Just under 24 hours ago, the aeroplane was somewhere over Ulan Bator, which is in the middle of Siberia, in the middle of Russia, thousands of miles away from any coastline. Slightly random, I know, but as I glanced out of the window, chasing the sunrise, you could pick out little bits of the land out of the clouds, and I realised how much I’d love to visit Ulan Bator. in Europe, we’re used to lots of coastline, lots of little bits of land, peninsulas, islands etc. In Ulan Bator, the land just stretches out for thousands of miles, and, as far as we’re concerned, they might as well be a remote outpost in the middle of an empty Martian landscape. For a few seconds, I felt a tinge of sadness as it reminded me of how much there really is for us to lose, and the kind of tragedy that lies ahead if we do nothing.

We arrived at Icheon Airport (near Seoul, the capital city) early in the morning local time, and were met by June and Eunice, Koreans who work at the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Family Affairs, our hosts in Korea. From there, an hour-long bus journey into central Seoul, and I caught some of the scenery along the way:

After checking in at the hotel, I’m ashamed to say that it took me over half an hour to figure out how to switch on the lights in my room and to deal with all the other gadgetry. That said, it’s quite a nice room, particularly as it has free, superfast internet access, allowing me to upload all these videos.

In the afternoon, we headed to the amazingly-named Haja Centre, also known as the Seoul Youth Factory for Alternative Culture. Funded entirely by the Seoul city government, the Haja Centre is the kind of youth centre/hang out spot that we’ve all dreamt of at one point or another, and quite literally a factory of alternative culture created by Korean young people. Forget pool tables, this youth centre has a dance studio, recording studio,

a cafe owned and run by young people, along with beanbag-filled classrooms where the local young people can catch up on lessons and get help with schoolwork.

The highlight of the visit to the Haja Centre though, was Noridan, a fully-fledged performing arts company set up and run by the young people at the Haja centre. Noridans’ performances are based around home-made instruments made entirely from recycled materials, including old car parts and plastic tubing, and many of their performances carry a climate change theme. They gave us a private performance in their pedal-powered, whimsical musical car, which was definitely a highlight of the day. Watch out for these guys though- they’re touring Europe later this summer, and will be driving an exact copy of that thing around Trafalgar Square!

After our brief stop at Haja, it was then onto the Korean National Folk Museum and a traditional Korean dinner, and on the way home, we found ourselves in the middle of a crowd of 100,000 people protesting against a new trade agreement with the USA (which, as many of you will imagine, I found pretty interesting, especially as I managed to take home a placard written in Korean, which I’m reliably informed reads, “Stop American Mad Cows”. Ahem. Tomorrow, we’ll be squeezing in a bit of sightseeing, as well as visiting a campaign site and a campaigning professor. Certainly sounds interesting!

Until next time, friends,

>Ben

On Friday, as a representative of an initiative working on climate change, I’ll be taking a flight to Korea, on the other side of the World. According to carbonfootprint.com, I’ll release about 2.2 tonnes of CO2 along the way which, to put it into perspective, is about half of what the average person in the UK releases on average in a whole year.

As part of You, Me & The Climate, we’ve all had discussions climate change, and about just how much of an urgent threat it is. We also all know how damaging aviation is; spewing, as it does, a noxious amount of chemicals directly into the atmosphere, and many of us have disagreed with expanding airports and ever-cheaper flights. With all that in mind, can a trip like this ever be justified, or am I quite simply a hypocrite with a dirty little secret which, if I had any sense, I’d hide away from you all?

Before you judge me, allow me to put all this into context. I’m travelling on Friday as part of an exchange organised by the British Council (a charity working to build links between people in the UK and abroad). I’ll be representing You, Me & The Climate alongside individuals from several other charities and governmental organisations, visiting the country in order to build new links with similar groups of young people out there. It’s a great opportunity to see how young people in countries very similar to our own are rising to the challenge of climate change, and how their governments, civil society and businesses are taking action too.

The trip, before you worry about me beating myself up too much, will be far from a chore, I’m sure! It’s a fantastic experience for me personally, experiencing a radically different culture, and I’m massively privileged to have been offered such an opportunity by the British Council and the Korean Ministry of Health and Family Affairs, our hosts. It’s an important milestone for You, Me & The Climate too, and an opportunity for us to to be represented amongst other UK organisations in quite a prominent way.

