students had an unprecedented opportunity to affect legislation and to set an agenda for environmental action in the Blue Mountains.
Students participated in a number of different sessions throughout the day. Students presented on current actions their own schools are taking to protect the environment, as well as sharing the concerns of their fellow students with other participants at the summit. The Australian Youth Climate Coalition and Australian Student Environment Network ran an interactive session to discuss issues and consider how they could act on these including what opportunities they had.
Environmental Citizenship was the focus of the final session where students heard from elders with a long history of taking action for environmental protection. World Heritage listing was more than a 20 year long commitment for those involved in making it happen. The students tackled the questions about what opportunities they have to be heard by decision makers, how they can mobilise, how to make the changes and how to be the change themselves!
As a result of the day, students decided upon a list of concerns and actions to be taken to the Blue Mountains Environment Summit and beyond.
Recommendations made by the Blue Mountains Youth Environment Summit Participants 2008
Climate Refugees Already, young people and their families in the Pacific are being displaced by climate change. The Australian Federal Government does not recognise climate or environmental refugees.
- We need recognition of climate refugees – a new visa category, intake criteria, intake quota in 2008
- Take steps to aid territories that are close to sea level in the pacific region – funding for climate change adaptation.
- We don't want to see refugees in detention.2. Phasing out coal-fired power
Phasing out Coal-Fired Power Coal is a massive contributor to climate change – we want to reduce emissions from electricity – particularly local coal-fired power stations such as Wallerwarang and Mount Piper.
- We need to develop and implement a five year plan to phase out coal and a just transition for workers in the Macquarie region coal-fired power stations.
- We need to remove Blue Mountains dependency on coal and prevent privatisation of coal-fired power stations.3. Biodiversity, Forests and Water
Biodiversity, Forests and Water We are polluting our oceans, wasting water, throwing too many things away. We think there is too much packaging (that is not made of recycled material and that we can't reuse!), too many trees being cut down and so many animals are losing their homes and even going extinct!We want to:
- Stop logging in Tasmania.
- More bush regeneration in our area.
- To recycle more and throw away less!
- No more new tips in the Blue Mountains (we don't want more habitat to disappear).
- Gradually stop using plastic bags!.
Sustainable Schools There is no existing criteria and little support for helping schools to become more environmentally sustainable.We need:
- A National Benchmark for schools environmental responsibility and funding and framework for a Sustainable Schools Challenge.
- Blue Mountains schools to be a pilot of this Sustainable Schools Challenge.
- Support and funding for a twice yearly meeting of the Blue Mountains Sustainable Schools Network.
Ending the use of Un-flued Gas Heaters in Blue Mountains and NSW Schools Many schools in the Blue Mountains use un-flued gas heaters. These release poisonous fumes in classrooms and the environment (carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrous dioxide and formaldehyde). These heaters are banned nearly everywhere else in the world. The asthma rate for Blue Mountains kids is 40% higher than the rest of NSW. These heaters make us cough and give us headaches.
- We need to get rid of un-flued gas heaters.
- We need safe heaters in Blue Mountains and NSW Schools.
- Our health and future is at stake. We need your support.
Statement from Lapstone Public School Envirokids
Even though Lapstone Public School was unable to attend the day, they submitted their ideas for the Blue Mountains Youth Environment Summit.
Motto: 'one act can make a huge impact'
Lapstone/Glenbrook area
- Pollution of Glenbrook Lagoon-improve water quality
- Not enough foot and bike paths-better infrastructure
- More awareness of rubbish and pollution
- Don't be a tosserLocal
Blue Mountains area
- Lack of care for the Bush-more Bushcare for the schools, and community
- Lack of community involvement-more local jobs
- Better local transport/more frequent trains and buses
NSW / Australia
- Water management/sewage-water management for all Australia
- Climate change/impact-especially worried about The Great Barrier Reef
- Biodiversity/impact of pollution-especially worried about loss of species
World
- Destruction of rainforests/global climate impact
- To much consumption of fossil fuels/too little use of green energy
- Reduce consumption of 'stuff'
The Australian Youth Climate Coalition is a non-partisan coalition mobilising young people to demand immediate and meaningful action on climate change by government and private sector leaders. Their members are students and recent graduates in a range of professions: including engineering, law, social work, politics and environmental science. Web: www.youthclimatecoalition.org
The Australian Student Environment Network (ASEN) is the national network of students active on environmental justice issues. Web www.asen.org.au
This Youth Environment Summit is sponsored by the Blue Mountains School Environment Network, a network of teachers in the Blue Mountains aimed at assisting schools to become more sustainable. The network is supported and funded by Blue Mountains City Council. The Blue Mountains School Environment Network meets once a term in Week 3 with schools taking turns to host the meeting. Contact Robbie Beale, Sustainability Education Officer, Blue Mountains City Council, on 02 4780 5739 or e-mail or contact Richard Zoglmeyer, Teacher, Winmalee Public School on 02 4754 1574 or emai:
This item was posted in June 2008.
