Youth for Our Planet

The global youth movement calling for urgent action on the nature and climate crises

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Join Our Movement

We are looking for young people to join our movement and raise their voices to address the biodiversity crisis! #BiodiversityDay 

Join our movement https://youthforourplanet.com/jointhemovement

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The Australian Bushfires- Lessons and moving forward

By Varsha Yajman, Mobiliser,Youth for Our Planet 

The Black Summer; that is the name that the catastrophic months of fires in Australia now claim. From June 2019, Australia suffered the most brutal bush-fires in the country’s history as the country reached record-breaking temperatures and saw houses and wildlife wither away. 

BIODIVERSITY

On December 18th, Australia suffered from its hottest day on record, reaching a national average temperature of 41.9 degrees Celsius (107.5 degrees Fahrenheit). These unprecedented bushfires peaked in December and resulted in 1 billion animals losing their life. Australia is already considered to have the highest rate of mammal loss for any region in the world, thus, the bushfires are disrupting an already fragile ecosystem. Many scientists are saying that the fires have pushed at least 20 threatened species closer to extinction not only due to the heat of the fires but also the pollution. The ash from the bushfires containing nitrogen and phosphorous allowed for the growth of algae which can produce harmful chemicals that can choke off marine ecosystems, ruin freshwater supplies, and kill of sea-life. 

MENTAL HEALTH

These fires have had an impact on Australia’s biodiversity however approximately 50% of Australians have been directly affected by the bushfire crisis, with millions suffering health effects. These fires have worsened global carbon dioxide emissions and have released 400 million tons of carbon dioxide which is equal to Australia’s annual human-caused emissions. Many Australians, due to the inhalation of smoke have suffered from several health issues such as reduced lung function, bronchitis, asthma, and even premature death. The agricultural impacts of the fire have seen pastures, vineyards and grow yards decimating and has resulted in the country’s farming industry devastated. The loss has had and will continue to have significant impacts on food security in Australia, and a time to recovery will likely be a long and arduous process. This brings up another point of eco-anxiety which has recently become a more prevalent topic. Eco-anxiety is known as the fear of environmental damage or ecological disaster is mental health and needs to be taken more seriously. All around the world we are seeing the climate deteriorate and the 2019-2020 bushfires in Australia were a wake-up call for the need for counselling and support for those experiencing the psychological impacts of the fires. These effects result in a not only effect on the environment but also the mental health of individuals with many Australian’s pre-existing conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorders worsening due. The government placed $76 million into funding to providing distress counselling and mental health support for individuals, families and communities affected by bushfires. People; especially many young people are fearing for their future, the uncertainty embracing every aspect of their lives and the thought having a family becoming more terrifying as the experience of these fires brought the devastation of lives. 

LESSONS

With these catastrophic fires blazing over Australia there is a lesson to be learnt. The first and foremost is that we cannot ignore climate change, although we may try to stay away from the exhausting heat by using the air conditioning the excruciating heat outside is unbearable. Although we may try to stay away from the news of the polar ice caps melting, the burning fires and floods and rising sea levels are destroying lives every second. This is an indicator that climate change is not normal - the climate is changing and we are the cause of it. Many people claim that this is simply another ice age but with these bushfires were exacerbated by record-breaking drought, very dry fuels and soils, and record-breaking heat. These fires have shown us that climate change does not discriminate, that many times the people who contribute the least to climate change are the ones affected the most. This is injustice and the only way to prevent this is to start taking action now because the devastation of the loss of lives due to climate change is much more than the money required to prevent the catastrophes. 

Moving Forward

Living through this frightening period of the pandemic as the corona virus takes over every social media platform and every channel on TV, the question arises as to how do we move forward? Right now, the Australian government is still pursuing operations in mining which brings about a sense of hopelessness for creating a sustainable future. It seems that the government has been able to exploit people’s lack of engagement with the climate movement during this period due to the fears of Covid 19 to avoid any questions regarding their climate change policy. However, the Bushfire Royal Commission has also already begun to create a plan to deal with the expected heat of the Australian summer this year. While being prepared sounds promising to the general public, the prevention or slowing of climate change is better than the cure itself. 