Asia is, in many ways, at the frontline of climate change. During my, and many of your lifetimes, Korea has gone from being very much a rural, developing country, to being one of the most technologically advanced on Earth. In just a couple of decades, Korea’s economy has developed at breakneck speed. Millions of people have moved from rural areas into cities such as Seoul, buying cars, electronics and their industries leading the way with the latest technologies such as flatscreen TVs and high-speed internet.

And this is a trend which we’re seeing across this part of the World, most notably in China. With over a billion people, China is expanding and developing at a faster rate than ever before seen in history. Hundreds of millions of people are, for the first time being able to take to the roads in new cars, plug in their TVs and have the kind of lifestyle we take for granted, just as ordinary Koreans did 25 years ago. And it’s not just in China, a little further afield in India, the same thing is happening with another billion people.

Koreans, like the rest of us are discovering that all of this comes at a price. Huge amounts of energy are required to power these kinds of lifestyles, and as a result, many Koreans are fast waking up to rocketing CO2 emissions and falling standards of water and air quality. In a part of the world with so many people, so many resources and a pace of growth faster than we’ve ever seen before, the stakes when it comes to climate change are higher here than anywhere else.

The ways in which Korea, as one of the region’s most influential countries, rises to the challenge of climate change may well influence the path taken by its even larger (and still developing) neighbours. If people here in Korea, the young included, can prove that it is possible to have an society that is well-off and at the cutting edge of new technology as well as being green, then it can potentially provide a blueprint for its neighbours to follow. What Korea does about climate change matters to the rest of us, a lot.

At the same time though, no single country can do it alone. Even if we in the UK clear up our own acts, and if Korea does the same, that alone will not get us all out of the scrape we’re in. Dealing with climate change doesn’t just mean retreating into our comfy little green utopias, sorting our rubbish out nicely, or making ourselves feel good by occasionally not taking the car. All of that matters, but ultimately, climate change requires us to build a coalition of countries, governments and people across the world, all united in rising to the challenge, all sharing ideas, and combining their experiences. Otherwise, you can act as green as you like, but we’ll all be swimming in different directions.

All our backs are against the wall with this, whether you live in Tyneside or Timbuktu. As far as I’m concerned, the only way we’re going to bridge those divides and make people realise their shared interest is by building links and pooling our knowledge through exchanges like these. So that’s why I’m going to Korea.

I’m going as your representative, so I’m here to ask the questions you want asked, pass on any messages you have for young people in Korea, or if you have anything you’d like me to find out. Just drop me a comment below.

See you in Seoul!

>Ben

If you prefer, you can download it here, printing off the form and returning it to us by post.

Why another residential?

At the residential in March, we began to see the first signs of what YOMAC might develop into - and it was exciting stuff.

In October, many of us turned up at One Whitehall Place not knowing what to expect, not knowing each other, and many of us not really knowing much about climate change either. And yet in March, we found ourselves working together without any problem. We proved that we’re capable of pulling off some pretty big things, and that we’re ready to go even bigger in order to persuade people about the urgency of climate change, and to take the message beyond the usual suspects to new and diverse audiences.

The community projects you’re organising over the next few months will give you the chance to see where you’re at, putting your experiences into action and seeing where your strengths and weaknesses are. But there’s still plenty to do. Most of us have now got a good amount of experience and knowledge under our belts, but we’re still wondering how to take it to the next level.

‘Turning The Tide’ will be about building on the experiences that you’ve gained over the past year, through Climatelog, Door-Stepping The Media! and community projects. For the first time, we’ll combine it with training in advanced campaigning and organisational skills, followed up by tasks in the local area where you’ll put the knowledge into practice and work together as a team.

Think ‘The Apprentice’ meets Climate Boot-Camp. In a fun way, we guarantee it.

Basic Info:

Dates:

Arrive: Tuesday 19th of August 19 (5pm)
Leave: Wednesday, August 27 (after Breakfast)

Who will be there:

• YOMAC representatives (16-19 years old) who:
  • Attended Door-Stepping The Media!
  • Were not free to attend D-STM!
  • New YOMAC representatives (16-19)
• National Trust Staff (CRB checked)
• One/two staff from associated charities
• A catering/ housekeeping assistant
• Guest experts invited to join for workshops, discussions and assistance with specific challenges

Due to financial and capacity limitations, there will be a limit on the numbers we can accept. Spaces will be reserved for representatives who have demonstrated commitment and proactivity to YOMAC’s objectives over the past year - action in their community, and efforts to involve ever-growing numbers of young people. If you need any help with this, please, please get in touch!

