From the mouths of babes
The two-day Geneva discussion on climate change and health concluded on an upbeat note with some enthusiastic participation from members of the Australian Youth Delegation to the Model United Nations. More than a dozen young people articulated a range of opinion about climate change and health, and suggested several ways that health organisations and green campaigns can communicate to young people more effectively, as the right kind of messages can have significant and lasting effects: One delegate, for example, described his youngest brother as the family's environmental conscience and "energy policeman."
Other delegates were more cynical and expressed frustration with politicians, governments and polluting industries that either fail to make environmental commitments or pay such problems the merest lip service. Such pessimism is well founded indeed, but the general consensus among these charismatic young delegates and their listeners was that positive messages need to be sent out, and in such a way that each person feels that they can make an important difference. And, hopefully, health issues will soon begin to be mentioned in the same breath with climate change concerns.
