15.09.2008
A quarter of MYPs are concerned the earth won’t survive for more than 50 years in its current state, according to environmental engineering and water experts MWH. The sustainability survey was undertaken at the recent UK Youth Parliament Annual Sitting.
Comments included, “We are seeing horrible changes already”, “the longer we leave it, the less time we have”, and “if we don’t change we are doomed.”
When questioned about whether they believed green claims made by companies, only 7 per cent always believed companies when they made claims to be green. When asked to identify those companies they believe are dedicated to being green, Marks and Spencer and the Co-op scored highly, along with several local councils because of their recycling strategies.
When questioned as to what the most effective power source for the future would be, 41 per cent said solar power, closely followed by wind on 30 per cent. Hydrogen, on 26 per cent was third, with nuclear power joint fourth with wave energy, on 23 per cent.
The natural resource that those surveyed feared losing most was oil (41 per cent) followed by water, identified by 37 per cent.
The rise in fuel costs was generally seen as a good thing by the majority of those surveyed, linked to claims that it reduces car use and results in lower speeds. Many believed it could also make research into alternatives power sources for transport more viable. However others disagreed, citing the knock on costs for public transport providers and the impact on food prices of extra transport costs, plus the impact of high fuel costs on lower income groups.
When asked which people they considered to be genuinely green, former US Presidential candidate Al Gore, responsible for the Oscar winning environmental film ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ came top, with 30 per cent, while U2 singer Bono was second on 18 per cent and Prince Charles third on 15 per cent.
Kate Parish of the UK Youth Parliament said, “The fact that nearly a quarter of those questioned are concerned that the earth won’t survive for more than 50 years in its current state – and that 17 per cent never believe companies’ green claims, shows how urgently MYPs view the challenges of climate change.”
Sarah Grimwood of MWH said, “MWH is a sponsor of the UK Youth Parliament and strongly supports the work of the organisation. At its recent historic debate which took place in the House of Lords Chamber, MYPs voted for a recycling and environment campaign ‘Your Future, Your World, Your Fight’, as their number one priority for the year and the concerns expressed in this survey reflect this.
“MWH members of staff have given presentations to the UK Youth Parliament on issues surrounding the environment and sustainable development, and we decided it was time to find out what the members themselves think about various environmental issues, which has produced some very interesting findings.
“It’s clear that MYPs care deeply about the environment and are very aware that changes need to be made, and alternative energy sources developed, to create a sustainable future for us all”, concluded Sarah of MWH
MWH
MWH is one of the world’s leading environmental and engineering companies specialising in water and managing the impacts of climate change. MWH is sponsoring the UK Youth Parliament (UKYP) for the next three years because it believes its work addresses many issues key to industry and the future of the UK. |