The Australian bushfires have shown the entire world that if we do not change the climate will continue to. It is our responsibility and our fight. 

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Raising Awareness 4rhinos

My name is I'm Ntiyiso from Nelspruit, South Africa. I run Raising Awareness 4rhinos, a campaign to help raise awareness for rhino poaching.

I started this campaign because I love rhinos and I see myself though it .I feel like I have a deep connection with them. Currently, the rhinos are in critical condition. We are currently left with one female northern white rhino. We lost 8889 rhinos. In The last decade, we have 5000 black rhinos left from about 16000.

 source: www.savetherhino.org

This campaign aims to educate young children about rhino poaching and the impact it has in the world, hoping that they will contribute to conservation. I teach kids because I believe that by teaching them while they are young, they can grow up to be conservationist.

Raising Awareness 4rhinos has been running since September 2019. I teach the children everything related to rhinos, and I tell them the causes of rhino poaching. They seem quite interested on what I deliver and they want to know more! So far I’ve managed to reach 900+ kids in 3 schools, currently looking for sponsorship to carry on.

I plan to expand my campaign by trying to get to as many schools as I can without sponsorship and get more people my age to get involved in the campaign. I believe that rhino species has a high potential to be funded for conservation activities. By funding conservation activities you are tackling poaching head on. Campaign that focuses on endangered species needs funding to get up and keep running.

Follow Raising Awareness 4rhinos on Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/Raising-awareness-4RHINOs-102012038104849/

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Earth Day Picture #5

Domênica Falcadi, our mobilizer of Latin American and the Caribbean, visited Parque das Aves in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil. It’s a place to educate people about the importance of biodiversity and conservation. Furthermore, their focus is to also conserve endangered species and rescue animals.

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Video by Nazia Noshin, Bangladesh mobilizer

Video of the world's largest mangrove forest, "Sundarbans", where the famous Royal Bengal Tigers are found. Some of the pictures show the cruelty of natural disaster " Foni" that happened recently. 

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Earth Day Picture #4

Taken by Yubraj, our member from Nepal. A grasshopper

We equally own earth as you do

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Earth Day Picture #3

Ibrahim Inusa, our Nigerian mobilizer, took this picture few days ago. 

“Our dependency on biomass as a source of energy for cooking in sub-Saharan Africa needs to be stopped, as many trees go on extinction as a result of cutting them for our survival.

Proper substitution solutions must be provided to save halt the lost and extinction of our indigenous trees”

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Earth Day Picture #2

Our mobilizier Nadia Putri from Indonesia found a mudskipper

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Earth Day 2020 Picture #1

Pictures taken by our Hong Kong mobilizer, Berta Chak, during a trip in Japan

A curious fox

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Meet One of Our Mobilizer: Ellen Fitria

Thank you for joining as a Youth For Our Planet mobilizer. Please state your name, age, occupation / school!

Hi! I’m Ellen Fitria. I’m 22 years old and currently work as Conservation Assistant in PT. Rea Kaltim Plantations, Indonesia

Can you tell us about your experience in the world of conservation or the environment?

I have been working on environmental movement for 2 years. In 2018, I interned at WWF Lampung to patrol the Sumatran rhino in Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park (BBNSP). I also participated in planting mangroves and coastal cleaning in Pesawaran, Lampung, with WWF in the same year.

Then I conducted research on wild cats of BBSNP, I did the species surveys through camera traps and observed the behavior, type of feed and active time of wild cats through camera traps.

I once gave environmental education to children in the village of Padang Manis, Lampung. I taught the children the basic of conservation, and how to love the environment. I use games, pictures, discussions and stories as a method of educational learning.

Now I educate people in 14 villages in Kutai Katanegara regency, East Kalimantan. I teach how to protect fauna, flora and what should not be done in conservation areas. I also encourage people to start saving water, electricity and protect the environment. The participants are children to adults that lives near the company area.

Community response is very open and support about conservation. The message we convey has a positive impact on society. They began to reduce the use of garbage and began to like to bring their own water bottle everywhere.

