Shimmering Dust (Latvia)

YRE COMPETITION 2021
Article 11-14 years

By Darja Skripkina (10), Latvia.

Photo: LETA, Ieva Leiniša

Fireworks usually associated with celebrations. People organize fireworks at weddings, birthdays, but cities use them to attract people to street events. However, it is essential to understand the impact of fireworks on the environment and the awareness of the Latvian citizens.

Over the past two years, the need for fireworks in Latvia has been topical, and the possibility of refusing fireworks at the state or local government level has been discussed. The public began to think about the value of fireworks and the benefits of a short moment of joy. Also, important worry is the impact on public health and the environment. In 2019, the initiative "For Holidays without Fireworks" was published on the portal manabalss.lv. [14] This petition may start a new tradition of celebrating Latvian holidays.

The Story and Promotion of the Initiative

“The first reason for beginning this initiative was the idea that during holidays we spend so much money on entertainment and forgetting that this money could serve other social purposes, such as charity” — said Maija Priedite, author of the petition "For Holidays without Fireworks". 

At the end of 2019, she called society to support the idea of completely banning the spending of taxpayers money on fireworks. In February 2021, the initiative has already been supported by more than 12,000 residents. 

Answering the question about her contribution to the promotion of the idea, Maija admits: 

“I didn`t do much. I posted the information on my personal social network Facebook profile, but it didn't get any publicity. At the end of 2019, when the initiative was published on manabalss.lv everything happened by itself. Now petition is being considered by the parliament of the Republic of Latvia”. [17]

The Dark Side of the Shimmer

Even without considering the social aspects of fireworks, it is clear that together with radiant beauty, fireworks negatively affect the environment. It impacts the air, water, soil and people health, as heavy metals, other toxic chemicals and dust particles enter the environment during fireworks (Figure 1). [4][5][6][7]

Figure 1 Environmental pollution resulting from the use of fireworks http://www.backcountryattitude.com/toxic_fireworks.html

Dust particles damage the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. During holidays, the concentration of these substances in large cities is more than ten times higher than the norm. [8] Also, there are other reasons for avoiding the fireworks during the holidays, such as:

1.    animals, including pets, are frightened and do not know where to go at this time; [8][10][11]

2.    pyrotechnic explosions in the atmosphere lead to carbon dioxide emissions, for example, in the United States on Independence Day, the amount of carbon dioxide emissions can be equated to the amount during forest fires on 1093 hectares of land; [8]

3.    safety — despite the popularity of pyrotechnics, these products can cause various injuries. [8][10]

The opposite opinion and readiness of the society to change

In February 2019, the residents of Riga were asked to express their attitude to the need for fireworks at state and city festivals in Riga. The survey data shows that the majority (72%) of respondents supported the fireworks in Riga. Critical attitude to the organization of fireworks was expressed by 24% of the study participants (including the answer "categorically do not support" was noted by 9%). [15]

In turn, representatives of the pyrotechnics industry note that both in terms of environmental impact and for financial reasons, it is still too early to abandon fireworks. [14] During the consideration of the initiative “For holidays without fireworks”, it was reported that festival fireworks cost a citizen of Riga 0.15 euros per year per person. Also, there are no cases of inpatient injuries in hospitals over the past 2-3 years, and environmental pollution is not even comparable to the pollution of mineral fertilizers during the cultivation of flowers. [17]

Classmates didn`t participate in the Riga city survey. Therefore, it was decided to run a survey to determine their attitude to the need for fireworks. The survey involved 17 respondents, most of whom (70.6%) support fireworks (Figure 2). Its means that the opinions of classmates and adult residents of Riga almost coincide. [16]

Figure 2 Opinion of respondents about the organization of fireworks [16]

Also, during the survey, it was found that 58.8% didn`t even think about the impact of fireworks on the environment. At the same time, it should be noted that 64.7% are ready, and 23.5% may be ready to give up fireworks after learning about their harm. [16] It means that by telling classmates about the negative impact of fireworks on the environment, it is possible to change their attitude. As well, they can tell it further to their families. It can convince people to abandon, for example, private holiday fireworks and thus reduce the harmful effects of fireworks in general.

Are there any alternatives?

Even though environmentally-friendly pyrotechnics are being actively developed today[9], it is rational to think about giving up such a relatively expensive and short-time entertainment in favour of laser performances.

Such multimedia performances can be changed, supplemented, placed in several places so that more people can see them. Laser performances can be accompanied by music, held on the water or in the sky, on buildings or fountains. In addition, in the future it will be possible to use electricity from renewable sources. Even now, about 50% of the electricity produced in Latvia is provided by hydroelectric power plants. [18] In Riga, for example, the International Light festival "Staro Riga" is trendy, and this year Latvian cities were also beautifully decorated with light installations for Christmas (Figure 3). [12][13]

Figure 3 Liepaja "Christmas balloon"

A century ago, a prominent Latvian poet Rainis wrote: "What changes, endures". Times, technologies, people's attitudes are changing. However, some values do not change. One of them — the well-being and health of our nature. Considering the results of the research, we can conclude that the moment has come when each of us, even a school student, can think and evaluate whether shimmering beauty is so necessary for our holidays.

References

[1].       https://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/385960/fs-sdg-3-9-air-rus.pdf

[2].       https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/ru/takeaction/

[3].       https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/ru/sustainable-development-goals/

[4].       https://www.compoundchem.com/2017/01/05/fireworks-environment/

[5].       https://www.angelfire.com/co3/NCFS/science/environmentalimpact.html

[6].       http://www.backcountryattitude.com/toxic_fireworks.html

[7].       https://www.forbes.com/sites/grrlscientist/2019/12/31/festive-fireworks-create-harmful-pall-of-pollution/?sh=4c323c552853

[8].       https://greenbelarus.info/articles/13-08-2018/sem-prichin-otkazatsya-ot-pirotehniki

[9].       http://www.salutland.ru/stati-i-instrukczii/mozhet-li-pirotexnika-byit-ekologicheski-chistoj.html

[10].    https://ecokom.ru/ekologiya/o-vrede-fejerverkov-i-salyutov

[11].    https://www.belpressa.ru/society/drugoe/22831.html

[12].    https://jauns.lv/foto/zinas/40391-brinumaini-svetku-gaidisanas-skati-latvijas-pilsetas#&gid=40391&pid=21

[13].    https://www.db.lv/zinas/ziemassvetku-dekoraciju-un-to-izmaksu-top-10-latvijas-pilsetas-500268

[14].    https://www.lsm.lv/raksts/kultura/kulturtelpa/vai-neaizliegt-svetku-ugunosanu-riski-un-alternativas.a344391/

[15].    https://www.riga.lv/sites/riga/files/content/PA%C5%A0VALD%C4%AABA/Publik%C4%81cijas/P%C4%93t%C4%ABjumi/SKDS/2019/atskaite_rd_specjaut_februaris1.pdf

[16].    https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1jjm3o-XnkmT3ioYmhVVP9GxbyLfQJbg6wkB8ZlJqGfQ/edit?usp=sharing

[17].    https://titania.saeima.lv/LIVS/SaeimasNotikumi.nsf/webSNbyDate?OpenView&count=1000&restrictToCategory=24.02.2021

[18].    https://latvenergo.lv/lv/par-mums/razosana

© 2021 YRE Competition

Article, 11-14 years

1st Place
Title: Shimmering Dust
Country: Latvia

2nd Place
Title: The dark and murky messaging of the major watch brands
Country: Switzerland

3rd Place
Title: What the pandemic packed for us
Country: Slovakia

Honourable Mention
Title: Love protects Sinjajevina
Country: Montenegro

Once a month (Puerto Rico)

YRE Competition 2020
19-25

What things happen once a month? We usually see the full moon once a month. Some people get their salary once a month. But do you know what happens to all women once a month? Menstruation, our period. This topic has always been a taboo in our society. Talking about menstruation is never something we feel comfortable with, and discussing all the menstrual waste we produce in just a few days each month, can be even harder. According to the United Nations (UN), on average, women who use menstrual pads are equivalent to 60 kilograms of waste from this product during their lifetime. We can infer that tons and tons of menstrual pads and tampons end up in our landfills daily. Currently, there are more sustainable, economic, and healthy alternatives that allow us to avoid disposable menstrual products.

The Women’s Voices for the Earth (WVE), organization created in 1995, has the mission of amplifying women’s voices to eliminate the toxic chemicals that harm our health and communities. According to this organization, research shows that many of today’s menstrual and vaginal care products contain a host of chemicals that may cause cancer, disrupt hormones, or cause unnecessary allergic reactions. Some of these chemicals include styrene, chloromethane, chloroethane, chloroform, among others. More alarming, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)— the USA government agency responsible for protecting the public health by ensuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human drugs, biological products, and medical devices— does not require companies to test for all harmful chemicals. Moreover, the FDA does not require manufacturers to disclose ingredients to consumers. This situation presents a serious problem considering that the skin of the genitalia area tends to be thinner and more absorbent than other parts of the body, making it a sensitive area. The regulation of the chemicals used in menstrual products is crucial since they remain in contact with external genitalia for extended periods allowing the absorption of possibly harmful chemicals into the reproductive system.

In recent years, the topic of reducing single-use plastics has been a worldwide trend. Still, when it comes to this topic, disposable menstrual products are never mentioned and often not even considered a source of single-use plastic. The reality is that most disposable menstrual products contain a large percentage of plastics. Tampons usually are made from cotton or rayon, but sometimes include a thin layer of plastic in the absorbent part and an outer layer of synthetic fiber (polyethylene and polypropylene) to prevent fiber loss and create a smoother surface, according to Elizabeth Peberdy, a researcher at the Anglia Ruskin University. They are also wrapped in plastic and come with their plastic applicator. On the other hand, Peberdy establishes that the menstrual pads are made up of various layers: a permeable top layer made of a polymer such as polypropylene or polyethylene; an absorbent layer made of cellulose; an inner core of “superabsorbent polymer” or “smart foam” and a lower layer of polyethylene. Due to the complexity of the materials with which these products are made, it is estimated that a regular menstrual pad or tampon can take 500–800 years to break down in landfills. According to Peberdy, these estimations of degradation are based on respirometry tests in lab conditions. In reality, what actually happens to these products in landfill could be very different, referring to the possibility that there are materials that, by their nature, cannot be decomposed under landfill conditions.

Starting from the fact that 1.9 billion women globally are in their menstruating age, we should divert our attention to more sustainable and eco-friendly ways to manage our period. On average, women spend 2,400 days throughout a lifetime dealing with menstrual blood flow. This is equivalent to six and a half years. The most common eco-friendly friendly product options are organic tampons and menstrual pads, reusable pads, menstrual cups, and period underwear. Organic pads and tampons are made of organic cotton so that they can be composted. They can also be discarded with regular garbage since organic cotton decomposes much faster than the materials of regular disposable options. Reusable options such as the menstrual cup, reusable pads, and period underwear have the advantage of lasting for years. Pads and underwear last 3 to 5 years, with proper care, and usually are made of natural fibers such as cotton and bamboo. On the other hand, the menstrual cup is made with medical-grade silicone and usually lasts from 3 to 10 years, depending on the brand. Despite the many challenges these options face, such as high prices, poor accessibility, and poor education for women on the subject, more and more women are willing to make the change.