Location

The National Trust’s Estate in Slindon, W Sussex, 5 miles north of Arundel and within 20 minute reach of the south coast. For more info, see the ‘location’section.

Cost

For young people who we’re able to offer places to, all travel, accommodation and catering costs will be covered by us. For details on the cost of the week, see the ‘financial’ page.

What Do We Want To Do:

Aim:

Turning The Tide will help you develop your ability to act as a leader on climate change in your local community, getting back to basics, and building on the experiences many of you have gained from past YOMAC events. This will be done through a combination of training workshops and opportunities for practical experience and action in the area local to where we’ll be staying.

Objectives:

• Gain skills which can be used both locally and nationally
  • Making the most of workshops on media skills, campaigning, event planning and other topics
  • Finding gaps in our knowledge and filling them
  • Planning ways to translate the skills into action
• Build on the action carried out at beach event during the March residential
  • Improving the way our climate change message is communicated to the public - making it clearer, focused and more specific
  • Adapting the skills learned for a variety of locations and situations
  • Looking at how we might organise similar events at a local and regional level
• Continue to grow You, Me & The Climate
  • Planning the future direction and role of YOMAC beyond this year
  • Developing capacity to work together on big, national projects
  • Considering how we can ‘trickle out’ and turn YOMAC into a real movement of young people across the country.

What We Need From You

Be reliable

Please do the things you say you will. If you know you can’t, (and we’re all busy people) then be honest with us, and we’ll work something out. Pulling out of things at the last minute (unless you’ve got a good reason!) costs us money and headaches, and potentially takes a place from someone else.

Be proactive

The way it’s organised means that you get as much out of YOMAC as you put into it. Don’t wait for things to be handed to you on a plate, or to be told what to do - take the initiative, go out on a limb and, when you do, we’ll make an effort to back you up and to give you all the support we can.

Be talkative

It really helps us to hear what you have to say, and when you speak up with your ideas and feedback. This is a youth-led project - our job is to take your ideas and to help to make them happen. So, while we’re planning this thing, give us a call, let us know your ideas and your feedback. It all helps.

How It Will Work

Teams

The entire group of representatives will, for parts of the residential, be split up into teams of 5-6 people. For instance, different member of the team will take the role of ‘project manager’ and lead their team through the day’s task.

Tasks

Over the week, teams will be set tasks to complete based on the previous day’s workshop. You might be asked to organise an event, run a project, speak about climate change or undertake some local research - with everything from a few days’ to a few minute’s’ notice.

Workshops

Each day will also include a two-part workshop on skills like talking to the media, organising people in your community, and planning events. The first part will be focused on giving you the knowledge with role-plays, group-work, video and discussion, with the second part looking at how you can put it into practice when you get home.

The Great Outdoors

Whilst the March residential was very city-based, this time we thought we’d head for the country, the seaside and the crowds.

The Location

Requirement

A site within easy access of a range of beaches which are packed with tourists, so that YOMAC can spend some of this residential re-enacting and developing the successful beach stunt that took place on a London beach during the final day of Door-Stepping The Media!

National Trust Property

As the National Trust (NT) has generously put a huge amount of financial resources, time and effort into the first year of YOMAC, it seems appropriate to hold Turning the Tide on NT property.

Slindon Estate (camping on site)

• Quiet, rural NT estate
• 1,416 hectares
• 5 miles north-west of Arundel, West Sussex
• 20, 30 and 40 minutes from Littlehampton, Bognor Regis and West Wittering beaches
• Situated in South Downs with rolling hills, farmland and woods
• Archaeological sites and wildlife
• Local, fresh and plentiful food

Accomodation

• Exclusive use of YOMAC
• Farm animals in fields behind farmhouse
• Clean & modern toilets/ showers in converted flint barns
• Accomodation in large group (6-8) tents
• Activities/meals in large marquees - or outdoors, weather permitting
• Sleeping bags, pillows & linen provided

Logistics

Transport

To and from Slindon

All representatives will have to make their own way to Barnham train station, easily reached from London Victoria, or Waterloo (involving change at Havant). NT Transport will be provided from Barnham station to Slindon (5 miles away).