Well, what makes you interested in Indonesia's conservation field?

Because Indonesia is rich in biodiversity, and currently the conditions are in need of people who care about conservation. Therefore, I was moved to pursue the field of conservation to help preserve Indonesia's nature.

Is there any unique experience while working in the environmental field?

Once I was chased by students and children after finish giving them the materials. Maybe they were impressed with the delivery of conservation education that I gave. They were very enthusiastic and never forgot our team's educators.

During the rhino patrols, I was taught how to survive in the forest with survival training. I was told what can be eaten in the forest, how to make a makeshift tent / tent with rattan, wood and leaves, where to build it. The team said we should build the tent near the river.

Do you think that young people who protest on the streets for the environment will open the eyes of the government and society to save the environment for the next 10 years?

In my opinion, such actions are good and brilliant, but actively providing education and make a movement to save the environment to the community is also important. It’s good that the action is disseminated to social media.

Is there a final message for young people around the world about conservation and saving the environment?

I hope we all care more about the environment because if we don't care, the future will not be good for our children and grandchildren. So, start the action!

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How Nature Changed My Life I never grasped the importance of conserving and protecting nature and wildlife, but six months was all it took to turn my indifference into a passion that has altered the trajectory of my life. One year ago, I was lost and troubled by an anxiety that crippled my ability to do anything, let alone the things I loved. I felt like a storm cloud hung over me. For almost a year I struggled on, constantly staring at this unsurmountable wall that faced me. My perfectionist tendencies were the main root of this: I had this drive to be perfect and the best at whatever I did, which obviously in life is not possible but it consumed me. My perfectionism has always been with me and spending the first part of my schooling at a small prep school made it easy to rise to the top. Upon entering a bigger high school, though, this quest for perfection was far from obtainable.   One day, I attended a talk from author and conservationist Grant Fowlds at my high school. His presentation not only awed and inspired me, but it helped emerge an inner desire to do something that made a difference in the world. I was one of the students on the Eton College Environmental Society Committee that joined a pre-presentation dinner with him and that smaller setting, coupled with this newly found passion, allowed me to slowly build up my courage to speak one-on-one with him – an idea that seemed completely impossible. This first contact was where my story began. 4 months later in September, Grant invited me to attend the World Youth Wildlife Summit in South Africa Looking back, I now see that this would be the first in a series of timely opportunities that my old self would have let pass, but that this new and more confident Ollie enthusiastically seized. Shortly after receiving the World Youth Wildlife Summit invitation, an application to join the Youth For Our Planet and UK Youth For Nature groups was sent around through my high school. I decided to commit to completing the applications, and soon I was a part of a growing global team of young people working to protect nature and creating climate solutions. Each of these new steps continued to grow my confidence, and I was steamrolling my way into this new world I didn’t know existed a few weeks earlier. September 21-24, 2019, I found myself in the middle of Kruger National Park in South Africa, surrounded by 200+ fellow conservationists. I was chosen as a group leader for the Summit, meaning I had to look after and facilitate the learning of a group of ten young environmentalists. Over the following days felt my self worth grow exponentially. What one learns when you are surrounded by wildlife conservationists is that they are not out to get you – they are all caring, kind souls who wish to help. Three months is all it took to go from a lost soul to an aspiring, enthusiastic, and ambitious young conservationist…and it continues! I have joined the Steering Group for Youth For Our Planet as their mobiliser for Europe and the Middle East and I am one of the first Youth Ambassadors for WWF UK. I have stepped into the role of the head of environment action at my high school, and through this have delivered speeches to about 1,000 students at my high school, to various other Prep Schools, to State Representatives in my region, and many more. I have also begun to develop two global initiatives with the help of WWF, the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation, Project Rhino and many more with the goal of revolutionising the way young people can help the environment. There is much more to come but I need to get school out the way first! I am writing this just 6 months since my journey began in July 2019 and I’ve realized that my biggest obstacle this whole time was myself. It was that voice in the back of my head telling me that one phrase that has stopped so many great people from reaching their potential: I can’t.  It took perseverance, serious hard work, and a whole lot of passion to get where I am now. They say good things come to those who wait, I say ignore that, grab every opportunity with everything you have and be impatient, as nature does not require our patience, it requires our action. I share my story with you as proof that those cheesy quotes you have seen over the years are true: you will end up at the right destination so long as you look beyond the problems. Get out there and start making a difference, because if you don’t, who will? Originally posted on https://coalitionwild.org/how-nature-changed-my-life/