Research conducted on the public awareness of the environmental impact of menstrual products showed that most women are not aware of the ecological implications of these products. However, they also showed that women who are aware tend to make better decisions about the menstrual products they consume. In Puerto Rico, “More women want to make the change, some for fashion, others for empowerment and awareness,” said Valeria Solero, the creator of the reusable menstrual pads brand Manchada. (V. Solero, phone communication, June 11, 2020). Solero mentioned that, aside from helping the planet, since you avoid generating more garbage, switching to reusable menstrual pads helps us avoid “many toxic chemicals that significantly affect our health and body, causing allergies, infections, and diseases.” She also suggests that another important benefit is saving money, since “you make an initial investment and with proper washing and care can last 3-5 years,” avoiding the monthly purchase of products.  

In the middle of the 21st century, menstruation and its management are still hard to discuss due to the lack of education. We must stop seeing it as something terrible and disgusting and start viewing it as a beautiful biological process. The change to more sustainable options is not only beneficial for the earth, but also for your health and pocket. The world is waiting for you.

Author: Antoinette Cedeño

Residents demand better used clothes recycling (Slovakia)

YRE Competition 2020
15-18

In Spišská Nová Ves, residents can recycle used clothes through collection containers. However, these containers are often targets of looting and vandalism. The city is dealing with this problem by reducing the number of containers. Residents are still looking for ways to give unwanted clothing a second chance.

Have you ever wondered about the long and difficult path your clothes underwent until they arrived in your closet? From planting cotton to transporting the clothes to the store, it is months of work, huge amounts of water and energy, and thousands of miles traveled. Nevertheless, 5.8 million tonnes of clothing are thrown away in the European Union every year. Of this huge amount, only a fraction is recycled, and the rest goes to the landfill. There are many ways to recycle "old" textiles. Donate clothes to friends, charity, or an orphanage, or make new products out of them, such as a bag or toy for a dog. Special collection containers for clothing are available to those who do not have anyone to donate their clothes to.

(Un)successful placement of collection containers

Early 2012, special containers for clothing were placed in the town of Spišská Nová Ves. A total of almost 30 collection containers were placed throughout the city. The containers are managed by the local branch of the Polish company Pphu wtórpol, which supplies used clothing stores, exports some clothes to Africa and Asia, and processes the rest into various products. As early as 2014, however, the first complications and complaints associated with these collection containers appeared in Spišská Nová Ves. "The worst part is that what they don't like is thrown aside. They make a mess around the containers," wrote a resident on the Link website for the mayor.

Ing. Juraj Sad, PhD ., the then head of the municipal service department, said, "The city warned the operator about the repeated looting of clothing. As a result bars were welded onto the containers to restrict access." The situation recently culminated in the removal of several containers. Ing. Slavomír Krieger from the municipal service department said, “Containers were removed from some places. They were withdrawn by the city due to vandalism or at the request of citizens.” He also said that the city does not plan to return the containers, despite the fact that no new cases of vandalism or looting of containers have been officially recorded in the last 6 months.

Citizens versus the city

A survey of the city's residents by 16-year-old student Ľudmila confirmed that they are interested in moving their clothes along, but they do not like looting. Of the 400 inhabitants that took part in the survey, 41% stated that they use collection containers for recycling clothing. The amount of clothing collected per year also corresponds to the high rate of use. In 2019, it was 78.13 tonnes. The containers are emptied approximately eight times a year. One very startling finding was that three-quarters of the residents surveyed had recently witnessed looting and damage to a container or noticed scattered clothing around the collection bins.

The city is not currently considering improving the clothing collection service, such as changing companies, securing containers better, or placing containers in a collection yard. Ing. Juraj Sad explains, "The city does not plan to expand the number of containers. The existing company is now probably the only somewhat functional clothing collection company in eastern Slovakia. "

A second chance for clothes

Of course, Spišská Nová Ves is not the only town in Slovakia in which collection containers for clothing are not working out well. What could inspire city council? In Trenčín, the so-called “social wardrobe”, located in the city’s economy building, has been operating since 2013. The “social wardrobe” is managed by a group of volunteers. Donors can bring clothes, shoes, toys as well as household equipment and furniture. These donations can be picked up every Wednesday by socially disadvantaged residents.

Improvement of the used clothing collection service in Spišská Nová Ves is unlikely to happen in the near future. However, the residents’ willingness to donate clothes is great: 90% of those approached would be interested in donating their used clothes. Some proposed their own initiatives at the end of the questionnaire.

“I would suggest organizing a collection of clothes on a regular basis. People would always bring their used clothes in bags on a specific date to a designated place. Usable pieces could be donated to Spišská Charity or to an orphanage, and the remaining blankets and sheets could go to the animal shelter for dogs and cats ", suggested an anonymous survey participant. Another inhabitant of the city wrote, “Young people like to change wardrobes. They wear one piece of clothing only a few times. Organizing a piece-by-piece clothing exchange would certainly please many. "

One thing is certain. The residents of Spišská Nová Ves want to recycle their old clothes, but the city has not yet offered them an official alternative to collection containers, and according to the staff at the municipal office, it is not planning to make any changes. However, if the city decides to respond to citizens' suggestions and the importance of this issue, it will receive a positive and very active response.

Bad look, poor function

Unfortunately, this mess around the collection container, after it’s been looted, is not an exception in housing estates.

An invitation to loot

Overflowing used clothes containers in Spišská Nová Ves are often subject to looting.

Good example from Trenčín

The social wardrobe with its founder - otília divilková. Photo credit: Erik Stopka

Authors: Ľudmila Slivová and Timea Dimitrovová

Toxic Finger Food (Slovakia)

YRE Competition 2020
11-14

Cigarette butts are the most common type of garbage in cities and nature. Throwing them to the ground is considered to be a common and safe way to dispose of this waste. The team of pupils from Cirkevná základná škola Narnia hit the streets of Bratislava and explored how to minimize the most overlooked disposable plastic.

The students asked people in Bratislava whether they were bothered by cigarette butts on the ground. Many see cigarette butts as a "normal" part of the street. Many consider them to be an "aesthetic problem". They believe that discarded cigarette butts will decompose over time and disappear.

Member of the European (MEP) Martin Hojsík told the students that there was more to this:

"I think people notice the problem of streets littered with cigarette butts, but they overlook the fact that, like straws or shopping bags, cigarette butts are a disposable plastic." 

Hojsík considers raising awareness of this problem to be a great first step to changing the situation.

A “small” problem

The problem has two levels. Cigarette butts, littering the streets and nature, are made of plastic. Also, when burned they absorb substances from tobacco and become toxic so, when they are thrown away, they contain several harmful substances. At best they end up in municipal waste, at worst they are dumped on the ground. They are the most overlooked disposable plastic in the ecosystem. The chemicals are released into soil when they come into contact with water. The students collected cigarette butts from 1 m² and soaked them in water. The water changed color and became a dark brown, smelly leachate. 

According to research, when three butts are added into a one litre aquarium with a fish, the fish dies within 24 hours. Watering seeds of shamrocks with this water would result in 30% less of them sprouting than the same sample watered with normal water. MEP Hojsík gave this answer:

“The filters in the butts are made of cellulose acetate, which is actually plastic. When the cigarette is smoked, they absorb substances in the tobacco, and therefore this plastic contains nicotine, heavy metals and other chemicals. So, it´s also about serious pollution.”

Only 3.5% cigarettes have filters which decompose in nature, due to costs. While plastic bottles and bags are taxed and straws are being replaced, no one notices butts.

It’s not enough to protect non-smokers

Students noticed during their research that butts are mainly found near bus stops. Their first step was to create a campaign to increase awareness of this problem. They discovered that there is one trash can at their bus stop near the school, but there is no ash tray. Smoking near bus stops is forbidden. This is highlighted with pictograms, signs, and bus-stop area is monitored by camera. Smokers go to smoke behind bus stops, out of the camera’s view. When they finish smoking they throw their butt on the ground. 

According to the town council of Bratislava, dropping cigarettes butts on the ground is a violation and fines can be as high as 33€. In 2019 city police issued fines for 1295 offenses of cleanliness laws in public locations. This number includes cigarettes and other forms of pollution.

Students act

Students contacted the city with a proposal that bus stops should have a special bin for cigarettes 5 m away. The distance would be marked by footsteps on the ground and be marked for smokers. Similar social experiments have been done before and were effective. This was a children´s initiative in Bratislava, but the city didn’t support it, so they created a mini campaign. 

They marked one square meter and cleaned it. There were 131 cigarette butts. Over a month 184 cigarette butts were collected over repeated cleaning dates (an experiment in Cambridge collected 128 butts in 1 m²). At the bus stop they marked cigarette butts in the 1 m² with „canapes“ flags. When people asked what it was about, the cigarettes became very evident.

Problem with no solution?

The students did not give up and informed the Magistrate about the results of their experiment of collecting cigarette butts at the bus stop. They added facts about the collection of butts at other bus stops. For example, near Aupark there were 10-times more cigarette butts than at the experimental bus stop. They inquired about how the bus stops were cleaned. Mr. Peter Bubla from the mayor’s office said, that the cigarette butts are disposed of by Dopravný podnik Bratislava (public transit) along with the communal waste collected at the bus stops. According to him, it is not possible to place waste bins with ashtrays at bus stops, because it is prohibited by law to smoke there. The most frequented bus stops are cleaned several times per day.

The problem seemed too complicated, so the students asked the MEP if he was aware of possible solutions. He used the example of Japan, where there is an absolute ban of throwing cigarette butts on the ground. There are separate zones reserved for smoking and often there are campaigns, motivating people to dispose of their butts in designated places. Smokers in Japan use private ashtrays in which they collect the cigarette butts and then empty them in trash cans. This doesn’t address the problem of decomposition and recycling. 

Better legislation could help

The key to solve the problem is to change legislation. Individuals do not have enough power or the right tools, like the European Parliament has.

Cigarette butts can be defined as the most overlooked single-use plastic in the world. This fact inspires the students to go on with the project. Even though, according to the city council, marking smoking areas at bus stops is not realistic, the students believe that once they meet with the mayor, they will find a solution.

Cigarette butts covering the ground behind the monitored bus stop area.

Photo: Patrik Poltársky.

Pupils made a mini-campaign at the stop. They marked cigarette butts with colored flags for canapés. Photo: Patrik Poltársky

Hundreds of people pass by them every day, but they only started to notice them when students marked them.

Photo: Leo Klein, bus stop Budatínska, Bratislava

Authors: Michaela Hermanová, Leo Klein, Emil Slimák, Patrik Poltársky

Climate change: looking back for a solution of today (Singapore)

YRE Competition 2019
19-25 years

When we think of solutions against climate change, we think about being more environmentally friendly and wasting less. Many view this as an inconvenience and a modern phenomenon we need more to adapt to with a similarly modern approach, as seen with the metal straw craze and sudden "ban-on-plastic".

However, the last people we often think of practising such solutions this is our grandparents. I remember the second-hand embarrassment as I watched my grandfather pull rolls of plastic bags in NTUC, before stuffing it into a trolley and walking away. I never knew where all those plastic bags went, and maybe I don’t want to know which landfill or ocean it is in now.

Yet, what if I told you one of the ways to mitigate the effects we have on climate change can be drawn by our grandparents?

