If I ruled the World….

Greg and I attended a meeting at St Michaels Catholic High School  in Garston this week. The children, aged between  11 – 14 have been using our FREDome ideas site and told us how it could be better.  We were really impressed by their intelligent suggestions.

Iain Scott, Managing Director of web developer  Base Creative Ltd will come back with some development ideas in response.

The good news is that the site is being used by many young people to share their ideas and suggestions for a better future, despite some of the technical issues they have run into.

The school has pledged support so we can make the site better and help the children share their ideas more easily and encourage the take up in primary schools in the area.

Here is our current top-rated post from Charlotte Dormon – which is well worth a read  …

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If I ruled the World….I would drop all world debt, and let people begin to enjoy their lives. I would also put water wells every three miles in third world countries, and build hospitals for sick people in poverty. I would also help people who wanted to have professional jobs to train, and be educated, something which we, in our country take for granted. Then I would make sure that every child was immunised against diseases, such as Malaria, the worlds biggest killer. I would also run local projects, for people of all ages, for support and self confidence.

Then I would go to areas where large international countries exploit children for child labour, (when children should be at school and being educated) and put a stop to that.

And because the many people who live in third world countries have never had a proper chance in life, simply because of where they were born, I would ensure that they had an amazing holiday with their family; because they, more than any of us, despite what you may think, deserve a holiday.

I am sure that many more people who read this, agree with my final views. Although we do not have the power to change these things, like governments and the G8, it is good that we have HOPE.

Hope that third world debt will be dropped one day, and people can live their lives to the fullest. Because even if WE can’t drop the debt, we can do the smaller things that make big differences to those peoples lives, such as raising money for water wells, and rebuilding houses through sponsered events.

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What’s your big idea?

Sign on now at FREdome ideas site and let us know – and read and rate  the ideas you find there. 

As a key sponsor and active part of the FREdome project, St Michaels are keen to find ways to bring the local community in to talk to businesses and organisations that can make things change in Watford and everywhere …

by

Suzanne Watts
FREdome Communications volunteer

Stop Global WAR-ming film shown on giant screen

Stop Global WARming - a one minute film produced by FREdome supporters has been shown on a massive 8 m square screen on the middle of a lake in Copenhagen.

A selection of films were chosen by Millenium Arts to screen on their giant CO2 CUBE, these are being shown daily throughout the 2 week conference.

They look amazing on the 8.2m x 8.2m x 8.2m cube that sits on the lake in the centre of Copenhagen a powerful visual representation of the size of a ton of carbon.

The cube was part of the UN Department of Public Information’s engagement during COP15 and the films were very popular at their VIP event last Sunday.

The event was attended by representatives from the UN and their guests. 8.2m cube that sits on the lake in the centre of Copenhagen a powerful visual representation of the size of a ton of carbon. The cube was part of the UN Department of Public Information’s public engagement during COP15 and the films were very popular at their VIP event last Sunday which was attended by representatives from the UN and their guests and opened with an exclusive speech by UN Secretary General Ban-Ki Moon.

Source : One minute to save the world

Yoko Ono sends message to FREdome

Dear Greg & FREdome-YEA, UK

Congratulations for now having officially won the public vote for what you have been and are doing.

It is very important that the world will know what has been accomplished by the young people strongly believing in their work to resolve climate change and resource depletion, salvaging the future for them.

I hope the independent panel of judges will understand how important it is that this film will reach the public.

In brotherhood and love, yoko

(Posted on Facebook – The Only group that matters)  

(View our winning climate change film. http://tinyurl.com/FREdome60secs)

Parliamentary Screening of “Stop global war-MING!”

