Minister backs young’s interest in environment
Children's Express reporters Sarah Montague, (15) and Daniel Monaghan, (16) have been at the Hague in Holland, attending the world conference on biological diversity. They sent back this report.
| We’re scared that in 20 years their will be no forests anymore. |
UK Environment Minister Michael Meacher, speaking at the sixth conference on the Convention on Biological Diversity in the Hague, said it has been inspiring that so many young people have taken an interest in the world's environment.
"Children are the group within the population that are most interested in the environment, and for a very good reason (they), are the future."
He continued: "There is no point in having international conferences with Ministers coming along making fine prepared speeches and then nothing much happens. It's deceptive and actually counter-productive."
Five hundred young people from Greenpeace and 50 youth delegates, selected from different countries attending, have been trying desperately to get their respective views heard by Ministers.
Outside the walls of the heavily guarded Netherlands Conference Centre (NCC) Greenpeace's youth contingent have held patient, peaceful protests.
The one thousand strong crowd were rewarded when thirteen country Ministers, including the UK and France, came out and signed their Ancient Forest Passport, agreeing in principle to support preservation of threatened forests worldwide.
Ancient forests contain the richest diversity of species, birds, animals and trees, than in any other forest.
"We are afraid to lose our last ancient forests. We think the future is in our hands and we have to fight for that future," said Austrian Greenpeace representative Julia Knauseder (17).
"We're scared that in 20 years their will be no forests anymore, if our environment is destroyed what will we do then?"
About the team
This story was produced by Sarah Montague, 15, and Daniel Monaghan, 16. It was published in the Belfast Telegraph.