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Have you ever realized that this single planet holds about 7 billion dreams? A lot more than one’s capability! Hello Everyone, I am Pratigyan Bhusal from Nepal, an environmental enthusiast.

I suppose myself to be a young leader who is committed towards her safer, greener and healthier future. I believe, living within planetary boundaries is the most promising strategy for ensuring a healthy future. Human prosperity need not cost the earth. Living sustainably is about doing more and better with less. One can definitely do a lot in their own. Realizing this baseline, I have started my journey in environment conservation couple of years ago. I am regarded as a young environmental campaigner by my people around my vicinity. It is because I have worked in awaring the little ones of my country that their small initiative can make a huge difference. Major parts of my campaigns include awareness of 3R principles of plastics and Climate Change, Clean up drives, Plantation and so. This makes me feel so good to realize how these little ones turned a bare land into a beautiful garden by using plastic wastes. How these little ones planted trees on their birthdays in their schools and around. How these little ones started organizing small to huge clean up campaigns as a part of their events. It’s all about putting on our efforts together to make a small difference which will definitely turn out to become a bigger or the biggest one. Through, this video I just want to emphasize one message that we need this planet, this planet doesn’t need us. So, I urge you to take actions that are in its favor, not against.

“It's always the little things that make the big things happen”

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BEES IN THE CITY: SMALL INSECTS, BIG PROBLEMS

Bees’ natural environment is increasingly threatened by air pollution, temperature fluctuations, pesticides and loss of biodiversity. Bees do not have enough food and die. Paradoxically, in cities the selection of flowers and flowering plants is expanding, so bees get closer to people in the cities. It is an opportunity for practical training in bee and apiculture issues. Students at the Jan Adam Rayman Grammar School are very interested in participating in a beekeeping club, but they have come across misapprehension.

URBAN BEES AND BEEKEEPING AT SCHOOL

The idea for this project was first presented at the Jan Adam Rayman Grammar School in Prešov by a new informatics instructor, for whom beekeeping is a passion. The project did not remain in the realm of just thoughts and words. A year ago, the first beehives were placed on school grounds and a beekeeping club was offered for the first time. The leader was the teacher, Mr. Shurin, who described the beginning as follows: "Bees were shipped at the beginning of the season when the weather was still unstable. Bees are more nervous at this time, as the bad weather bothers them. They were also irritated by the move.”

FIRST „CONCERNS“

At first there were no problems, and the club began to work. But gradually people started to worry about insect allergies caused by stings. Therefore, information boards with basic facts about urban bees, as well as first-aid steps for insect stings were installed in the school yard. After that the neighbours, Salesians from Don Bosco, visited the principal with a petition for the removal of the hives. Their justification was that they have a playground right over the fence. They felt threatened because some had had bad experiences with bees. There were also concerns within the school itself.

Mgr. Matúš Šurin: “Abroad, in towns, on the outskirts of parks, on railway tracks and in other locations, they set up gardens, plant crops, try to use every available piece of the earth, while here things decay. We have English lawns without flowers in our gardens." THE NEIGHBOURS

The school took action to maintain good neighbourly relations. A bee-proof barrier was installed on the fence to meet all the requirements and regulations of beekeepers in residential areas. The students created leaflets about how people should behave near bees. They offered the leaflets to their neighbours, but they refused them. Neither did they accept an invitation to come to see the bees in the school garden along with professional lecture, even with protective equipment.

As the complaints continued, it was suggested the bees be moved even further from the common fence, or that the bee-proof barriers be multiplied. However, these solutions were not optimal because the bees had not gotten used to their surroundings.

