The BIG Switch Experiment

SOUTH PERTH STUDENTS

TAKE ACTION ON

CHANGING CLIMATE

Young people don’t have time for a talkfest over why the climate is changing. According to youth environmental organisation, Millennium Kids, the next generation is looking to safeguard their future with practical action now.

As part of their practical response to these issues hundreds of WA students have signed up to participate in a youth driven climate change program known as “The Big Switch Experiment” which will culminate in a week long Energy Action Week 5-11 March, 2010 in Western Australia.


(inset pic: Students from South Perth schools met with the Minister for Youth and the Environment Donna Farragher and brief her on the Energy Action Week)

Over the past two decades students across South Perth have said they are concerned about the state of our rivers and waterways, bushland, native animals, and the need to reduce our energy consumption. In 2009 students at seven South Perth schools participated in a series of Millennium Kids planning workshops and became part City of South Perth Sustainability Ambassadors. Each school has adopted its own plan of action with four of the schools committed to participating in the Energy Action Week in 2010 – South Perth Primary School, Penrhos College, Wesley College and Curtin Primary School.

Students at all of the South Perth schools have expressed their concern about the impact that Climate Change could have on the Swan River. Students from Curtin Primary school were among a number of young South Perth residents involved in planning the Big Switch Energy Action Week. Curtin Primary was the first school in the area to partner with Millennium Kids in 1996. In addition to participating in the Millennium Kids Big Switch Energy Action Week they are also involved in the City of South Perth project - Creatures of the Foreshore - which aims to feature and celebrate the children’s love of river creatures at the closing of the Fiesta on the first Saturday in March.

Four Year 7 Curtin Primary students, Samuel Hansen, Jack Hynam, V-E Tan and David Chang, met with Donna Farragher, Minister for Environment, on Wednesday 3 March to brief her on the project and invite her office to participate.

The Energy Action Week began with Clean Up Australia’s Friday Schools Clean Up Day on 5 March because young people want to see more co-ordination between sustainability projects and activities.

“We’ve been working with hundreds of students on this project over the past 12 months and they are very down to earth about what needs to be done and how to do it. They believe everyone needs to play their part and co-operation is the key,” said Catrina Aniere, CEO, Millennium Kids.

The Energy Action Week invites students to identify the number of households they enrol to participate in the 10 simple, week long energy reduction actions .

“The actions identified by young people are simple, everyday ones that they felt could be easily implemented and help change behaviour. They have given each action a star rating depending on its ability to reduce greenhouse gas,” said Ms Aniere.

More than 1500 households will be involved in the week long campaign including households inKalgoorlie and north and south of the swan.

At the end of the week results will be tallied on the Big Switch Experiment blogspot

The Big Switch Experiment pilot has been sponsored by the State Government Office of Energy and the City of South Perth.