Young Canadians Show the Way to Climate Solutions
Clotheslines, green energy and leaving the car at home are just some of the climate change solutions put forward by more than 800 kids across Canada in WWF-Canada’s My Future, My Climate Postcard Contest, launched in conjunction with Earth Hour.
“I am amazed and encouraged not just by the quality of artistic expression, but by the wisdom, wit and intelligence that has emerged from their messages,” said Gerald Butts, President & CEO of WWF-Canada. “Our kids will inherit the impacts of climate change and they are standing up to voice their concerns and be part of the solution.”
Three finalists in each age category were selected by a panel of judges and posted online at wwf.ca for public voting. Support for the contest was extraordinary with 12,257 votes cast over a ten-day period to decide the grand prize winners.
WWF-Canada is pleased to announce the winners of the My Future, My Climate Postcard Contest: Marissa Medema, age 8, Fort Macleod, Alberta; Shajitha Rasiah, age 11, Markham, Ontario; and Shanshan Yun, age 12, Richmond Hill, Ontario. Each winner will receive a bicycle of their choice to support their carbon friendly lifestyle.
Earth Hour was a global call to action by millions around the world. WWF-Canada’s My Future, My Climate Postcard Contest launched on March 23 as a way to show that even the youngest can help shape decisions that will affect them now and in the future.
The contest, described as an exercise in creative advocacy, encouraged kids between the ages of 6 and 14 to share their climate change message. Participants were invited to depict their climate change solution through artwork, accompanied by a personal letter of appeal to the Prime Minister. WWF-Canada will deliver each and every postcard to Ottawa in the fall.
This contest is just one way young Canadians are making a difference. From walking or riding their bike to litterless lunches and turning off unnecessary lights, Marissa, Shajitha and Shanshan are finding simple ways to make every hour Earth Hour.
“If all Canadians follow in the footsteps of these young leaders,” said Butts, “we would be well on our way to preserving this living planet and building a future in harmony with nature.”
To learn more about our winners and to view a slideshow featuring a selection of postcards created by kids across the country, please visit wwf.ca.
About the Contest Judges:
The contest’s eclectic and broad-based panel of judges draws on talent ranging from the creative to the political, including former Prime Minister John Turner, best-selling children’s author Glenn Murray, and award-winning Canadian broadcaster Gill Deacon. Jackson Lafferty (NWT Minister of Education, Culture and Employment), Gerry Craswell (Director, Science and Technology Unit; Curriculum and E-Learning Branch from the Saskatchewan Ministry of Education), Monte Hummel (President Emeritus, WWF-Canada), Jane Drake (Canadian children’s author on environmental issues), Kathleen Wynne (Minister of Education for Ontario), Gerard Greenan (Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development and Attorney General, Prince Edward Island), and Gerald Butts round out the panel.
About WWF-Canada
WWF was established in 1961 and operates in more than 100 countries, with over five million supporters worldwide. WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature by conserving the world’s biological diversity; ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable; and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption. WWF-Canada’s top priorities are fighting climate change, the single biggest environmental threat to our planet; and conserving our oceans and freshwater resources. WWF-Canada’s main office is in Toronto, with regional conservation offices located in Vancouver, Prince Rupert, St. Albert, Ottawa, Halifax and St. John’s. For more information, visit wwf.ca.
-30-
Note to editors: Photos and contact information for each winner are available upon request
For further information:
Ashley Brasfield, Communications Coordinator, WWF-Canada, Tel: (416) 489-4567 ext 7228, [email protected]
