The Consumer
A hip warrior for the environment
By Linda Bolido
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 19:59:00 10/07/2008
MANILA, Philippines—Can you be cool and green?
Young people who worry that caring for the environment will make them uncool may want to get the new United Nations YouthXchange Training kit, designed to promote sustainable consumption patterns among young consumers worldwide.
Produced by the UN Environment Program (Unep) and the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco), the updated guide has a chapter on how the youth can balance their goal to dress fashionably without forgetting that their consumption patterns will have an impact on the environment, particularly the threat of climate change.
Gabriela Monteiro, a Unep Tunza youth advisor, said the kit, which was only on its second edition, “provides us with content that we are able to convey to other young people, empowering them to make different choices in their daily lives and be actors of change.”
The Unep Tunza Program seeks to engage and involve young people through awareness creation, information exchange, capacity-building and involving them in environmental decision-making processes globally and in the regions.
The kit acknowledges the fact that young people “establish their identities through what they buy and seek social inclusion by purchasing the newest and ‘coolest’ products in the market.” But, without proper guidance, their choices can contribute to problems such as ozone depletion, climate change and the accumulation of hazardous wastes.
The training kit was first issued in 2002 by Unep’s Division of Technology, Industry and Economics (DTIE) and Unesco. It provides statistics, case studies, games, examples of companies going greener and alternatives for more sustainable lifestyles.
The latest edition includes the following features: a clear link between consumption patterns and climate change, a more substantial e-waste section, updated data and scientific information and two new chapters: one on the UN Decade on Education for Sustainable Development and one on fashion, a major economic activity that also exacts a heavy environment price.
In a press statement, Achim Steiner, UN undersecretary general and Unep executive director, noted that the youth’s purchasing patterns, life-style choices and networks with schools and universities to clubs, the music scene and sports could influence the wider world. Young people could help encourage communities, companies and countries to support a new UN climate change deal to be presented in the Copenhagen UN Climate Change Conference in 2009.
Koïchiro Matsuura, Unesco director-general, added, “Buying a product, whatever it is, is never a neutral act for the environment; its production, its use and the management of the waste it generates, all impact—to a greater or lesser degree—on our planet.”
YouthXchange has been translated to 19 languages and is available in a bilingual (French and English) website—www.youthxchange.net.
For the 2008 YouthXchange version, visit http://www.youthxchange.net/main/english-guide.asp.
Books for peace
Armand N. Nocum, former Inquirer reporter, and his wife Annora, put up recently a halal food business in Metro Manila—Satti Grill House in SM Fairview Food Court, Quezon City, and M.H. del Pilar corner Padre Faura, Ermita, Manila—as a modest attempt to bridge the gap between Christians and Muslims.
The Nocums are an excellent example of how seemingly major differences can be overcome. He is a Christian from Zamboanga, and she is a Muslim Tausug from Sulu.
They hoped that by introducing non-Muslims to exotic Muslim food, they could generate an appreciation and understanding for the often-misunderstood religion and culture.
With the recent outbreak of war in Mindanao, the couple decided they should do more than just offer Muslim food. What they have come up with is the Books-4-Guns project.
“We plan to flood Mindanao with used and new books, magazines and all kinds of reading materials to open up the eyes of young Christians and Muslims there to the reality that they have a better future picking up a book than a gun,” the Nocums said.
They call their project A-book-Saya Group, a play on the Abu Sayyaf Group.
Initially, the Satti Grill House outlets in SM Fairview Food Court and at the corner of M.H. del Pilar and Padre Faura, will serve as drop-off points for the books. Donors may also contact them through 7992745/3393732 or 09175208013/ 09195897879 or at www.sattisfaction.blogspot.com and zamboyo66@yahoo.com.
Send letters to The Consumer, Lifestyle Section, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 1098 Chino Roces Ave. cor. Mascardo and Yague Sts., 1204 Makati City; fax 8974793/94; or e-mail lbolido@inquirer.com.ph
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