During the week

The NT will be hiring transport to take us from Slindon to the beaches. The roads will be packed, so we’ll be leaving early each morning to avoid traffic!

Walking

And there will be a fair amount of walking during the residential to make the most of the area we’re staying in, and to keep YOMAC’s carbon footprint right down.

Food

If you do have any specific dietary preferences, then please let us know when you register so that we can work something out. Otherwise, there will be very little opportunity to arrange alternatives and you may be left hungry!

Health

This is a great opportunity for lots of country and sea air! The timetable will be full and we’ll need everyone to be fit, healthy, and up for playing a full role in a reasonably intensive week of activity.

Participation

Everyone will be expected to take part in every scheduled activity. If, for whatever reason you’re out of action for an extended period, then, for the sake of everyone’s, health well-being and comfort, arrangements will, unfortunately have to be made for your return home.

Alcohol

As per Door-Stepping The Media! in London, there will be a ban on any alcohol consumption by young delegates, or by adults in attendance, at ANY time during their stay in Sussex for Turning The Tide.

Financial

As with the March residential, all essential travel, accommodation, catering and other costs associated with attending Turning the Tide will all be covered by the NT. However, due to the considerable cost of doing this, as you’ll understand, the NT will only be able to offer places to those who show a willingness to make the most of opportunities, including this summer’s community projects etc.

Fundraising

As you are aware, the National Trust has already made a major financial commitment to Year One of YOMAC. However, we still have to raise quite a lot of funding for Turning The Tide to cover all the management and organisational costs of the planning and preparation, not to mention the travel, accommodation, catering costs etc. of the residential itself.

What it costs us

During the course of Turning The Tide, we will include a workshop on budgets and fund raising, and as part of a learning curve be in a position to tell you then exactly what Turning The Tide costs. But at this stage it looks as though it will amount to more than £1,000 per person – i.e. a lot of money!

How To Register

If you’re available from August 19-27 and intend to come to Turning the Tide, then we need you to fill in the form of intent (below) and return it to us by the 5th of June. This will give the NT advance notice of likely numbers, and in turn knowledge about how much fundraising we need to do and the number of places we are able to offer.

Registration forms

These will be dispatched to everyone in the middle of June with more detailed information about arrangements for the residential along with consent forms for your parent/guardian to sign along with travel arrangements, medical and emergency contact details.

The NT will then finalise the necessary amount of accommodation and other requirements based on these registration forms. They will include travel details so that the NT can buy train tickets well in advance and thereby acquire the cheapest possible train fares

Cancelling

If someone is genuinely ill or a personal family emergency arises on the eve of Turning The Tide, then the NT will obviously completely understand why you can’t make t

But PLEASE REMEMBER that the NT will have to fundraise for each and every delegate in attendance. So like any other charity, the NT will not look kindly at a cancellation at the last-minute for any other reason, by which time it is far too late to find someone to replace you, and in turn a large amount of money and resources would be wasted.

If you have any questions about Turning The Tide, please don’t hesitate to contact:

Victoria Cliff Hodges / Ben West
01793 817604
07947 558001
victoria.cliff-hodges@nationaltrust.org.uk
ben.west@youmeandtheclimate.org

You, Me & The Climate
Youth Team
The National Trust
Heelis
Kemble Drive
Swindon

Turning The Tide: Notice Of Intent

Tuesday, August 19 (17.00) to Wednesday, August 27 (after breakfast)

Before filling in this form, please read all the details on the previous pages. Once you’ve read them and decided you’d like to attend the residential, please register your interest with this form. Filling this in doesn’t guarantee you a place at the residential, but we’re making plans for everyone to come if they can.

Please return it to us by Thursday, 5th of June at the latest.

Your Details

1. Your Name(required)
2. Email(valid email required)
3. Telephone Number(required)
4. The Charity I represent is(required)
5. Yes! I am available, and would love to attend Turning The Tide
6. My parent or guardian is happy for me to attend

The Residential

1. Why do you feel that giving your time and energy to You, Me & The Climate is worthwhile?(required)
2. How do you I plan to promote action on climate change in my community this summer?(required)
3. Why do you want to attend Turning The Tide?(required)
4. What do you hope to get out of it? (skills/experiences etc)(required)
5. How can we help you with any of the above?