My Grandma and Her Mini-Garden

On the 5th floor of an old HDB estate, you’ll find two rows of plants lining the sides of the walkway. Mdm Siew Cheng will be there with her trusty spray bottle and scissors, tending to her garden every day without fail. While she may not be a gardener, she is my grandma and her small garden is one of the ways she practices responsible consumption.

This small garden is home to 16 different vegetables and plants, which my grandma has tended for the past 20 years. Every morning at 6 am without fail, she prunes and sprays her mini-farm and these vegetables feeds our family. Her chye sim with soup and her rosemary with steak are utterly delicious, and our family goes over every Saturday to collect our "share of the harvest".

When I ask her why she goes through the trouble, she responded, "it’s yummy and I save money". Yet, she isn’t aware of the impact her tiny garden has had on the environment other than the fact that it has kept our stomachs filled.

Watering System Installed for the Potted Plants

To save on money, she has installed recycled plastic bottles to water her plants so that she doesn’t overwater them and only sprays her plants with water when necessary. Her pots are all taken from her neighbours or from the rubbish bin downstairs, recycling what would have ended up in a landfill.

Natural Fertilizer from Leftover Vegetables

In her attempt to live healthier, my grandma turned her farm organic as well. Leftover vegetables that would have ended in the dustbin are used as fertiliser for her plants. And after trial and error, my grandma’s home-made pesticide was simply an orange or banana peel left overnight. She found after trial and error that snails and other pests would fester on the peel and she could simply remove them from her vegetables after leaving the peels overnight.

"I don't have to throw rubbish away often now… it's good for my legs too and saves money" was her reason behind all these little actions. However, I was met with an "aiyo no la" and "sure boh" when I shared with her of the positive impacts her actions have had on the environment.

However, one of the biggest impacts her farm has had was reducing plastic and pollution.

When we purchase vegetables from supermarkets, they are often wrapped in plastic and these end up in landfills or polluting the oceans, harming sea creatures. And on tiny island Singapore, the food seen in supermarkets and goods such as pesticide are more often than nought imported from other countries. Yet, we tend to forget the pollution produced when moving these consumer goods from country to country, whether transported by ship, land or air.

Her small actions in making her farm were done to save money and effort, but yet has had such impacts on our environment. Yet ironically, our reasons for not being more environmentally friendly or taking actions against climate change are because it costs extra, or it takes extra effort.

So maybe we don't need an all too modern solution which requires us to buy more metal straws or ship something from overseas. Maybe what we all just need to do is to look at our grandparents' older consumption habits… or just a pot with vegetable seeds.

Bees in the city: small insects, big problems (Slovakia)

YRE Competition 2019
15-18 years

Bees’ natural environment is increasingly threatened by air pollution, temperature fluctuations, pesticides and loss of biodiversity. Bees do not have enough food and die. Paradoxically, in cities the selection of flowers and flowering plants is expanding, so bees get closer to people in the cities. It is an opportunity for practical training in bee and apiculture issues. Students at the Jan Adam Rayman Grammar School are very interested in participating in a beekeeping club, but they have come across misapprehension.

URBAN BEES AND BEEKEEPING AT SCHOOL

The idea for this project was first presented at the Jan Adam Rayman Grammar School in Prešov by a new informatics instructor, for whom beekeeping is a passion. The project did not remain in the realm of just thoughts and words. A year ago, the first beehives were placed on school grounds and a beekeeping club was offered for the first time. The leader was the teacher, Mr. Shurin, who described the beginning as follows: "Bees were shipped at the beginning of the season when the weather was still unstable. Bees are more nervous at this time, as the bad weather bothers them. They were also irritated by the move.”

FIRST “CONCERNS“

At first there were no problems, and the club began to work. But gradually people started to worry about insect allergies caused by stings. Therefore, information boards with basic facts about urban bees, as well as first-aid steps for insect stings were installed in the school yard. After that the neighbours, Salesians from Don Bosco, visited the principal with a petition for the removal of the hives. Their justification was that they have a playground right over the fence. They felt threatened because some had had bad experiences with bees. There were also concerns within the school itself.

Mgr. Matúš Šurin: “Abroad, in towns, on the outskirts of parks, on railway tracks and in other locations, they set up gardens, plant crops, try to use every available piece of the earth, while here things decay. We have English lawns without flowers in our gardens."

THE NEIGHBOURS

The school took action to maintain good neighbourly relations. A bee-proof barrier was installed on the fence to meet all the requirements and regulations of beekeepers in residential areas. The students created leaflets about how people should behave near bees. They offered the leaflets to their neighbours, but they refused them. Neither did they accept an invitation to come to see the bees in the school garden along with professional lecture, even with protective equipment.

As the complaints continued, it was suggested the bees be moved even further from the common fence, or that the bee-proof barriers be multiplied. However, these solutions were not optimal because the bees had not gotten used to their surroundings.

Principal Mgr. Viera Kundľová said:

"Dissatisfaction with the bees in the school yard and people's concerns led me to study "insect bites". I have read that bees and bumble bees are not "naturally" aggressive, while wasps and hornets are very aggressive and will attack. But people's concerns were the deciding factor and led me to take the hives away from the school yard."

BEES IN THE CITY

There are many student beekeepers in the world, even in kindergartens. School apiaries are also starting up in Slovakia, in Bratislava, Zvolen, Lučenec and other locations. Unfortunately, in East Slovakia, namely Prešov, this has not happened yet.

One cannot disagree with Mr. Shurin, that having a beekeeping club in times when there is a huge interest in beekeeping, and where there is no such opportunity, is something amazing. Even if the honeybees’ pollination is not counted as a benefit, the school could have been a trendsetter in keeping urban bees in eastern Slovakia.

Finally, the bees were supposed to be in the garden for only a month and a half, because they should only be there during the season when they can be worked with. Unfortunately, they had to go prematurely.

WILL BEES FIND THEIR WAY BACK?

When solving this difficult situation, everyone agreed with the Assistant Principal Ing. Daniela Bučková: “Children's health comes first; it is better to avoid a problem than solve it later."

Young beekeepers also asked the other side - Don Bosco's Salesians - to express their opinion. In the beginning they were very willing, but when it came to setting a meeting date, they did not respond. Further attempts at contact were futile.

Despite everything, the club is still meeting!

Although the hives have moved to Kendice, where the beekeeping club is run under the patronage of the Slovak Union of Beekeepers, the subject of bees is still being studied at the Jan Adam Rayman Grammar School. In May, an article will be published in the Včelár [Beekeeper] magazine. The club has generated enormous interest and it is at full capacity. The large number of candidates waiting to get in testify to the quality of the club. These are the reasons the school’s management is still considering the possibility of returning bees to the school garden in a way that all parties are satisfied

CHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF HONEY IN A SCHOOL LABORATORY

BEE HIVES IN THE SCHOOL GARDEN

WORK IN THE APIARY

The upcycling solution (Slovakia)

YRE Competition 2019
11-14 years

Since plastic shopping bags are not free at the cashier, most people have gotten used to carrying their own. However, the ultra thin plastic bags for fruits and vegetables are still free and heavily used. A consumer will bring home more than 500 of them a year. The solution may be bags made of old curtains or similar fabrics.

Miletičova Market in Bratislava is a popular place to buy vegetables and fruits. During the weekend, depending on the season, it is visited by between 300 to 1,000 shoppers. The Market has been open since the 1970s. Approximately 150 permanent vendors currently sell their goods in its booths: 55 vendors of fruits and vegetables, 55 of various other foods, snacks or food and drinks, and the rest is clothing, electrical goods, hardware and flowers. In addition, there are an additional 5 to 50 seasonal vendors of fruit and vegetables, as well as about 25 growers and vendors of seedlings and saplings.

Watching life in the market, you can see that more than two-thirds of the shoppers use eco bags or alternatives: traditional baskets made of pedig or willows, newer canvas versions with aluminum handles, or cotton and polyester bags. The rest uses mixed-material or plastic bags. The survey confirmed that more than 80% of shoppers do not use plastic bags, which were much more common before people had to pay for them.

"It´s about personal responsibility," says environmental consultant Petra Ježeková from environmental association Živica. "I always wear a backpack, so I can put my purchase in it, unless it is dirty. I try to have a few reusable bags in it (I am not always successful, but I am improving.) I have a pair of ultra thin plastic ones, two from old curtains and occasionally a bag I paid for. I definitely recommend having a durable bag or net bag, and a pair of little sack in your handbag - ideally linen, or ones upcycled from an old curtain."

Where to Put Fruits and Vegetables

A small marketplace survey shows that even the majority of those who carry their own eco-bags or baskets have their vegetables put in coloured plastic bags. These are sacks marked with the HDPE 2 label, which vendors still give to people for free, just like the thin plastic bags. When asked why they take plastic disposable sacks from retailers, shoppers give two basic reasons:

1. It´s free, and when I put the vegetables in my bag, they don´t dirty my bag (basket), they stay organized and easy to handle at home.

2. Fruit and vegetables do not dry out and remain fresh.

With a normal consumption of 5-7 such bags per purchase and the high traffic in this market, despite the fact that shoppers usually carry baskets or cotton, paper or PES bags with them, approximately 1500-5000 such bags are distributed in the market during a single Saturday, depending on the season. Annually that means up to 250000 plastic bags just for Saturday purchases.

Upcycling Old Curtains

The Narnia Church Primary School team of reporters sought to reduce the consumption of these bags by people, even though they are free.

They found the answer with Dana Kleinert, a fashion designer, activist, and ambassador of Bratislava Old Town. At the time of her candidacy for mayor, she launched a social responsibility campaign called Old Town Curtains.

"I collected old curtains from people, and our deaf seamstress sewed them in a sheltered workshop into sachets that we distributed in the market. This effort included discussions about waste, and people became aware of their personal responsibility and started using our bags. As a result, disposable bag use was significantly reduced."

After talking to Mrs. Kleinert, the Narnia girls decided to try out this project. They started collecting old curtains and bedding and sewing them into eco sacks. They are making good progress and you can meet up with them at the Good Market in Jakub´s Square, where they will talk to people about their eco-sacks and give them out for voluntary contributions. 

“We hope that people will add them to their eco-bags and stop taking disposable bags from vendors. That's our goal. Because each one can be used for years to prevent the use of hundreds of disposable bags. And that’s worth it,” say the girls.

Giving new life to old curtains

OUR upcycling solution

Tan Tan: From a garden watered by running water to a barren wasteland looking for drops of water (Morocco)

YRE Competition 2018
19-21 years

"Malika, (35 years old), leaves her bed at the crack of dawn, and she moves quickly while she is still falling asleep, towards the water tap installed in the entrance hall. Bottles of 5, 10 and 30 liters are put near the water tap waiting for drops of water. Most of the time, Malika, who lives in Sheikh Abdati neighborhood, waits for long hours without succeeding to fill these bottles and barrels with drinking water, a suffering which is repeated every day and becomes more complicated with the coming of every summer. "

City connected to water

"It is said that one of the nomads was lost in the Moroccan Sahara until he got thirsty, he was about to die. He searched for a well of water to satiate his thirst and that of his cattle but did not find it, continued to search with all hope to have a drop of water, passed near a lot of dried up wells. He went on walking until he reached a very deep well, he could not see anything in it, he doubted about it, he threw a small stone into the well and heard the sound of the stone dangling with water, making a sound like "Tantana". So, he named this well "tanatina" Which will later become the first nucleus of a city that will take its name, It is "Tan Tan", a coastal city located between Guelmim and Tarfaya. Passengers traveling to the south or north must pass through this city, that's why it is called the city of "transit", its population reached 73.209 thousand people.

