WEEK 14! THURSDAY 13 AUGUST 2009

THE BIG SWITCH EXPERIMENT:
Como Senior High School Year 10 student Luke McMillian was invited into the studio to chat to the Millennium Kids Corner (MKC) about The Bright Green Youth Conference and Climate Change.

MKC: What is the Bright Green Youth Conference all about?
LUKE: The Bright Green Youth Conference is a climate change conference for kids, where kids from all over the world come together and share their ideas with one another and make energy projects out of it. It is the youth version of the conference (COP 15) in December which has adults but has the same idea.

MKC:What are you hoping to learn from the Bright Green Youth Conference?
LUKE: We are hoping to learn about alternative energy sources and climate change and how we can use this type of technology in Australia

MKC: How are you helping the MK team in Denmark?
LUKE: I am their ground manager, I advise them on what sort of photos to take, what they need to do and I manage the blog spot which is www.thebigswitchexperiment.blogspot.com.

MKC: What is your school doing to help with climate change?
LUKE: At school we have run a few workshops on what we like about our community, what we don’t like about our community and what we want to change in our community. Also in our most recent workshop we were finding ways on how to conserve the Swan River and what we can do to help it.

MKC: Why are you concerntrating on Energy Projects?
LUKE: Fossil fuelled energy (electricity) is one of the worst contributors towards greenhouse gases and if we have a different, clean energy we would not make so much carbon emissions.

MKC: What effect has climate change had on Como beach and the South Perth foreshore?
LUKE: The effect of climate change on Como beach and the foreshore is absolutely massive; the foreshore is about 100 metres off of where it used to be and Como Beach has lost a fair bit of beach and water because where the freeway is now used to be all water and beach.

MKC: What can we do to help reduce our own carbon emissions?
LUKE: Cutting down your emissions can be as simple as just having shorter showers, walking more, riding your bike, turn off appliances at the wall once your finished with them, and opening a window instead of turning on the air-conditioner it is as simple as that

International Youth Day
On 17th December 1999, the World Conference of Minister Responsible for Youth recommended that 12 August be officially declared as International Youth Day.

It is meant as an opportunity for governments and others to draw attention to youth issues worldwide. Concerts, workshops, cultural events, and meetings involving national and local government officials and youth organizations take place around the world in honor of International Youth Day.

Yesterday the Western Australian Minister for Youth, Donna Faragher held a special morning tea for some WA young leaders. Millennium Kids Corner reporter Kate Laurendi was lucky enough to be invited representing Millennium Kids and HypeFM. Find out more here