 

cforms contact form by delicious:days

The summer residential, dubbed ‘Turning The Tide’ to reflect the need for action on climate change, will be based on the south coast and focus on spurring holidaymakers into more urgent action on climate change.

In a format inspired by reality TV shows such as BBC One’s ‘The Apprentice’ and military-style boot camps, the 40 young delegates representing England’s counties will be divided into teams and asked to complete daily tasks related to climate change. They will be supported over the week by a series of planned workshops looking at media skills, event planning and other advanced campaigning techniques. The lessons learned will then be put into action through tasks carried out at seaside resorts along the South Coast.

In particular, the young people will be looking at the issue of public transport, the role it can play in tackling climate change, and the need for vastly improved conditions and access for young people. To accompany the campaign, a steering committee has been formed to produce a ‘Climate Roadmap’; a folding Ordinance Survey-style map which will act as a step-by-step gude for reducing carbon emissions, and feature contributions from a range of public figures. Sponsorship permitting, the Climate Roadmap will then be distributed to holidaymakers up and down the country over the course of this summer.

Anyway I got on the bus ready with my money and ‘Child single to Aylesbury’ prepared to fly out of my mouth. To my astonishment the bus driver told me just to get on because the ticket machine had broken. I went to the back of the bus and sat amongst all the elderly women who apparently only travel during school hours, and contemplated on my good luck. I had saved a whole £1.70 or £2.00 depending on whether the driver had believed me about my age or not, and was now travelling for free.

I thanked the ticket machine God up there who had decided that today I would not have to resentfully pay my hard-earned babysitting money and wondered why it doesn’t happen every day. As a mulled this thought over in my mind and stared over the fields I began to dream of a day when I wouldn’t have to begrudgingly pay up and could travel by bus without feeling bitter about it even though I know it’s the greener option.

People do not like travelling by bus. It is expensive, unreliable and the buses are not nice places to be but I know that the unreliability and dirtiness would be no object if we could get on one for free. It’s the same with trains, they are expensive, and though fast can be crowded as well as being uncomfortable, and don’t get me started on the underground. London’s famous underground is the only place I know of where you are required to get intimate with strangers whilst trying hard not boil over with rage at the young man who is smugly sitting in a seat reading a newspaper whilst a pregnant woman is forced to stand.

There is no wonder why cars are infinitely preferred to public transport by many people in society but many have to be content with a badly run, over priced public transport service. My friends tend to get lifts wherever possible and we all would prefer to go by car, however we make do with public transport. This shouldn’t be the case, people shouldn’t have to ‘make do’ with public transport and should be using it because it is a cheaper and greener alternative to driving.

Everyone knows that public transport is better for the environment, though whether people care is another matter, but it won’t become the most popular way of making journeys until the standard is improved and costs are brought down. I’m sure that if some small changes were made to the service people would be more inclined to catch a bus or a train than to go by car.

I like to think that I’m a country girl, living in a rural village where to get to the next little town many of us cycle or walk, but for people living in remote areas it is hard to get anywhere without driving because the public transport system is appalling in these areas, with only one bus a week and a twenty minute drive to the nearest train station which seems counterproductive. With an expansion of public transport we could greatly reduce our car emissions and people would not have the excuse that using the car is easier. Also if trains and buses were cheaper it would be a part of green living that is not just for the better off in society, as organic food and carbon offsetting stereotypically are?

I care about the environment, I really do. I walk when driving would be quicker, I recycle, and I’m involved with YOMAC, I turn off unnecessary lights, the usual really. So, being the eco-friendly chap that I am. I decided that for a week I would rely on nothing but public transport to get me around. Well public transport and my feet.

I was really excited. No petrol prices to worry about, no stress of traffic, helping to limit the effects of climate change. And as I’m the type of person who thinks the London commute is glamorous, I couldn’t see a downside. I was going to be one lean, green and mean, climate-change fighting machine!

Anyway, as the week progressed, I slowly realised exactly why so many choose the car over the dreaded bus.