The establishment of "Tan Tan" was associated with water, because without this well, there wouldn't be any constructions or buildings. There were many wells that were established by the population of this city. Its fresh water was highly appreciated by its users. Decades ago, when the city was under construction, the water-laden carts were roaming the streets to sell water to the population. At that time, the price of water was very cheap. After that, the residents connected their homes to the potable water network, benefited and were supplied with water at low prices. The population did not know that this water will dry up one day.

A city that exports water

When visiting the cities of the southern provinces, including Laayoune, Smara, Boujdour, Tarfaya or even Dakhla, you will remark water tank selling water to the inhabitants of these provinces. People prefer to buy water from these trucks because of its high quality. And when you look more at these tanker trucks, you find the words written very clearly "water of Tan Tan". This name has become a brand associated with water quality of this region. Demand for water in this area becomes a source of profit for a number of truckers who prefer this kind of trade. A few years ago, a factory was established to fill various sizes of bottles with this water and sell it in different cities of the Kingdom.

The beginning of the crisis ... the end of the drop of water

Almost two years ago, these water taps installed in houses were no longer supplied with water at any moment because of the successive interruptions during the day. But sometimes, these interruptions continued for many days. At first, the inhabitants did not care about the matter. They thought that this problem would disappear after a short period. But in fact, these interruptions were caused by the diminution of the well water. The city suffered from a suffocating crisis that threatens the future of generations. The groundwater of this area has been depleted for many years and the wells in the region of "Taassalt" are no longer sufficient to meet the growing needs of the inhabitants.

The Arabs say, "Ironing is the last medicine." Officials of the National agency for Drinking Water tried to save the city from thirst engendered by the overuse of water. This attempt involves the construction of two seawater desalination plants. The first was established in 2003, and the second in 2014.

To know how desalination plant operates, we visited "Khank Lahmam" plant, which supplies the city with drinking water. The water quality engineer Mustafa Adenani says that this plant operates according to the "reverse osmosis technology", which passes through four processes, including pre-treatment, which remove plankton and impurities, then the stage of treatment, which is done by high pressure to separate salts from water, because water Extracted from the holes in the region of "Ras Omlil" is salty by an average of 4 and 5 grams per liter. The obtained filtered water is added to a percentage of salt water to restore balance. The plant produces a total of 35 liters per second of safe drinking water stored into four water tanks with a capacity of 3,000 cubic meters, to which is added chlorine solution of 0.5 mg / l.

Awareness is the solution

After the suffering experienced by the inhabitants of "Tan Tan" due to the depletion of wells, and after many attempts to solve this problem, it became necessary to think of "raising awareness" of the importance of water among the youngest generation. This sense should be translated into behavior and practice. The waste of water is a violation of the right of future generations to live in a stable world. This natural wealth is a common property that should be preserved.

YRE field visit to the desalination plant “Khank lhmam”

Water tank selling water

Written by students from Morocco.

When youth hostel goes with eco-friendly tourism (France)

YRE Competition 2018
19-21 years

While tourism is responsible for the emission of 26,400 million tons of CO2 per year, can we bring tourism and sustainable tourism together? This is the challenge Samuel Boggio and Alain Berhault set themselves by opening, last April 24th, the first écollective youth hostel in France. Based in the 9th district of Lyon, the “Alter’hostel” tries to integrate travellers in local life of Lyon while reducing their ecological footprints.

A form of tourism that cares about the environment

Eco-responsible travel with affordable prices: this is the goal of this youth hostel welcoming foreign globe-trotters as well as young French people settling in Lyon or even school groups. This goes with a strong will to reduce the hostel’s carbon footprint. In that regard, the lightning is timed, the showers’ water debit is controlled thanks to a compressed air system and dry toilets were put in place. Composts, sorting trays in each dormitory, recycled rainwater… Nothing is left to chance, even the handmade washing-liquid.

“What we decided to put to practice is not rocket science! You just have to want to invest in it. The dry toilets cost up to 2,500-3,000 euros so it should be taken into account but afterwards you save money every year. Lots of people come to us because of our ecological concept so it actually incites other hostels to follow the same principles” explains Samuel, whose idea started to grow during a round-the-world tour. The managers also chose the renewable energy supplier Enercop, even if it means paying 15 to 20% more on the electricity bill. This hostel is of a new kind and does not have anything to do with a simple greenwashing marketing plan. “The concept of an ecological hostel allows to learn more on what can be done to preserve the environment” testifies Marina, who is delighted with her stay.

A new approach for travelling: more open to local life and sharing

At the bar, you can have local drinks with the “Cola’rdèche” soda or “Canute Lyonnaise” beers. Travellers can also pay with the local money, the “Gonette”, even if Samuel admits that this is quite rare. The hostel multiplies local partnerships in order to involve the travellers into the local Lyon life. For instance, the latter can get involved as volunteers for “Les Restos du Coeur” or give the “Acte 2” ticket-counter a hand, the theatre next-door. “It is not only a hostel, it is much more than that” Samuel sums up. With concerts, polyglot evenings, Christmas markets, DIY workshops, the hostel is abundant with events and good mood in an atmosphere where multiple nationalities casually meet. The hostel organizes different workshops of awareness to the environment in partnership with local associations like “Awareness and Ecological Impact”. To Gabrielle Frutos, administrator of this association, “it is a very beneficial cooperation that is justified by the values shared by both these structures”.

Moreover, it is also possible to rent kayaks and bikes. “We are really happy we could associate with the Alter’Hostel to re-use bikes rather than buying new ones and waste them” explains Thierry from the “Change your Chain” association. The hostel also welcomes some young people doing their civic service or doing “woofing”. Everything is made to incite the travellers to become actors of their stay in a convivial atmosphere.

A project that saw the day thanks to collaborative financing

“We are not geniuses, it is just that we have ideas and motivation. We are often said to follow our dreams and that is right (…). We should be creative, not be afraid to try things even if people say it will not work” advices Samuel. To fund their dream, the two young managers did not indeed lack creativity: “We paddled down the Rhône in kayak from Switzerland to the sea. We raised 21,000 euros of funds, 300 people contributed to it.” Then they called for financers from social and solidarity economy such as the “Nef” and the “Crédit Coopératif”.

An inspiring concept, the echo of a new aspiration coming from young people

As it was prized last January with the label “Lyon, Sustainable and Ethical City”, whose goal is to promote practical alternatives to consumption, the Alter’Hostel has a bright future ahead. Samuel seems confident: “we can launch different tourisms, we are the proof of that, and currently it is working. People are often happy to come here, they support us.”

A buzzing innovative concept? “In other cities of France we heard that other projects similar to ours are blossoming”. This dynamic goes to testify the emergence of an eco-responsible awareness, in particular among young people who are more and more attracted to solidarity and eco-friendly travelling. “Sustainable development, in terms of economics, is characterized by exploding markets: there are no risks to take. In terms of personal welfare, it is great because you can meet people with the same values. Suppliers and partners all create a benevolent community. (…) This is the future” concludes Samuel with an optimistic look.

Written by student from France.

Whiteboard markers: From investigation to change (Slovakia)

YRE Competition 2018
15-18 years

DISPOSABLE MARKERS ARE POPULAR IN SCHOOLS BECAUSE THEY ARE EASY TO USE AND ERASE FROM THE BOARD. AS SOON AS THE MARKER STOPS WRITING, IT MAKES A DIRECT FLIGHT INTO THE CLASS TRASH BIN. FROM THERE, IT TRAVELS TO THE LANDFILL WHERE IT STAYS FOR CENTURIES. THAT'S WHY IT'S A PROBLEM FOR THE ENVIRONMENT. HOWEVER, WE CAN CHANGE THIS.

At the beginning of the 21st century, disposable markers began to be used in Slovakia. They are now slowly pushing white chalk out of the way. Black boards are being replaced by white magnetic boards.

AMAZING, BUT ...

At the Business Academy in Trnava, more than 100 markers are used up every year, and they are not even used in all classes. Each marker contains an average of 20 grams of plastic, which means about 2 kg of plastic per year ends up in the basket. At first glance it may seem that it is not so much. In the Trnava region, however, we have 149 secondary schools. If every school used markers only to a certain degree, like the Business Academy in Trnava, at least 298 kilograms of plastic would end up in the trash. "Markers are a wonderful thing because they have solved the problem of chalk dust. The problem is that disposable markers are not environmentally friendly, " says Dana Bohunická, a Business Academy teacher.

"I am surprised that, in this age of recycling, markers still remain a problem."

RECYCLING?

According to my questionnaire, which was filled out by 35 students, most of them use exclusively markers at school. Nearly three quarters of them know only about the disposables. Still, 90% of students think that markers should be recycled because they are an environmental problem. Almost half of the respondents (48%) believe that they can be recycled.

It's not easy to dispose of a marker. It is made up of several materials and most of the components are plastic. The liquid portion is a mixture of dyes and solvent. The tip of the marker is made of pressed fabric. The solvent for markers is mostly a substance made of kerosene, and is toxic.

Toxicity of markers poses a risk not only to the environment but also to human health (inhalation or ingestion is dangerous). "The plugs of the markers are fused to the sheath of the marker in accordance with EU safety regulations and therefore they cannot be refilled without damaging the casing," says the representative of the most famous Slovak manufacturer of disposable markers, Centropen.

"Plastic reprocessing for us is not possible because the plastic is dirty (the printing, residue of the contents inside the casing)." Thus, disposable markers cannot be dismantled or recycled.”

BEING ECO-FRIENDLY IS EXPENSIVE

An enormous amount of waste is created that has no further use. The solution may be refillable markers which are reusable. Some companies also sell them with a bottle of ink, so you can refill them, or replace the marker tips with new ones. We can therefore use marker sheaths several times.

However, one barrier is the small selection in stores, so the customer has little choice. In one Trnava stationary store they are sold exclusively in full packs, which can discourage customers, who would then rather buy one disposable marker.

Another obstacle may be the price of the refillable marker. From my analysis of online stores, I came to a sad conclusion. Economics wins over ecology. Disposable marker prices range from € 0.65 to € 1.50 on average. However, the price of refillable markers can climb significantly, one costs approximately € 1.50 to € 4.60. Even though people would like to use refillable markers, the cost of these products discourages them. Probably for this reason Slovak schools use only disposable markers. "The tips in the refillable markers don’t last as long and we would pay much more for them," says Jaromír Flaškár, a teacher at Púchov primary school.

Although many people want to protect the environment, their choice is driven mainly by the price tag. "We produced refillable markers in the years 1999-2006. But due to lack of interest, we have terminated production," says Centropen.

THE SOLUTION COULD BE A RECYCLING PROGRAM

Currently, when environmental awareness is being sold by companies, that manufacturer could consider returning to the production of refillable markers. Although companies now use environmental friendliness as a marketing lure, the manufacturers of markers have not used this strategy. An example is a US marker company that has introduced a recycling program for its customers. The customers who buy products from this company can send them back for recycling. This initiative helps pupils in schools to be responsible for protecting the environment (Source: Old plastic is being recovered by a company as fuel).