Principal Mgr. Viera Kundľová said:

"Dissatisfaction with the bees in the school yard and people's concerns led me to study "insect bites". I have read that bees and bumble bees are not "naturally" aggressive, while wasps and hornets are very aggressive and will attack. But people's concerns were the deciding factor and led me to take the hives away from the school yard."

BEES IN THE CITY

There are many student beekeepers in the world, even in kindergartens. School apiaries are also starting up in Slovakia, in Bratislava, Zvolen, Lučenec and other locations. Unfortunately, in East Slovakia, namely Prešov, this has not happened yet.

One cannot disagree with Mr. Shurin, that having a beekeeping club in times when there is a huge interest in beekeeping, and where there is no such opportunity, is something amazing. Even if the honeybees’ pollination is not counted as a benefit, the school could have been a trendsetter in keeping urban bees in eastern Slovakia.

Finally, the bees were supposed to be in the garden for only a month and a half, because they should only be there during the season when they can be worked with. Unfortunately, they had to go prematurely.

WILL BEES FIND THEIR WAY BACK?

When solving this difficult situation, everyone agreed with the Assistant Principal Ing. Daniela Bučková: “Children's health comes first; it is better to avoid a problem than solve it later."

Young beekeepers also asked the other side - Don Bosco's Salesians - to express their opinion. In the beginning they were very willing, but when it came to setting a meeting date, they did not respond. Further attempts at contact were futile.

Despite everything, the club is still meeting!

Although the hives have moved to Kendice, where the beekeeping club is run under the patronage of the Slovak Union of Beekeepers, the subject of bees is still being studied at the Jan Adam Rayman Grammar School. In May, an article will be published in the Včelár [Beekeeper] magazine. The club has generated enormous interest and it is at full capacity. The large number of candidates waiting to get in testify to the quality of the club. These are the reasons the school’s management is still considering the possibility of returning bees to the school garden in a way that all parties are satisfied.

CHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF HONEY IN A SCHOOL LABORATORY.

photo: Matúš Šurin

DISSEMINATION

https://www.gjar-po.sk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1223:postup-do-medzinarodnej-sutaze&catid=51:uspechy-gjar&Itemid=252 (school)

https://www.enviroportal.sk/clanok/vcely-v-meste-maly-hmyz-velky-problem (national environmental platform)

http://www.mladireporteri.sk/clanok/vcely-v-meste-maly-hmyz-velky-problem (YRE Slovakia)

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1771593149608831&id=877404785694343&__tn__=K-R

P.S: We are grateful to YRE for the permission to repost this article. https://yrecompetition.exposure.co/slovakia-27

