The vast majority of Wicklow students believe improving public transport in the county is the first issue which needs to be addressed in support of a cleaner environment.
While the focus elsewhere may have been on the general election, this was one of the key findings in a poll taken at ‘Our Climate, Our Future’, a major youth climate conference which took place at East Glendalough school in Wicklow recently.
Eighty one percent of the 400 TY students from across Wicklow said improving local bus and train links was the first issue which needed to be addressed, with increased investment in more renewable energy resources second and better recycling and waste management, third.
According to the poll six out of ten students (59%) said they were concerned by climate change, 21% said they were not sure and 20% said they weren’t concerned at all.
While the general perception may be that young people are wedded to social media apps, when asked ‘Would you give up social media to help combat climate change?’ almost a third, 30% said they would. While 70% said ‘No’, one attendee suggested that a better question might be ‘What can social media companies do to combat climate change?’.
When asked how confident they were that we can still reverse the worst impacts of climate change, 16% said they were very confident, 52% said they were unsure and 32% said they were not confident.
While the finding that over half of the students are unsure might be a concern to some, it wasn’t to Victory Luke, a Youth Sustainability Ambassador, who told delegates they should see that as an opportunity.
“When you’re young, embrace the advantage of being unsure and use it as your ally. Get involved and try everything, you never know where it will lead you”, she told the conference, which was organised by a committee of transition year students in East Glendalough school with the support of Codling Wind Park and Wicklow County Council.
Victory who is now a student in Trinity College, outlined to the students how involvement in a TY environmental project led her on a sustainability journey which included internships, environmental awards, media appearances and attendance at Cop 26 in Glasgow.
She urged students “to be confident in yourself and your interests and to follow your passion.”
Scott Sutherland, Project Director at Codling Wind Park told conference host Ruth Scott that Ireland spends €1m every hour on fossil fuels. “Renewable energy projects, like Codling, will provide us with our own clean energy, will help reduce our dependency on fossil fuels and give Ireland greater energy security.”
He said they were delighted with the turnout and proactive engagement of students from across Wicklow in the conference and thanked the students and staff of East Glendalough School for their help in delivering a wonderful event.
“The main objective of the conference is to provide a platform for the voices of young people in Wicklow on the climate crisis and we think we certainly achieved that. Our hope is that all the attendees will become lifelong advocates for a better and sustainable future.”
Another speaker, David Lawlor from Green Ocean Coffee described how he and his wife Marguerite wanted to create a business that is a force for good. The duo, who are both keen divers and sailors saw firsthand the damage which is being done to our oceans by climate change.
Their response was to set up Green Ocean Foundation, a not-for-profit community-based organisation which is focused on rebuilding lost biodiversity and improving water quality. David told students that our oceans are “the world’s greatest allies against climate change and act as the lungs of the planet.”
One of the Foundation’s main projects is transporting oysters, which he described as ‘climate champions’, from Tralee Bay to Dublin Bay where they help to improve water quality and help seagrass recovery.
Irish Freediving World Champion and Climate Activist Nina McGowen extolled the values of inner calmness, urging students “to store joy in your body….your body should be a happy place .” Anxious thoughts are not helpful to a diver as they use more oxygen and she advised student if or when they are anxious, to ‘stop, breath and think’.
Three students, Ruby Neill, Mia Ryan and Daniel Delahunt who did an excellent job co-presenting the conference, concluded proceedings by pointing out that while students weren’t part of the cause of climate change, they can be part of the solution.
Ends.
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Note to Editors
About Codling Wind Park
Codling Wind Park is a proposed offshore wind farm in the Irish Sea, approximately 13-22 kilometres off the County Wicklow coast, between Greystones and Wicklow Town. Codling Wind Park is a 50:50 joint venture between EDF Renewables and Fred. Olsen Seawind. With an expected capacity of up to 1,300 megawatts (MW), it has the potential to supply over one million Irish homes with low carbon, locally produced, low-cost electricity, and to save almost 2 million tonnes of carbon emissions every year. The project announced its final design last April and submitted its planning application in early September.
