Nelson City Council

Nelson youth write from Copenhagen Climate Change conference

The Nelson/Tasman region is well represented at the climate change talks in Copenhagen, with Abby Ward and Travis Mills representing New Zealand in the Schools Delegation and Brittany Packer, already well known in Nelson for her role in the Green Teens, representing New Zealand on the Youth Delegation.

Described by some as 'crunch time for the world' to reach agreement on actions to combat climate change, these talks bring together officials and heads of governments from 192 countries to try to find a common accord. To learn about the talks from the perspective of our youth delegates check out their blog site.

Here's a recent posting from Brittany Packer.

I feel disappointed when people talk about, in reference to Copenhagen, “the world is watching”. This should not be true. The world should be participating. The world should be intervening, deciding and discussing what is going on at Copenhagen. This is, after all, affecting all of our futures.

Spread the word. Talk about climate change in conversation. With your friends, family, to your hairdresser, standing in line at the checkout, whatever. The more talk we generate, the more important the issue will become. See my “Top Three Ways to Speak Environment” below for ideas.

Take action. Learn to reduce, re-use, and recycle, in that order. Do you really need that big car? Do you really need those new clothes? Wouldn’t you rather have more time to spend with your kids, or your friends? Practice what you preach, and believe in what you practice.

Share your action. Sharing ideas stimulates our minds. It is both inspiring and connecting. Some of the most sustainable practices that we use today, like composting, or re-using paper, were created from everyday people. Together, as a global community, we can create the best solutions for climate change.

– Brittany Packer