Monday morning would have been fine apart from one thing…rowing. And as a rower I am bound by some type of hideous law which means I have to get up at stupid o’clock in the morning, just to attend training.

It was all going to be fine though. I had been on the internet, and without much of a struggle, I found a suitable bus route.

Come Monday morning I woke up at the crack of dawn, donned my favourite sports shoes and made my way to…the bus stop! Luckily for me I realised I was running out of cash the night before, so a trip to the hole in the wall meant I was armed with a crisp £10 note. I waited for the number 42 to Singleton hospital at 7.10 in the morning and sure enough it arrived. And on time! So far all was going well, but nothing could have prepared me for what was to come.

Okay, so in hindsight, trying to pay for a bus fair which costs just a few pounds with a £10 note on a very early Monday morning probably wasn’t the best thing to do. But laughing in my face and telling me to give him the correct change or to ‘get off’ wasn’t very nice either. Fortunately, there was a kind old lady who did have change.

I started making my way down this rather oddly shaped vessel (which smelled of stale urine) and, after being thrown around like a ball in a pinball machine, I found a seat. I don’t know how the poor lady behind me managed; she did have incredible balance though.

Being very early in the morning it was cold, but on the bright side the roads were empty. Most, I’m sure, would be content with the lack of traffic on the road. For my bus driver, he seemed to take it as an opportunity to drive like a boy racer for the whole journey. This meant a journey which was scheduled to take about half an hour, took 20 minutes instead. It was to my benefit ultimately because it meant I wasn’t going to be late for rowing, and therefore no chastisement from the group of rather intimidating, large and ugly boys who already have under-arm hair.

On the downside I was left feeling sea-sick, which meant I needed to take my time to recover before I could row, consequently I got chastised anyway. I’ve never had such an action packed morning.

Tuesday was a lot better. I had learnt from my mistake with the £10 note, and I was now ready with my £3.00 in exact change. Being the antagonist that I am, I decided that paying with copper coins was a suitable way to get my revenge. Unfortunately, the bus driver didn’t care, so the wind was taken out of my sail somewhat.

I didn’t have lectures until 11 that day, but if I had taken the 10.30 bus I wouldn’t have got in until 11.30. Meaning I had to take the 9.30 bus instead and arrive half an hour early.

Why on Earth do people take pleasure in playing the most hideous music on full blast out of a tin-can of a speaker confounds me. More annoyingly they were loud, which meant that even over my ipod I could still hear the surplus of abuse being shouted from one end of the bus to the other.

The rest of the week continued in much the same way, and during this time I made a series of key observations:

• There is always…ALWAYS…a token drunk on every bus you go on (apart from the bus which left at stupid o’clock in the morning)
• There are always some people seeking to make your life miserable by shouting abuse and emitting strange noises from tin-can mobile phone speakers on every bus within the city-centre (apart from the bus which left at stupid o’clock in the morning)
• Every bus which I took either got me to my destination 30 minutes late, or an hour early for my lectures (apart from the bus which left at stupid o’clock in the morning)
• The only reason the bus which leaves at stupid o’clock in the morning gets to your destination ahead of schedule, is because the bus driver is driving like a boy racer

I do have some advice however for people who want to travel by bus:

• Always bring the correct change
• Don’t eat within an hour of going on the bus, because you WILL be sick.
• Always arrive on time for the bus, because bus drivers seem to take great pleasure in driving away from you whilst you’re running towards them.
• Make sure your ipod can be turned up to extra-extra loud.
• Try all other means possible before having to resort to the bus

So after my action-packed and fun filled week, I discovered why we as a nation have far too many cars on the road. It’s because busses are overpriced, full of pretty obnoxious behaviour, and never get to your destination at a decent time. There is always chewing-gum on every seat, you get scowled at by the bus driver if you don’t bring the right change, and you are more than likely to get sick on this wonderful journey.

What can we do about it? Well unless there’s a massive overhaul of the bus service in Britain, then things are going to have to get much worse before people are tempted to abandon the car.