DISCUSSION CAN LEAD TO CHANGE

In the creation of this article, a wide-ranging discussion on this issue opened up at the Trnava Business Academy. This means that neither Slovak teachers nor pupils are indifferent to this problem, just like their American counterparts. The management of Trnava´s Business Academy has decided to test refillable markers for the first time, as a long-term solution to the problem of minimizing this waste.

This experience confirms that even a small initiative can bring about a big change; from a survey at a school, through disseminating the results, to final negotiations with the headmaster. Trnava´s Business Academy is an inspiring example of the fruitful communication between students and teachers resulting in an eco-friendly solution. If the test is successful, disposable whiteboard markers will be replaced by refillable ones for good.

WHITEBOARD MARKERS: NO MORE DUST IN THE CLASSROOM

DILEMMA IN THE STATIONARY SHOP: DISPOSABLE OR REFILLABLE MARKERS?

Written by student from Slovakia.

Atrazine in drinking water: Slovakia's biggest treasure at risk (Slovakia)

YRE Competition 2018
11-14 years

THE LARGEST RESERVOIR OF GROUNDWATER IN CENTRAL EUROPE IS THREATENED BY THE TOXIC PESTICIDE ATRAZINE. IT WAS RECENTLY FOUND IN WATER SAMPLES FROM THE PUBLIC WATER MAINS, EVEN THOUGH IT HAS BEEN BANNED IN SLOVAKIA FOR MORE THAN 13 YEARS.

In mid-December 2017, 5,000 inhabitants of the Protected Water Zone of Žitný Ostrov remained without drinking water. The Regional Public Health Authority (RÚVZ) in Dunajská Streda found several times the exceeded limit of atrazine in the water from water mains. Atrazine is a pesticide that was used to kill weeds in the past.

PEOPLE WERE SHOCKED

Six communities were affected: Trstená na Ostrov, Baka, Jurová, Holice, Lúč na Ostrove, and Blatná na Ostrove. Their inhabitants were forbidden by authorities to use the water for drinking and cooking.

"We informed the public of the situation through announcements on the public announcement system and the village website. The phones were constantly ringing; people were curious and quite shocked," said Andrea Szemová, employee of the Holice Administration.

Thirty percent of the population is connected to the public water supply. "These families were supplied with drinking water from tanks, and during Christmas with water in barrels. Households with their own wells bought bottled water," says Mayor Imrich Vajas.

EMERGENCY AID - FILTERS

In the first months of 2018, the Western Slovak Water Company (ZSVS), which supplies potable water in the region, installed carbon filters to the public water main. They captured the atrazine. However, households using water from their wells remained unresolved. The news of water contamination surprised well owners. "We started using a carbon filter at home, but even so we buy water for drinking and cooking. Like us, those who are dependent on water from our wells are the majority in the neighborhood. It is unpleasant, even if the accidental pollution analyses of the wells have not been confirmed," said the resident of Holice municipality, Ján (58).

EXTRA INSPECTIONS

After the authorities banned water from the water supply in six communities, the Ministry of the Environment announced inspections of agricultural cooperatives near the water source. They are concentrating on compliance with the law on the use and storage of pollutants.

"The Slovak Environmental Inspection Agency has started investigations in 13 agricultural cooperatives," said Beata Matul from the agency. "Inspections are ongoing, so we cannot comment on this issue."

Young environmental reporters have been investigating whether the source of pollution is an environmental burden from the past. Veronika Katon of the Legal Department of the Ministry of the Environment wrote: "The Ministry is considering misuse of pesticides by farmers in the recent past or the illegal disposal of atrazine stocks after the ban."

CONDITION OF THE GROUNDWATER IS DETERIORATING

Pollution in Žitný Ostrov by atrazine has spread to another water source in the village of Veľká Paka. As a member of the National Council Anna Zemanová told young reporters, the amount of atrazine in the water source of Veľka Paka is on the verge of the allowable limit. In this village, there is a ban on drinking water from the water supply for pregnant women and infants.

"The pesticide must not be used. As it’s no longer accumulating, nature can cope with it. After a certain period of time it disintegrates and its presence in the groundwater is quickly diluted," said Tomáš Ferenčák, spokesman for the Ministry of the Environment.

However, environmentalist and conservationist Mikuláš Huba thinks the ministry is underestimating the problem of pollution of drinking water in Žitný Ostrov. "The quality of water is gradually deteriorating in this area. It is necessary for the ministry to continue to monitor and insist on change in the management of this most valuable protected water management area in Slovakia."

IN THE HANDS OF ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES

The Committee of the Slovak National Council for Agriculture and the Environment met in March. Members of Parliament dealt with atrazine in drinking water. Representative Anna Zemanová invited the team of Young Reporters for the Environment from Elementary School in Majcichov to present their investigation on the ground of the National Parliament.

ANNA ZEMANOVÁ GREATLY APPRECIATED THE INITIATIVE AND PROMISED THAT SHE WOULD SUBMIT A BILL AT THE MAY PARLIAMENTARY MEETING SO THAT ŽITNÝ OSTROV IS PROTECTED BY LAW AND NOT ONLY BY GOVERNMENT REGULATION.

NO GOOD CHOICE

People with their own wells are now dependent on buying bottled water. It is safe from the health point of view but it is a burden on the environment.

NEW LEGISLATION CAN HELP

Based on the initiative of the young reporters, Mrs. Anna Zemanová, representative of the Slovak Parliament, promised to submit a new bill to better protect the biggest Slovakia´s water treasure.

Written by students from Slovakia.

Litter - Old issue, New chapter (Portugal)

YRE Competition 2017
Litter Less Campaign
19-21 years

How informed are you about the impact of your garbage? Does it remain only on land? Does it travel the seas to the other side of the globe? In order to find out how well informed people are, in March we held a series of interviews about marine pollution.

Ever since the last century we have struggled with the amount of garbage we produce, but only in the last decade have we really cared about the impact we have on the environment, with the growing accumulation of waste that has reached alarming proportions! One of the most focal points has been pollution of the marine environment and it is in this perspective that several people were interviewed in order to ascertain how informed they are about the influence that man has on the environment. Among them, Maria da Conceição Lopes, an activist from Quercus, who provided a more in-depth look at the seriousness of this problem, stands out.

The questions posed ranged from the basic concept of "marine litter" to the behaviours common citizens may or may not have, such as throwing trash to the ground. The interviewees were chosen to reflect the various sectors of our society, from workers to students and, within these, to young people with an interest in the environment, such as scouts.

After analysing the obtained answers, the amount of insight that each of the interviewees presented seemed more or less the same. However, when confronting other respondents' responses with those of the Quercus activist, we realized that most are unaware of the impacts they cause on a global scale, focusing heavily on local issues.

"People are very poorly informed about the consequences of their daily acts and activities", says the activist, explaining how the irresponsible consumption and disinterest of a large part of the population help increase the rampant accumulation of garbage. This lack of information can be seen because when asked what the impact of marine litter is on the environment and society all interviewees responded with the more "common" problems, such as the death of animals and the accumulation of litter on the beaches, but only a few addressed the fact that Man could be directly affected. "It impacts us directly because this waste enters the food chain", explains the activist.

Another discrepancy in the level of awareness of our interviewees was found when asked about solid and liquid materials that can contaminate the marine environment. "It's a world!", says Maria da Conceição Lopes. Other respondents always refer to plastic, coming from packaging, as the main contaminant. However, in this list we find other materials such as fishing rods, fishing nets, latex, insulating material, glass, etc ... From straws to domestic appliances, several are the items found in coastal areas or drifting in the sea, agglomerating in the so-called plastic islands. But this is a small section of the list, where the visible contaminants are pointed out, because "pollution that is not seen is the most problematic" the activist explains.

One example of this type of pollution is microplastics - plastic in its most fragmented state. It is an issue that has been aggravated over the years. Aiming for a more "environmentally friendly" approach, companies began to mass produce these plastics thought to be biodegradable, when in fact they were oxi-degradable, that is, degraded by the continuous exposure to air. With the false mass biodegradation of these plastics, the amount of microplastics increased exponentially. Thus, even if the rivers and seas are cleared of all visible pollution, they remain contaminated on a microscopic scale.

When asked about human actions which harm the environment, there is consensus on the lack of interest, that is, the lack of an "environmental conscience", as Miguel Ines, one of the interviewees, answered. But again, the answers are very much about the local situation. "This is not a local problem!" The activist recalls, explaining that the problem lies not only in large cities. In fact, it is in developing countries that we find a good part of this problem, because information in these places is not half of what we receive daily in developed countries. And the problem worsens when we explore this issue, "in addition to not being sensitized, they do not have the means to start doing so", says Maria da Conceição Lopes.

So how do we solve a problem this big?

This is the question that hangs over our heads when we realize the monster that the pollution of the marine environment has become. However, the solutions may be simpler than you think! "It is urgent to create legislation and fines", says the activist, explaining "people do better if they are penalized than if they are sensitized." In addition to these policy issues, there are a number of actions we can all take to help reduce waste. "Give a proper destination to your waste"suggests Maria da Conceição Lopes, and this is a suggestion which is also present in all the respondents' answers. Another proposition, coming from a group of scouts, is choosing to buy products with less packaging.

One more measure, suggested by Maria da Conceição, is to make more awareness campaigns and calling out to more participant. As a last suggestion, this time aimed at youngsters, is the promotion of environmental programs, such as the well-known “Maré Viva” that should be open to a greater number of interested parties.

As you can see, the “Litter problem” people are talking about nowadays, is no longer “candy wrap left on the sidewalk”, it has evolved in an uncontrolled way and spread all over the globe, invading the oceans and, therefore, bringing higher health risks to all of us. However, although it is a problem of monstrous proportions, a small act (such as putting candy wrap in the appropriate container or not leaving litter on the beach) can be a major contribution to the beginning of its eradication.

Cigarette beads collected during the Maré Viva program exposed at the Centro de Interpretação Ambiental da Pedra do Sal.

Written by students from Portugal.

The advertising brochure – a monster swallowing yearly a whole forest (Romania)

YRE Competition 2017
Litter Less Campaign
15-18 years

The advertising field extends the most convincing invitation of a company to a potential client. A hypermarket from Romania is using annualy for advertising materials the wood which equals with a forest providing the necessary oxygen for a population as large as the one of Bacau town. Unfortunately, the need for obtaining profit has transformed in a monster which swallows the forest!

WHEN CUSTOMERS’ CALL IS NOT THE FOREST’S CALL

Most hypermarkets are using advertising brochures for selling their products, but some really exaggerate when having sales. Despite their being made of recyclable paper, such brochures a a big waste.

Between 14-20 December 2016, I have investigated the advertising materials of a hypermarket from Bacau, which issues a weekly 24-page brochure, in big size (35/52 cm). There are offers for 163 products, the number of products per page varying between none (page 20, 21, 22, 23) and 13 (page 7, 15, 18). I consider that is an unjustified waste of paper on pages where half of the content is useless -”Live the Christmas Fresh” followed by an image of a specific Christmas product, without price and the next half there are promoted between 1 and 9 products. This is also in 1st, 2nd, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 and 24th page, so a total of 10 pages. This way, the mentioned 10 halves pages unnecessarily wasted pages sum 5 pages which could be economised.

