Gigantic Waste Sculpture Launches London Students' Go Green Week
London students along with the artist Polyp create a waste sculpture outside SOAS to launch Students' Go Green Week.
Waste sculpture created by London students
London students yesterday launched the capital’s first ‘Go Green Week’ by creating a giant sculpture made from recyclable rubbish to highlight the need for serious action on climate change. The launch event, held at the School of African and Oriental Studies (SOAS), was attended by groups of London students and renowned artist Polyp who designed the sculpture.
The event was the start of a week of actions and events to mark London Students’ Go Green Week, which is running from 18-22 February 2008 at venues across the capital. The week is being held in conjunction with national Go Green Week, the country’s first national week of student action against climate change. Events in London have been organised by students from the People & Planet network with support from the Mayor of London.
London students creating a gigantic waste sculpture
The week of action aims to highlight the serious consequences of climate change and create pressure for positive solutions to help avoid the worst impacts of climate change. Groups will be raising awareness of the negative impact that universities, colleges and schools have. Emitting 12.3 million tonnes of carbon emissions every year, not including the millions more emitted by people travelling to and from these institutions. Schools alone account for 15 per cent of all public sector emissions whilst universities own 9 per cent of all office space in the UK.
London Students’ Go Green Week includes a number of events across the capital at universities, colleges and schools including a sixth form climate change conference at City Hall on Friday 15 February. There are further events at the London School of Economics and Imperial College London and University College London where politicians and experts will be debating climate change issues. Elsewhere, there will be green film nights at the School of African and Oriental Studies and a sustainable exhibition all week at Kingston University.
Students from a number of London colleges will be joining together to take part in a big green bike ride around Bloomsbury and the week will be capped off with green parties at the School of African and Oriental Studies on Thursday 21 Feb and Imperial College London, and Kings College London on Friday 22 Feb.
Richard Roaf, member of UCL People & Planet said:
“We hope that all Provosts and Vice Chancellors in London will now take the environmental impact of their institutions seriously. We have demonstrated that students really do care about these issues and are demanding that all London universities reduce their carbon emissions”.
Alex Wood, People & Planet Go Green Campaigner said:
“According to the World Health Organisation one hundred and fifty thousand people already die from climate change every year, if we are going to stop this tragedy, we need action by governments, institutions and individuals”.