Student Earth Summit – George Cochrane (Senior Prefect)
On Wednesday 24th November, the Sixth Form component of the Student Environmental Committee set out from Waterloo braving the bitter cold of the unseasonably wintry morning. Upon Embankment Bridge commuters were sent sprawling by our Apprentice-esque march and we were soon at Leicester Square Odeon for the 2010 Student Earth Summit. Police were everywhere with helicopters overhead, largely due to the student protests in nearby Whitehall, and the sense of occasion was set. Hopes were high that this time there would be no similarities to the general disappointment arising from the Copenhagen summit (2009 Climate Change Conference) as Mr. Grundmann and Mr. Talbot escorted the nine Hampton boys into their seats for the opening.
Three main guest speakers opened the floor. One representing the National Grid shared his perspective on just how convincing the evidence for Global Warming really is and why we should be waging our war on carbon emissions. He spoke powerfully but had an air of complacency as he claimed his company wasn’t responsible for producing CO2 but merely transporting power. This dangerous attitude wouldn’t be accepted in an establishment like Hampton.
The next speaker spoke about Biodiversity in a form of English that most would refer to as Welsh. Translators were necessary for his accent but the message he provided was insightful; we treasure and often rely heavily on the animals and plants around us, and yet they are often more vulnerable to climate change than ourselves. Their conservation must start with us correcting our attitude of ‘consume, produce and burn’.
It was then time for presentations by around a dozen other delegates from schools nationwide. Some were impressive and some had a slight “cringe” element, but on topics such as renewable energy sources, biodiversity and local environmental actions, there was a general mood of progress. The Hampton contingent was pleased to see that many of the initiatives being undertaken are things we’ve either already implemented or at least considered, and whilst there’s no room for complacency, there was a general feeling that the School is already some way down the right track.
The last speaker, Donnachadh McCarthy was a man of impressive credentials. To have a lifestyle that is carbon negative seems nigh on impossible but he’s managed it. On top of this he uses just one sixth of the average 150 litres of water per household and less than one bin of waste per year. Now this is a man we can learn from.
The general consensus was that the conference was a promising start in the attempt to improve student knowledge and involvement in taking a more direct role in improving the situation . We know where we stand and although we’ve done a lot, there’s more to do. Next year we must plan to be a bit better organized and hopefully participate more directly with a presentation.