The photos from the event are currently being uploaded to the site. Take a look at the album on the photo page.

for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty

April 1st, 2008

TURNING THE TIDE: YOUNG PEOPLE HOLD CLIMATE SUMMIT ON BANKS OF THE THAMES – CENTRAL LONDON

YOU, ME & THE CLIMATE is a youth-led initiative aiming to build a diverse coalition of young leaders aged 16-19 across the country committed to taking on climate change in their communities. Supported by the National Trust, we’re bringing together young people who represent charities, youth groups and local organisations across the country. Our programme of activities focuses on equipping them with the media, organisational and leadership skills, experience and confidence they need to act, whilst co-ordinating their voices and actions to have an impact at a national level.

In a National Trust supported project, young people aged 16-19 and influential decision-makers will hold a Seaside Summit on tackling climate change beside the Thames in central London. The lunchtime summit will be held at low tide drawing attention to the threat posed by rising sea levels and the lack of action on global warming.

With the Thames threatening to flood the party, participants will then go to the Houses of Parliament to hand a report to MPs outlining research into the hidden impact that modern media has on climate change. The Climatelog Report is the result of eight weeks of research looking at the role consumers, citizens and the media have to play in climate change through they eyes of young people.

Ben West, one of the young people involved and author of the report, says,

“We hope that in some small way this report will help to get the ’rescue mission’ back on track. It suggests practical steps which you and the organisations you represent can do, not in an infinite future, but right now.”

Dame Fiona Reynolds, Director General of the National Trust, says in the Report,

“Climate change is the world’s most pressing issue and we all have a role to play in reducing our impact on the planet. The findings and recommendations of the young people are a call to action for all of us.”

The event on the banks of the Thames is the culmination of a week-long residential course when 30 young people will delve deeper into the role the media plays in climate change and what role they can play in influencing the content. To assist them they will be visiting a wide-range of media outlets to find out how they produce news that we see, listen to and read. During the course the young people will also develop ideas on projects that address climate change in their own communities.

(ends)

Location: Beach, Gabriel’s Warf, South Bank, SE1 (just before Oxo Tower)

Directions: From Westminster cross over Westminster bridge, turn left onto the waterside footpath and head towards the Oxo Tower.

After handing in our visitor passes and having some more tour, we headed over to the WCRS Advertising Company which is affiliated to the ENGINE Communications group.  It was well organised, the team of people were enjoyable to listen to.

They did a range of Ads for a wide range of companies including: BMW, Churchill and 118118. They also made radio, newspaper and outdoor (billboards) Ads. We learned how advertising works, how to make an Ad and how to decide which Ad to use to advertise a product or brand. All in all it was a very interesting visit although the room we were in was more like a sauna then a boardroom!

After lunch in Leicester square we went back to the coach for the third instalment of our driver’s tour, we arrived at Friends Of The Earth. After climbing about eight flights of stairs, we had a discussion out on the roof top terrace. Although windy and slightly cold, the talk was very productive, in that we learned a lot about how to pull off stunts, how to interest and attract the public, and environmental campaigning in general. Just as we headed back towards the stairs the sun appeared, how ironic!

Once back down the eight flights of stairs, some headed off to complete the shopping for the looming event. We meanwhile headed off to DEFRA, once again we were early so we wondered around for a bit. A prank involving pretending to drop a shoe over a wall onto the beach below occurred, but it was all in good humour.

Once back at DEFRA we all piled into the lobby and although we didn’t really get to use them, they had some rather cool “Spooks” style doors. Anyway once we had gone upstairs to the room we had a talk about what occurred at DEFRA and learned generally what they do. Finally finished, we headed back to the coach for the final bit of the tour and then we were back. Another late evening of work to finalise things for the event ahead. All in all a very prosperous day.

The day was spent by 6 individuals roaming the many charity shops, raiding the rails for dresses, straw hats, suits and other props, for the final event on Tuesday.

The remaining 21 ambassadors spent the morning planning and preparing even further for the final event. Much enthusiasm was shown by the remainder of the 16-19 year olds as they showed excitement for dressing up for their cause at the beach event.

In the afternoon Craig, Ben, Andre, Jo, Richard, Eleanor and Chris continued their bargain hunting and came back showing even further success with bag loads of bargain costumes.

Meanwhile, the rest of the group went to the Natural History and Sciences Museums to polish their climate change and environmental knowledge before the big event.

Aching feet and aching minds met once again over dinner in Baden Powell House to discuss the day. This bit applies to everyone without exception. Many stayed up into the early hours planning logistics.