Young people and the Global Goals

Why are young people important to the Goals? There are 1.8 billion people aged 10 – 24 in the world, the largest youth population in history. Young people can be a powerful in holding their governments accountable to their Global Goals promise by speaking publicly in their support for the Goals now, buying from businesses that are working to support the Goals (and challenging those that are not) and through their voting power in the near future. Young people can also use their education to take specific action in support of the Goals. They can invent, they can innovate and they can campaign for causes or to solve problems that they care about.

Choosing one Goal to support is a good way to start, and to take specific action. However, all the Goals are interlinked, so by supporting one Goal your actions will have positive impacts on other Goals. For example, promoting gender equality (Goal 5) in your school will help support a growing economy (Goal 8) and quality education for all (Goal 4).

Kirkwall's Last Straw

Class 6/7 at Glaitness School have been learning about sustainability and how what we consume affects the environment. After a hard look at our own global footprints and a reminder of how plastics affect the oceans they have decided to follow in the fantastic footsteps of Ullapool Primary School whose initiative 'Nae Straw At Aw' has resulted in Ullapool becoming the first single use plastic straw free village in Scotland. Class 6 have written to lots of hotels, bars and cafes to ask if they will end their use of single use plastic straws and offer a paper alternative,or no straw at all, to their customers. They have sent them a poster to display so that they can share their decision to take part in the initiative called  'Kirkwall's Last Straw' with their customers and they are hoping that the businesses will let them know they are taking part by leaving a comment on this post on the Pick Up Three Pieces Facebook page.
Hear the Radio Orkney interview with the children in this link at about 10:20.
https://www.mixcloud.com/radioorkney/around-orkney-friday-2nd-february-2018/

In their own school the children have decided time is up for juice cartons with straws attached, single use plastic water bottles, plastic cutlery and plates, and styrofoam cups. They are now hoping that they can convince other schools to take up the challenge and get rid of any remaining plastics and have written to Orkney Islands Council to see if they can help make it happen across all schools in the county.

Bagging the Bruck in The Falkland Islands

Our friend Mr Ross has shared a video of himself bagging the bruck in The Falkland Islands where he is teaching at the moment. It looks very much as if the litter there is the same stuff as we are picking up in Orkney, and there is plenty of it unfortunately.

We hope we can make a difference this year both by picking up and removing marine litter and encouraging everyone not to use disposable plastics.