Climate Change and You
A two-day conference under the theme “Climate Change and You” begins on Tuesday at the UWI Open Campus on Princess Margaret Drive. This morning as a prelude, UWI revealed the top winners of a poster competition dedicated to the topic. The winning poster was presented by a student from Ladyville Technical High School who depicted what the environment would look like without the effects of climate change. Duane Moody reports.
Duane Moody, Reporting
Climate Change has become a top agenda item the world over. In fact the impact of climate change on society and nature is already being experienced. But as important as the issue is, not many are paying attention. To encourage youths to become involved, the University of the West Indies Open Campus organized a poster competition and at a brief awards ceremony today, the winners of the Climate Change Poster Competition were revealed.
Jane Bennett
Jane Bennett, Head, UWI Open Campus, Belize
“This competition was held in conjunction with the two-day Belize Country Conference under the theme Climate Change and You that is being hosted right here on these premises tomorrow, Tuesday October twenty-eighth and Wednesday, October twenty-ninth, from nine a.m. until four p.m. You are welcome to come back and walk around and share information and gather information on climate change. You would note that earlier I said winners, right and it is because truly all of the students and schools that participated in this competition are winners.”
Highs schools within the Belize District were eligible to make submissions. The posters were created under the theme, “Climate Change and You.” The top four submissions were from Belize High School, Gwen Lizarraga High School, St. Catherine Academy and Ladyville Technical High School. Fourteen year old Pedro Bernal of Ladyville Tech won overall for his piece, which took him three weeks to put together.
Pedro Bernal
Pedro Bernal, 1st Place, Climate Change Poster Competition
“My painting is about climate change and how we manipulate the world in a positive way and a negative way. My poster is divided in two parts—half is positive and the next part is in a negative way. The positive way is all the beautiful and the negative is all the disasters and stuff like that.”
Reporter
“Tell us more about the elements. I am interested in the rubrics’ cube and the hands. Tell us more about the details and the elements of the painting.”
Pedro Bernal
“Well the hands moving the puzzle, changing the world. And then the factories and everything in a negative way. And the positive, everything is nice and the animals of Belize. I was expecting like third place. I didn’t thought I would win, but I am proud right now because I won.”
Reporter
“What did you learn from this experience that you can also share with your fellow youths about the experience?”
Pedro Bernal
“Well that I can do even more better because this is my first art and I can do better.”
Second place went to Caitlyn Tillett of St. Catherine Academy, while third place was capture by a fourth form class from Gwen Lizarraga High School.
Gwen Lizaragga Student, 3rd Place, Climate Change Poster Competition
“What our project, our image is depicting…we decided to contribute into our project the oil rigs, the deforestation, the effects on marine life and the forest; the acid rains and everything, the factories.”
Despite being a private institution, the Belize High School also took part in the contest. Neeraj Pagarani captured the fourth place trophy in the poster competition.
Neeraj Pagarani
Neeraj Pagarani, 4th Place, Climate Change Poster Competition
“This is affecting Belize and many other countries. The three main factors are global warming, forest fires and pollutions. As humans, we can free this matter if we can just take care of our world. So by stopping global warming, we can save the panda bears that are now endangered at this moment; by stopping forest fires, we can stop the forest from having a fire and by stopping pollution, we can free this world with any garbage out there. So that’s basically what I have for my poster.”
All winners received cash prizes and certificates while the schools received trophies. Duane Moody for News Five.