If the total of 163 products were promoted properly, 10 or 11 per page, the brochure would be reduced to 16 pages, which means a cut of 33.3(3)%. The current paper which has 24 pages, weighs 100g and the new one would have 66.6(6) grams.

Fig. 1. - 100 grams of a tree life

According to some statistics realised in June 2015, even by the target company, every single Monday there are distributed in Romanian houses over than 4.3 millions of brochures. If they were more economically formatted, instead of 430 tons of paper, there would be used 286.638 tons, which means an economy of 143,362t, or 717-1003 trees which will be not be weekly cut (5-7 trees for a ton of paper). And this only in Romania, where there are over than 100 markets, when Europe has over than 1000 markets. I do not have updated information at the European level, but I consider that what is happening at the local level is outrageous.

For a total of 52 weeks of release of such promotional materials, 22 360 tons of paper are consumed. Even if it were the most widely read brochure in Romania, if designed in an environmentally friendly way, we could save between 37.284 and 52.156 trees each year. Is it much or little?

THE CITIZENS’ OPINION

I have designed a questionnaire and found the opinion of 25 citizens from Bacau city who accepted to answer 5 questions (fig. 2).

Fig. 2. Completed questionnaires

Thus, found out that 72% of the people questioned do their shopping in one particular hypermarket and 28% don’t . 48% answered that they receive the supermarket brochure and 52% don’t. When asked if they read it, 20% answered that they always do this, 44% rarely, 32% never and 4% didn’t answer. 80% agreed with the material reducing by removing the blanks and the huge images, 12% disagreed and 8% didn’t answer (graph 1).

Answering the question ”What are you doing when the offer is no longer available?” I have found the following: 16% throw it, 44% use it in different purposes, 25% give it to be recycled and 15% didn’t answer (graph 2).

Graph 1. Do people wish the folder to be shortened? Graph 2. The whither of the folder

Analising the questionnaire, a lot of the hypermarket clients (32%) do not read the brochure. What is more, a lot of materials are delivered to uninhabited houses. In the block of flats in which I live, from 20 flats, 5 are not inhabited, so 25% do not have a consignee. Most respondents consider that the folder should be reduced (80%), even though 44% reuse them in other ways (for packaging, for animals, putting shoes on them etc.) and 25% recycle it. What is worrying is that 16% throw it away, whereas 44% who use them in other ways ignore that dirty or wet paper could not be recycled. Thus, assuming that 16% Romanian people throw away the advertising brochures, we obtain a value of 688 000 papers which reach the paper basket every week nationwide, or 68 800 kilos, summed at the end of every year 3 577 600 kilos, which is really concerning.

THE COMPANY REACTION

The study results of and the suggestion of recycling paper were communicated to the hypermarket (via e-mail) on 5th of February 2017. On February 9th, we received a response from the Broadcasting Department Director, who agreed with the ecological outlines mentioned in our suggestion so a project has been implemented for the paper recycle, project which will be also present in Bacau (fig. 3). On February 17th, I received another e-mail, this time from the Public Relations Department.

Fig. 3. Screenshots of the messages received via e-mail from the company

COULD WE GET RID OF THE MONSTER?

In conclusion, at our country level, there are are some solutions to be taken such as:

• Reducing the page number by removing the unnecesary blanks or the over-sized images

• Having a more efficient advertising distribution

• Suggesting at the end of the brochure that it would be helpful for the environment if the population recycled it

• Promoting the market and the products electronically (e-mail or text message)

In the interval 27.02-27.03.2017 I received smaller brochures from the hypermarket targeted, so I consider that the study has reached its goal. The company’s reaction was positive and I believe that, every year, a small forest could be saved from the WASTE monster’s teeth.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: https://www.kaufland.ro/Home/05_Compania/007_publicitate_prin_kaufland/_Bilder/kaufland_servicii_publicitare.pdf

Author: Bîre Iulia-Gabriela (Romania)

Change is Coming: Reusable Food Boxes (Slovakia)

YRE Competition 2017
Litter Less Campaign
11-14 years

Fast food restaurants, takeaways and food delivery services produce a considerable amount of disposable packaging. All the wrapping ends up in landfills or in incinerators. Students from Majcichov decided to examine the local situation and encourage takeaway businesses to come up with an environmentally-friendly alternative.

Slovakia still produces large amounts of communal waste. According to the European Commission, it is 475 kg of waste per capita. Within the European Union, Slovakia and Malta have the lowest recycling rates. About 75% of communal waste ends up in landfills, much more compared to most EU countries. Part of the problem is also disposable food packaging.

FRANCE BANNED DISPOSABLE DISHES

France is the first country in the world that has decided to ban the use of disposable plastic dishes. The ban on all plastic dishware will go in effect in 2020. According to the new French law, all disposable products will have to contain at least fifty percent biodegradable material, meaning that the dishes will be compostable at home. Later on, this share will go up. However, some companies are against this law. Their biggest concern is that consumers will throw the packaging “behind their courtyard”, as it should be easily biodegradable.

WILL SLOVAKIA FOLLOW THE EXAMPLE OF FRANCE?

Students addressed the Ministry of the Environment of the Slovak Republic (MoE SR) with a question if a similar policy as in France is being considered: "The Ministry of the Environment does not consider any legal steps to ban the use of plastic utensils and dishes at the moment. The MoE finds plastic dishware a good and convenient household item for some occasions,"said Svetlana Oresi from the Law and Legislation Department of the MoE. The students also asked for recommendations on disposing them: "Used plastic dishware should be placed in yellow bins. Plastic waste is recyclable and there are recycling companies in Slovakia that process such waste," Mrs Oresi added. She also stressed the need for educating of people to use environmentally friendly products.

Students, however, have a different experience with plastic dishware disposal. According to the website of FCC Trnava, a local company in charge of collection and disposal of the municipal waste, disposable plastic dishes should not be sorted out for recycling. This instruction is also included in the leaflet for good sorting out practice, distributed by the company to each household in the region.

HOW ABOUT TAKEAWAYS IN THE TRNAVA REGION?

Students surveyed the attitude of takeaways and food delivery services in the Trnava region. Although there exist substitutes for plastic disposable packaging on the market, companies do not use biodegradable packaging, even if a customer would ask for it. However, two companies - ESO Motorest in Vlčkovce and Ariana Dönner Kebab & Pizza in Trnava – are open to change. Based on the students´ initiative, they are now willing to meet the customer´s wish, and they pack the take-away food into a lunchbox brought by the customer.

EXAMPLES OF GOOD PRACTICE FROM AROUND THE WORLD

In Portland (Oregon, USA), the GoBox project has been launched. Its goal is to provide customers with an opportunity to buy food without having to bring their own boxes. With the GoBox app, people search for restaurants that are involved in the project. After they finish their lunch, they leave the packaging at the designated places where it is picked up by bicycles and taken to be washed. This project has spread to California, too.

The German company Leaf Republic has started to produce plates made of leaves. A good point is that no adhesives or chemical additives are used for their production. However, the raw material for plates is imported from India. The processing is finalized in Germany, and the result is a plate that decomposes in compost or in a landfill in four weeks. Now it is a challenge for German farmers to start growing new plant species.

CHANGE IS POSSIBLE. SO WHY HESITATE?

Written by students from Slovakia.

Bay in the Balance: Ocean Acidification Threatens the Chesapeake Ecosystem (USA)

YRE Competition 2017
15-18 years

Bay in the Balance: Ocean Acidification Threatens the Chesapeake Ecosystem

As a Marylander, one of my favorite things to do is make the trek up to the Chesapeake Bay. Its sparkling waters, abundant wildlife, and dazzling beauty set it apart as a prime jewel of the East Coast. Nothing can compare to the experience of paddling down the Potomac River on a sunny day, the boughs of a sycamore arching overhead. Poetic license is unnecessary to describe the Bay and its many wonders.

Apart from being a stunner, the Bay provides major cultural and economic benefits. Its unique way of life is perfectly encapsulated in the small towns of Smith Island (population 364), where watermen make a living from the estuary’s bounty. On a recent visit, one local said to me, “We truly build our lives around the water.” From the local fisherman to larger commercial operations, the Chesapeake provides $3.39 billion annually in seafood sales alone, part of a total economic value topping 1 trillion.

The stability of these waters is endangered by the exponentially increasing problem of ocean acidification. This occurs when carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is absorbed into bodies of water, causing surging acidity levels. Acidification leads to the protective carbonate coverings of shellfish to disintegrate, causing die­offs in oysters, mussels, and other bivalves. Oyster reefs serve to filter the Bay; without a thriving population, harmful pollutants run rampant. High acidity causes oysters’ growth to be stunted, so that shellfish fisheries cannot profit from the smaller, thinner shells. According to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Maryland and Virginia have suffered losses exceeding $4 billion over the last three decades stemming from the decline of oyster health and distribution.

The losses aren’t economic alone. Characterized by rich biological diversity, an estimated 2,700 species call the Bay their home. This remarkable level of biodiversity is threatened by ocean acidification. The loss of even one species causes a ripple effect through the entire food web, sending it into a state of unbalance. According to a 2004 study in Science, the survival of threatened and non-threatened species is closely linked: when an endangered species goes extinct, dependent ones suffer. A particularly disturbing image of acidification is its effect on fish neurology. Their decision-making skills are significantly delayed to the level where they sometimes swim directly into the jaws of predators.

Zoom out from the Chesapeake to the world ocean. Skyrocketing acidity is present in almost every aquatic biome on our planet. It is clear that we need a solution to our acidifying world. However, methods that at first appeared brilliant have either been limited by their feasibility or come to be outweighed by their negative side effects, ultimately prolonging the search for a solution.

The surprising method of dumping massive amounts of iron sulphate into the water is based on the principle that iron fertilizes phytoplankton, microscopic organisms found in every body of water. The energy phytoplankton gain from the iron allows them to bloom, absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere and the ocean ­ or in this case, the Bay. When the phytoplankton die they sink to the bottom of the ocean, locking the CO2 there for centuries. In 1988, the late oceanographer John Martin proclaimed, “Give me a half tanker of iron, and I will give you an ice age.” It is theorized that fertilizing 2% of the Southern Ocean could set back global warming by 10 years.

Why not implement this magic fix? First off, iron fertilization is very controversial, and has come under fire for its negative side effects. A 2016 study in Nature determined that the planktonic blooms would deplete the waters of necessary nutrients. Additionally, when the large bloom dies, it would create large “dead zones,” areas devoid of oxygen and life. Side effects aside, this technique may be altogether ineffective. CO2 may simply move up the food chain when the phytoplankton are eaten and be respired back into the water. This was observed when the 2009 Lohafex expedition unloaded six tons of iron off the Southern Atlantic. The desired phytoplankton bloom it caused was promptly gobbled up by miniscule organisms known as copepods.

The alternative solution of planting kelp seems less drastic and more promising. Revitalizing the expansive forests of algae is believed to be effective in sucking up underwater CO2. Kelp grows as quickly as 18 inches a day, and once established offers the added benefits of providing a habitat for marine species and removing nutrient pollution. Researchers from the Puget Sound Restoration Fund, who have been monitoring the capability of this process, found that kelp forests are effective at diminishing acidification on a local scale. While planting key carbon­sucking species across the ocean would not be a feasible solution, kelp forests could help solve the Bay’s acidification crisis.

