Schools spell out need for action

Canberra Times
Saturday 30/6/2007 Page: 9

Mother Nature wasn't her usual extreme-weather self yesterday. Students from seven primary and secondary schools across the ACT left their wet-weather gear at home before taking part in the construction of several human signs to spell out their thoughts on climate change.

Clean Energy for Eternity local coordinator Jo Dodd said,"Young people don't get a say. .. it's mainly the adults talking about the calamities. .. we wanted to give the students a voice so their concerns could be heard." Stromlo and Melrose high schools both took part, with Maribyrnong, St Michael's, St Joseph's, Mt Rogers and Canberra Girls' Grammar primary schools. "Our Future" was the theme of the messages that centred on maintaining and sustaining the environment for future generations.

Stromlo High built an 80m-long human wind turbine to represent an alternative energy solution. A symbol for water was illustrated by Melrose High students in the home language of Canberra's sister city, Nara in Japan. Other schools constructed the words "reduce", "save" and "hope" to ask Australia to do more about the degradation of the environment.

Five schools from south-east NSW took part in the first human sign on Wednesday. Donning raincoats and positioning themselves on flooded ovals, the students spelt out a powerful message in 4m x 10m human letters: SCHOOLS 4 CLIMATE CHANGE ACTION NOW! The campaign will move to schools in Jindabyne, Berridale and Cooma before going north to the Eurobodalla region. Messages will include "SOS (Save Our Snow) " and "save our planet please".

www.cleanenergyforeternity.net.au