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THE FOLLY OF DEVELOPING NEW VEHICLE FUEL STATIONS

Malta currently has 14 development applications for fuel stations on land which is classified as Outside Development Zone. Nine of these are new stations and five are to replace those found in urban areas. All these new developments will consume 46,500m2 of land in addition to the already 78 fuel stations which are operating today.1 The argument for new fuel stations is based upon the ever-increasing number of registered vehicles, which in December 2018 stood at 385,326. In the last quarter of 2018, 69 vehicles per day were newly licensed. 78% of all vehicles are passenger cars with the total number of electric powered cars being 926, making up less than 0.3%.2 Malta has the third highest number of cars per 1,000 inhabitants in the EU as well as the third highest share of cars which are 20 years or older.3 Fuel station developments are decreasing Malta’s already lack of open space, with 30% of the total country surface developed4 . In particular, station development promotes a business which is predicted to decline significantly in the coming 20 years as Malta follows Europe in the banning of new fossil-fuel cars. This will mean fewer station customers spread over greater businesses, resulting in lower income and potential closures. Once new land is developed, then it is unlikely that land will be converted back to its original state for the benefit of all. Transport is one of the few sectors in the EU where emissions are growing. The EU believes that electric vehicle uptake is the main solution to halt this trend. Many EU countries have committed to ban new, fossil-fuel vehicles from their roads, including Norway and the Netherlands by 2025, Germany by 2030, France and the United Kingdom by 2040, as well as non-European countries such as India and China by 2040.5 Malta is also considering this with the Environment Minister quoted as stating “a ban on the sale of diesel and petrol cars could come into effect much closer than 2040”. To mirror this shift in demand, all major manufacturers have hybrid or electric car models in their portfolio and plan to have a full electric model range soon. Malta is more suited for the adoption of electric vehicles due to its small size and therefore shorter distances. Indeed, the Government has issued incentives for electric car purchasing and electric car sharing. In this context, there are only very short-term benefits to building further stations and significant long-term issues. There needs to be a longer-term, holistic examination of transport-related policies, which include the use and type of passenger vehicles. Any new policies should seek to promote sustainability, thereby reducing the number of cars on our roads but also the type of cars, thus reducing Malta’s CO2 footprint and the infrastructure required. A 3,000m2 service station in Burmarrad, St. Paul’s Bay is now complete. It was constructed in an area designated as agriculturally important in Malta’s North West Local Plan and Outside of a Development Zone. This fuel station’s planning application was permitted on the grounds that it was in an Area of Containment, next to a commercial establishment. The Government’s Fuel Service Stations Policy states that new fuel stations will not be permitted within a distance of 500 metres from an existing fuel station. Yet there is a fuel station located 450 metres away, but the Planning Directorate overruled this breach of policy.  Mosta is the third most populous town in Malta. It’s main road has two fuel stations nestled amongst the shops and terraced houses. The Government introduced a policy which encouraged existing urban stations to relocate, which has a number of safety benefits. However, this increases the urban sprawl outside of town. As there are already fuel stations to the west and south of Mosta, both town centre stations could be closed down.  There is a new, as of yet-to-be-developed site in Maghtab, earmarked for the move of an existing station out of the centre of Mosta. After an application in 2014 was turned down, an appeal led to this being overturned and the application was approved.  Mgarr is a typical, small, rural village situated in the north west, surrounded by rich farmland. Its only fuel station is located in the village core, between the church square and the children’s playground. This fuel station had to be replaced by one nearby on the outskirts of Zebbiegh, yet although works started in 2011, the site is still a gaping hole and nowhere near completion. This perfectly demonstrates the controversy of balancing the benefits of moving a fuel station away from a village core but at the cost of the loss of a significant amount of agricultural land and placing an eyesore in a rural area.  Whilst it is important for a variety of reasons to relocate fuel stations outside of urban areas, it is also sad to note that such stations which currently occupy a small area, are being replaced by stations reaching up to 3,000m2 , 10 times larger than the ones they replace. Can our small, densely populated islands afford such massive land uptake? This is especially pertinent as the need for fuel stations will decrease within a few decades. The link for the website: https://yrecompetition.exposure.co/untitled-story-7

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What coronavirus means for Youth for Our Planet

This is an incredibly challenging time for all of us. First of all, we hope that you and your loved ones stay safe and well.

World leaders and governments are, quite rightly, using this time to deal with the immediate crisis on their hands. It will be some time before minds can turn back to the environmental emergency. Right now, we are halting all campaigning and mobilisation, especially which means we need to gather in person.

But we are continuing to work together in the background. If you would like to be involved in Youth for Our Planet, then please visit youthforourplanet.com/jointhemovement or email [email protected].

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Youth for Our Planet 2020 demands

In 2020 there will be 5 major international environmental summits. This is the year when world leaders’ can turn around the nature and climate emergencies facing our planet. We are calling on them to:

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View/download webinar on 'Bringing your best self to the cause each day'

Bringing your best self to the cause each day: Brooke Tully

We all care passionately about the issues we are mobilising around, but the fight for the future of our planet will not end any time soon. How do we look after ourselves and avoid burnout or anxiety, so that we can continue to champion the natural world for as long as we are needed?

Check out the link below to view/download the webinar https://zoom.us/rec/share/x8FeCrHQplpJYrf0-Gj0cK0OJZ3haaa81ChL8_UPzklowyq9_UGHU971e1RuzIBl?startTime=1580410363000