Looking to a bright future

Mar 11 2010 by Stewart Watkins, The Journal

THE future's bright, according to one famous ad campaign. But if climate scientists are to be believed it's not looking too bright for any of us.

Whether or not you believe the various conspiracy stories regarding climate research work that have been circulating in recent months, what is clear is that we must start to take better care of our planet or risk losing it altogether.

For we are facing problems that are not going to go away. Today’s young people are likely to be living in a world affected by increasingly serious environmental issues.

And for these reasons it is essential we engage them in the climate debate today.

An initiative called Recharging the Earth was launched in County Durham this week to get young people thinking about the way they live their lives and about making more sustainable lifestyle choices for the future of the planet.

A collaboration between electronics giant Sanyo and the North East Technology Park (NETPark), Recharging the Earth challenges schools to collect as many batteries as they can for a massive recycling scheme. The competition will also see senior and junior school pupils team up to create two pieces of work, one reflecting where the planet will be 25 years from now if we make more sustainable choices and the other reflecting where we’ll be if we don’t.

It’s important to recognise the valuable contribution young people can make to the wider environmental debate. They will inherit the world we leave for them so it’s essential we have their input today.

Much of the work to repair and reverse the damage we’ve wreaked on the planet will fall to the scientists who are already looking for new and innovative ways to tackle these problems.

As home to some of the most cutting edge, innovative companies in the region, NETPark is already heavily involved in this debate.

It hosted the Solar Flair conference last year which attracted some of the leading scientists from around the world in the field of photovoltaics. Building on the success of this first conference, it is hoped that a similar event can be held later this year.

The Recharging the Earth initiative is part of a wider programme to reach out to the next generation of scientists, to excite them about the opportunities in the field and particularly those available at NETPark.

This kind of work to help develop the scientists of the future will be absolutely crucial if we are to tackle the problems that have been created today by developing a strong, vibrant scientific community for tomorrow.

Stewart Watkins is managing director of the County Durham Development Company