Youngsters are eco warriors as they vow to help climate change

Nov 26 2009 by Debbie Hall, West Lothian Courier

ECO warrior pupils Ryan Twaddle and Lewis McDonald from West Lothian have been doing their bit to save the planet.

The schoolboys recently took part in the Generation Green Think Tank event at Beddington Zero Energy Development (BedZED) – the country’s largest low carbon community.

They joined 22 other young people from across the UK to identify policies that they believe the Government needs to tackle the global challenge of climate change.

The top three policies the children called for were:

All schools must set clear carbon reduction targets;

All schools should be able to see their energy usage, so teachers and pupils can keep track of how much energy their school is using, and take measures to reduce it;

New and existing teachers across all subjects must receive environmental training to equip them to meet the growing demand for green education from pupils, and should be required to implement their learnings in the classroom.

The event was organised by Scottish Gas who were told the classroom had a bigger role to play in reducing carbon emissions than solar panels, wind farms and recycling.

Kevin Roxburgh, director at Scottish Gas, said: “We are pleased to be able to bring together some of the greenest young minds in debating action in schools that will help the UK reach its carbon reduction targets.

“The Copenhagen summit is at the top of the Government’s agenda, and today’s findings show the hunger and passion young people have for learning about the environment, and finding practical solutions to tackle the global challenge of climate change.”