A third option: instead of cleaning up after this anthropogenic problem, stop it at its root. Environmental regulations enacted by the US government are an effective way to achieve conservation goals. The EPA collaborates with the Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology to investigate the impacts of acidification on ocean chemistry and biology, as well as monitor estuaries such as the Chesapeake. However, given that the EPA is poised to roll back their conservation obligations and instead direct them to individual states, there is a rising need for state and local governments to take action in preserving the Bay’s health. An example of how to counter the acidification of the Bay would be to bring up to date existing zoning policies, such as those in Virginia’s 1998 Bay Preservation Act, to stay on par with the rapidly increasing impacts of CO2.

In the end, there is no straightforward fix ­ a combination of methods is paramount. Efforts by environmental agencies, all levels of government, private industry, and academics must be intertwined in solving this problem. This will only occur with informed interest from citizens whose love for their Bay is as bountiful as its waters.

Written by student from USA.

Photo not taken by author.

The food waste crisis (Scotland)

YRE Competition 2017
11-14 years

In Scotland, 600,000 tonnes of food are thrown away every year[1]. This is food waste. This amount of food, which could feed approximately 1.2 billion poor people, represents almost a third of household waste. In addition to this, at least 4.7 million people in the UK are in food poverty[2].

Food waste creates economic and environmental harms. Money, time, resources, and effort are often wasted by throwing away good food. It also generates very harmful greenhouse gas, which is dangerous to the planet.

But how does food waste occur?

There are two sides to it: the production stage and the consumption stage. In the production stage, some foods do not enter the food chain for many reasons relating to farmers, supermarkets, pests, and climatic conditions. Supermarkets are usually fussy about the quality of food from farms. They often reject odd looking and unusually sized produce. However, they seem to forget that with the unpredictable weather and the pesky pests, it is almost impossible to grow the perfect produce. Food waste at the consumption stage includes food going out of date and leftovers due to too much food. In households1, food waste consists of mostly fresh fruit and veg, and bakery products such as bread and cakes.

So, what can be done to solve this?

I decided to pop into my local Tesco and Asda stores to speak to their managers and hear what they had to say about food waste, especially the company’s policies for “wonky produce” and their food waste management strategies. I spoke to Fraser from Tesco and Siobhan from Asda. Both managers stated that the reason their respective supermarkets were fussy about the produce’s quality was because they didn't think the quality was high enough for people to want to buy them.

Many supermarkets, including Tesco and Asda, have started selling “imperfect fruits and vegetables” that would not have met their company’s standards before. Both managers stated that since introducing the imperfect produce selections, the range have become quite popular because they were sold at a reduced price and tasted the same as the cosmetically perfect produce. However, when I asked if it would be possible to relax their policies permanently, the response I got was not what I expected.

Siobhan: "Yeah. People don't seem to mind because they taste the same”.

Fraser: “If Tesco relaxed the system permanently and the stock doesn't sell, it would be wasted anyway.”

What other solutions could there be?

One way the big supermarkets can reduce waste is by donating foods approaching their use by dates to charities or food banks. Like before, when I suggested this during the interviews the response was different. Fraser stated that Tesco does give to charities, but there are some issues. Firstly, it is hard to transport the chilled goods between fridges because “we must comply with the cold chain procedure”. This means they are unable to leave the food out of a fridge or cool box for more than 20 minutes. Also, “we never know what will be left at the end of the day”. Siobhan stated that Asda does not give to charities “because the only leftovers each night are already out of date”.

When asked about their companies food sustainability practices; Fraser replied that Tesco has policies for fresh and cooked meat and puts up their sustainability[3] work online. Siobhan replied that she is not aware of any strict policies on any food produce other than fruits and vegetables.

Another food waste source is from our homes and from food outlets (restaurants and fast food). Household food waste accounts for most of the food waste in our country[4]. To understand how to reduce household food waste, we have to explore reasons why it happens. A report by WRAP found that 41% of individuals who eat out stated that the food left was as a result of being served too much food. Below is a chart showing the different reasons why individuals waste food whilst eating out.

Source5 : Understanding out of home consumer food waste, Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) 2013

From the chart, an obvious way to reduce food waste is to only order/prepare what you can eat. If you are still hungry, you can always go back for more. Leftovers can be refrigerated and eaten another time. This doesn't only save food, but it also saves money! In the event that it cannot be eaten (seriously, who wants to eats a banana skin or egg shells?!), you can turn it into compost. Check online for composting tips.

Tips on how to minimise food waste:

1. Understanding the terms ‘use by’ and ‘best before’ dates. Use by dates are there for your safety. It is dangerous to eat food after the use-by date and doing so risks your health. Best before dates tells you how long the food will be at its best quality. Once the food passes this date, it isn't necessarily bad, but you should still check, just to be sure.

2. Every time you go shopping and you bring back new food, put them at the back of your cupboards/fridges and bring the food that will expire soon closer to the front. That way, you know what needs to be consumed first.

3. If you have any food that’s close to expiration that you know won't be eaten, give it to charity. They will really appreciate the food you have given. Every month, my mum and I give to our local homeless charity.

Personally, the most important thing for me is that everyone raises awareness about food waste. From supermarkets and restaurants to farmers and consumers, everyone can play their part to help shape the world we live in and eliminate headlines like the one below from our media.

So, what are you going to do to help reduce food waste?

Now that’s some food for thought!

[1] http://scotland.lovefoodhatewaste.com/node/2479
[2] http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/feeding-britain-the-statistics-that-show-the-scale-of-our-food-wastage-problem-9910558.html
[3] https://www.tescoplc.com/tesco-and-society/sourcing-great-products/reducing-our-impact-on-the-environment/
[4] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/22/uk-tops-chart-of-eu-food-waste
[5] http://www.wrap.org.uk/sites/files/wrap/OOH%20Report.pdf

Written by student from Scotland. 

Green roofs - A new life to city's monotony (Portugal)

YRE Competition 2016
15-18 years

A shelter is one of the key instruments for mankind’s survival. We have, however, come from using nature to seek protection in caves to abusing the earth and building indiscriminately disrespecting our home – Earth. Cities and suburbs have been spreading often without rational control or management.  In 2008, for the first time in history, urban population outnumbered rural population. To run their activities, cities require an uninterrupted supply of energy. They consume about 75 percent of global primary energy and emit between 50 and 60 percent of the world’s total greenhouse gases. (UN-HABITAT Global Activity Report, 2015)

On the other hand, cities have been suffering the consequences of civilization development: “the concrete and black tar dictatorship”. Actually, an aerial view of most of our cities shows mainly crowded streets, black tar, tiny people as well as dark gravel-ballasted rooftops. In a word, darkness and very few green spots! Yet, there is a new trend that breaks up the monotony of common buildings facades and roofs: green rooftops and facades.

A green roof is made in layers and requires installation of a specific structure on the roof. Closer to the base, the waterproof membrane aims to prevent rainwater from entering the roof and cause leaks or spills. Just above, the layer that will store part of the rainwater will be used by the plants themselves as a reserve. Above is the earth layer which can vary in thickness. Finally, comes the layer plants – and the species may be different for each region. Living roofs or green roofs last longer than conventional ones, reduce energy costs with natural insulation, create peaceful retreats for people and animals, and absorb stormwater, potentially lessening the need for complex and expensive drainage systems.

On a wider scale, green roofs improve air quality and help reduce the Urban Heat Island Effect, a condition in which city and suburban developments absorb and retains heat. In fact, these roofs are a good method to increase energy efficiency and reduce energy costs. “We have (energy) savings between 20/25% and 75%”, engineer Paulo Palha defends. “(the green roofs) are systems that will keep the warm in the winter and the cool in the summer” and so it will not be as necessary as it is now to have an air conditioner or a heater at home. Another profit is the low maintenance costs of buildings, thanks to the plants’ absorption capability, making it less necessary to have a good drainage system”.

Average monthly energy demands through the reference roof and green roof. Source: http://www.royalroofinginc.ca/blog/

Furthermore, these green roofs give a new look to a city and have an important role in the comfort of the houses as well. They increase the protection against noise. They can also be a garden and if so, it can increase a person’s mood. By creating more green spaces, the differences from the countryside are blurred, losing its dark side and gaining a new life making it more enjoyable to live in a big city. According to architect Luis Silva, responsible for Urban Planning Department of Civil Engineering Company of the Greater Lisbon area, “Green roofs can be used to reduce heating, allow the creation of a natural habitat, contribute to the filtration of pollutants and carbon dioxide and help insulate the acoustics of a building.” A green coverage can heat up to 60 ° C while the common grass reaches only to 25 ° C, the difference can be reflected in the decrease of air conditioning usage, the energy bill (cost reduction from 20 to 30%) and ecological footprint. The typical roofs are constituted by concrete and asphalt. These two materials irradiate the solar energy in the form of heat and, as the heat is propagated by the surroundings, the house temperature increases.

In contrast, green roofs provide the temperature maintenance because its vegetation will use 80% of the energy it absorbs in the evapo-transpiration (2% in the photosynthesis, 48% is transmitted by the leafs and 30% is transformed in heat, used in the transpiration). This prevents the using of air conditioning or heaters that are malignant for the environment, plus for your wallet. The Green roofs vegetation cover dissipates or consumes that energy by evapotranspiration and by photosynthesis, reducing the heat transferred to the interior. Despite the present disadvantage of their high costs, due to the materials involved and, sometimes, the complexity of installation and/or the existence of skilled labor, architects Luís Silva and Thiago Moretti, of Isay Weinfeld Workshop, they both defend that ” The initial cost may bring aestetic, economic benefits, aesthetics and environmental advantages”.

WasteWater Treatment Plant WWTP of Alcantara. Source: http://ancv.webnode.pt/projetos/etar-de-alcantara-lisboa/

The implementation of gardens on the roofs of buildings is already relatively popular in the United States, the Scandinavian countries and Germany. Is taking gradually the rest of Europe and Latin America. In Portugal, examples like the new WasteWater Treatment Plant WWTP of Alcantara, The Gulbenkian or the Garden of Olives at the Belem Cultural Centre are already successful projects. More recently the “Natura Towers” were built in Lisbon. These two service buildings have photovoltaic panels and green facades that produce oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide, that’s why they are “totally green”. These towers have a range of 35 m tall grass with integral irrigation and panels about 160 species of plants and flowers and they still have a rainwater storage system for irrigation. The shopping center “Dolce Vita Tejo” also has a green facade, composed of several plants adapted to local conditions in its central square.

Nature Towers Lisbon. Source: http://blog.imobiliario.com.pt/2015/05/b-prime-coloca-revisores-oficiais-de.html

The Faculty of Science, University of Lisbon (FCUL) aims to develop an experimental study, installing an extensive coverage (150 square meters) of green roofs. This project, considered emblematic by its promoters, shows that the Portuguese Universities are willing to contribute to greater sustainability with the development of research projects. For architectural , energetic, environmental and aesthetic reasons, putting a lawn or a garden on top of housing or covering a facade starts to make sense in our country! And… wouldn’t you feel better to watch green instead of the usual grey?

Written by students from Portugal.

Clean water is the source of our lives (Serbia)

YRE Competition 2016
19-21 years

RED FLAGS AS ALERT FOR GREEN LIVES SALVATION

The Budovar Canal is the stream that springs in the vicinity of the village of Čortanovci at Mountain Fruška Gora, flows through Eastern Srem, meanders and finally flows into the Danube River, near Stari Banovci. The Canal had a large number of animal and plant species living in the water as well as on the river banks. Yes, you read it correctly: “had”! Today this place is an example of reckless behavior.

Having in mind the fact that feces and wastewaters from nearby settlements are being dumped in the Canal without any purification methods, we can notice that its current state is alarming. Beside the point sources of pollution, the problem also lays in diffuse sources, like run-offs from urban areas (streets, parking places, lawns, gardens etc.).

Research has determined that the quality of Danube water, where the Budovar Canal flows in, falls in the Third category (on a scale where the Second category stands for optimal quality). From time to time on the banks of the Canal, animal waste can be seen with very unpleasant odor, all of which can cause serious consequences to human health.

This problem occurred after years of waste disposal. People were throwing plastic bottles, cardboard boxes, plastic bags, and organic waste into the Canal or just leaving them laying around its banks, hoping that the water would carry them away. But now, the amount of waste is so big that water cannot carry it away.

Questioning the local people, I’ve found that the greatest problems occur when the water level rises. Water ejects the solid waste that cannot be dissolved and that is when the human negligence reaches its peak because the waste is spread around the street and no one is responsible for collecting it.

As a member of the association “Think Blue, Think Green” (in Serbian: Misli plavo, misli zeleno), devoted to public education on sustainable development, climate change and green economy, I have a need to raise the awareness in my hometown about importance of finding the solution for this problem and possible consequences if it is not resolved. I have the support for this project from Local Community Office of Stari Banovci which is willing to assist through promoting examples of good practice among citizens, initiating actions for environmental protection and educating the citizens about recycling. Public forum with the members of environmental group was organized in elementary school “Slobodan Savković“, in which children expressed their suggestions about water protection and its multiple benefits in human life. Traveling to school each day, children cross the bridge over the Budovar Canal, and look at the scene that should not be their first memory for nature that surrounds them. As a confirmation that this part of the Canal still has some life in it, are fishermen that can be seen, but much less than before, so let’s save what can be saved.

Also, I am inviting all Eco-Reporters to make the Map of Red Flags of Serbia together, in which we would mark with red flags all polluted areas that have problems with soil, water, and air. The map would be a push towards solving the marked problems and call for everyone to improve the relations between the men and the nature.

The Map of Red Flags of Serbia could be published on the internet, thus being available to all, and after solving the problem, a red flag would be replaced with a green one, and near each one, we will place “before” and “after” photos. In cases where help is provided by environmentally responsible companies, their logo would be placed on the flag as a sign of gratitude. I would not stop on just organizing the actions, but also organize a SOCIAL COMPANY that could provide possibilities for new forms of support in protection systems.

So, let’s alert Serbia with Red Flags!

Written by student from Serbia.

Consequences of reckless behavior

The bridge in Stari Banovci with Budovar flowing underneath

Fishing in the Canal

Community Gardens, a solution for a healthy and profitable life-style (Greece)

YRE Competition 2015
15-18 years

Undergoing the global economic crisis, Greece is a country that has been deeply affected on various aspects of daily life especially in urban centers. The cost of living has risen considerably and food products have become more expensive than it used to be. People struggle for a new socioeconomic transformation and experiment with new ideas and creative actions. Community Gardens seem to be the new emerging trend in Greece as they offer not only an economic and ecological renewal of the cities but also a healthy and a mental support to the people that get involved.

Being a member of the radio group of our school, I have participated in radio broadcasts that focus on environment issues. Community gardens and urban agriculture is the focus of our research as they tend to be the unfolding solution for a healthy and profitable urban lifestyle.

It has been observed that mainly people with lower income produce food in modern urban centres, with minimal energy consumption and lower production and transport costs. However, the number of people getting involved seems to rise as more and more want to check what exactly they are eating. When looking at building roofs, shade structures over parking lots and see gardens, we understand that people are trying to obtain the basic organic ingredients for food, to save money and simultaneously they contribute to a personal urbanism to reshape our cities. Urban agriculture is presented as one of a suite of strategies for helping to address both the crisis of obesity/diabetes as well as issues of food access, security and hunger.

After a short investigation in the prefecture of Thessaloniki, we found out that PERKA is currently the largest and most active voluntary urban farming team. It has been founded by citizens whose aim is to 2 grow plants, vegetables and herbs in a farm near the city. The first yard was created in an old abandoned military camp approximately 689.000m2 . The growth is a non-profit job and the foods that are being produced are pure organic. PERKA members not only they try to bring the people closer to nature, but they also try to bring all the people closer to each other. Besides, what is better than creating friendships in a beautiful green environment?

During our radio broadcast on fm100, 6, we interviewed Mr. Vaggelis Matziris, who is the Department Head of parks and gardens in Thessaloniki. He informed us about the very first Urban Vineyard that has been created in the heart of Thessaloniki in association with the wine-maker company “Gerovasileiou” and the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. “A yard approximately 2000m2 was planted with a white and red variety of grapes. Now in 2-3 years we are expecting the first wine of the municipality of Thessaloniki. The wine will be given to the market after an auction for charity purposes” said Mr Matziris. The first urban vineyard is open to public, especially for schools which take part in environmental projects.

Part of our research was the interview we had with three postgraduate students MLA Landscape Architecture School of Architecture, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki: Eleftheria Gavriilidou, Eleni Oureilidou (Architects) and Maria Ritou, (Agriculturist). They were selected by Angelopoulos CGIU Fellowship Programme 2014. The fellowship involved the participation in Clinton Global Initiative University Conference in Phoenix, Arizona in March 2014 as well asthe sponsorship for the realization of their idea in Greece. The Project is called “Kipos3 : The City as a resource”. It examines how urban Community Gardens can contribute to an urban development, opening a social, economic and ecological renewal of the city with innovative perspectives. Urban agriculture could be developed in the Greek cities, operating not only as food resource introducing the primary sector in the city but also as a generator for socio-economic transformation towards the green economy. It proposes new life – styles and social environments envisioning a new way of living the urban life.

In Thessaloniki urban farms pop up in every imaginable place. The gardens on rooftops, terraces, balconies have become increasingly common. Even some students seem to contribute in this effort since they try to produce herbs and even vegetables in school environments.

We carried out a survey among people who are involved with community gardens. Thirty questionnaires were given to men and women aged 27-70 years. The majority of them enjoy saving money and eating healthy food while, at the same time, they develop strong relationships with neighbours and have the satisfaction of creativity.

Farming in community gardens is getting highly creative and innovative nowadays. It has significant benefits, including organic products, minimized cost, as well as reduced greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. Educating urban residents in Greece about agriculture and ecology offers not only material support but also a healthy lifestyle and a feeling of solidarity, creativity and happiness.

Written by student from Greece. 

Dissemination Actions: The results of our research have been disseminated during our radio broadcast on fm100, 6 in May 2014. They have also been announced in the Festival of Environmental Education of Thessaloniki in 2014.

Polk County, Strangled - Polk County Middle School (USA)

YRE Competition 2015
11-14 years

Kudzu is smothering Polk County, North Carolina. The vines grow 12 inches each day; creeping into roads, climbing trees, and suffocating other plants. Locals are finding unusual and productive uses for the invasive species, yet it continues to start wildfires and cloak farm fields (mountain of dead kudzu, right).

Kudzu was brought from clipped, ornamental Asian gardens to ditches and eroded areas of the United States in 1876. From 1935 through the 1950s, Southern farmers planted the foreign vine in an attempt to control erosion. Kudzu took off, spreading throughout the states. The farmers quickly realized their mistake, and they focused on the potential of the fast growing plant for other agricultural uses.

It was discovered that kudzu is high in protein, and has no effect on the color or taste of milk, butterfat or meat when fed to livestock.  Animals and their caretakers haven’t shown signs of allergies, and cows, horses, goats, and rabbits enjoy the vine and do well with it in their diet. In Polk County today, there are many who graze their animals on kudzu. Goats relish it, eating it fast and in large amounts. Citizens often mention the need for more of these animals whenever a conversation turns to kudzu. In Saluda, the highest elevated town in Polk County, kudzu is baled as a hay substitute and sent to droughtstricken areas or where traditional hay is scarce.

Kudzu is a widely available and nutritious food option for livestock. Cows who graze off of kudzu weigh close to the same as cows who graze on grass and are fed wheat supplements. The wheat is what gives them their bulk; however, which isn’t good for their digestive system. Kudzu has more protein than grass by itself, and its cheaper to use as a grazing crop since its so abundant and grows at a quick rate.

According to Patrick McLendon from the Polk County Agriculture Center, which holds farming and gardening classes as well as a farm food store and seasonal markets, many citizens are utilizing the crop in other ways. He describes the Kudzu Lady, who “actually brings products to the farm store, kudzu jelly, kudzu chai tea, hay, baskets and wreaths.” Matthew Wilson from Polk Fresh Foods, an initiative to bring farm products to local markets, described unique and productive uses of kudzu as well, saying “there is even kudzu root tea, kudzu syrup, and of course some folks use it for grazing their poultry and their goats, which is one sure fire way to kill it without using pesticides: by grazing till it won’t produce leaves, because after it can’t produce the leaves that send the nutrients to the roots it’ll die, though it takes a while.” If pesticides are used, other plants could be killed unintentionally as well.

Despite constant use of kudzu, it regenerates too quickly to keep in check. Mr. McLendon informed me that “the AG center is about a third covered in Kudzu,” which is “amazingly hard to get rid of.” Brian Rogers from the Polk County Forest Service said that “if we plant trees, kudzu strangles them.” Chocolate Drop Mountain, a small mountain on the eastern slope of the Blue Ridge Mountains, was facing serious mudslide and erosion problems after it was clear cut. Kudzu was planted, but it quickly took over–sections of the roads are now covered.

Kudzu doesn’t stop at ground level. It scales tall trees in order to absorb sunlight with its broad leaves, and in the fall those leaves die and the vines become dry and brittle. Wildfires that occur because of the dead kudzu often engulf the entire forest canopy, and are difficult to put out. Getting kudzu out of tall trees is no easy task. On the ground, kudzu is just as hard to control. The large, woody root can get up to six feet wide and takes time to dig up (root as thick as a thumb, left).

Introducing foreign species to control environmental issues isn’t the only option. Without natural predators, kudzu rampaged across Polk County and beyond. Plants native to the Americas, such as the trumpet creeper; can be planted to control erosion instead of Kudzu. Large scale companies can begin producing kudzu products, and farmers can feed their livestock kudzu full time.  Answers flourish in Polk County, and if advertised and put into large scale practice–kudzu could be controlled.

I plan on submitting this article to the Tryon Daily Bulletin. I’ve chosen this local newspaper because a huge percentage of Polk County has access to and reads it. Teachers submit images from field trips and spirit days to this paper, which are often published. I want people young and old who associate themselves with agriculture in any form to understand the importance of containing kudzu, and I want to inspire them to do something about it.

Author Jeanne Ferran