“FREdome-YEA” (Youth Encouraging Adults) attended a parliamentary screening at Westminster on 9th December 2009, including a premiere of their winning climate change film. (See http://tinyurl.com/FREdome60secs and http://tinyurl.com/FREdome-crew.) Six young people and two adults from the Hertfordshire team were among the guests. The event was hosted by Collin Challen MP. The young people emphasised their grasp of global problems and their right to have a say in the future of their world. Their film urged a reduction in conflict in order to finance solutions, including the one they are championing, which they believe must be part of the picture. Rather than simply relying on emission cuts, their approach would rapidly and continuously convert atmospheric carbon back into the resources that the world is beginning to run out of. The APPCCG (All Party Parliamentary Climate Change Group) will consider hosting an event involving government ministers and leading academics to review the proposal.

Greg Peachey – Chair, The FREdome Visionary Trust
0845 225 3005 greg@FREdome.org

Stop Global War-MING film wins international film prix

Stop Global WARming – the one minute film created by FREdome YEA (Youth Encouraging Adults ) has won the Youth Film Category of the International Film competition “One Minute to Save the World”  

The film will be shown to World Leaders and thousands of delegates at the Copenhagen Climate Conference, and will receive a private screening today at an all party event at the Houses of Parliament.    

Fantastic news and well done to the production team !

This is what the star of the film, Toby, published on the comments section:

“Hello, I’m Toby, i’m the boy in the video above, i got together with Sophie, Christian, Faith, Lydia, and Christiana, from various places around Hertfordshire, this wasn’t my first video which has involved FREdome and has had the subject of solving the worlds current problems.

“I was introduced to the idea of FREdome via a family friend, the video took about a week to put together and i, amongst others had a ton of fun making it. i Believe the the suggestion that diverting money that is clearly being wasted on over-reacting to petty disputes, would be better spent on putting our solution to use, is an idea not without its merits.” Sic

Thanks to everyone who voted !

Watch Stop Global WAR-ming at:   http://www.1minutetosavetheworld.com/

Five stars will alter global history!

A group of young people aged 4-16 in Hertfordshire (St Albans, Watford, Hemel Hempstead, Borehamwood, Stevenage) has recorded a short film and submitted it for screening at the UN Copenhagen Climate Conference to be held in December 2009, with the potential of it being seen all over the world.

If you have just one minute to spare, visit www.1minutetosavetheworld.com, scroll down to “Stop Global War-MING!” and give a vote of 5 stars to support our hopeful, ambitious young team! They invite you to make up your own mind and add your voice. We all need a solution to climate change.

If they win the competition, their message will become a seed sown in the minds of the entire global population, altering the course of global history…………..

They have built on the message that Severn Cullis-Suzuki delivered to the UN, at age 12 in 1992: “I am only a child, but I know that if all the money spent on war was spent on finding environmental answers, ending poverty and finding treaties, what a wonderful place this Earth would be.”

See her original message here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZsDliXzyAY

FREdome-YEA (“Youth Encouraging Adults”), are calling for a period of world peace, to free up resources that are required to restore the earth – for the young people of today and future generations. Just parts of trillion-dollar defence budgets could be diverted into climate saving solutions, such as the one they propose in the film – fertilisation of deserts and converting excess carbon dioxide back into the very things that we desperately need  – plentiful nutritious foods, ethical biofuels, safe medicines and biodegradable materials.

This will provide solutions for many global issues in one go: war, climate change, starvation, water shortage, land scarcity, extinction of species, modern disease, short age of energy supply, waste, pollution, recession…

Utopia? Maybe only children can see the simple truths. With so little time left and all facing the same scary truths it is very reasonable for them to ask, “Why are we all fighting each other?”

For further information visit “THE ONLY GROUP THAT MATTERS?” on Facebook.

http://www.facebook.com/search/?o=69&init=s%3Agroup&q=the+only+group+that+matters#/group.php?gid=102147428379&ref=search&sid=1290094667.2730543290..1

Greenhouse project: shows promise

During July and August a small team of FREdome volunteers took over St Michael’s greenhouse and undertook some experiments with hydroponics (growing plants in water) and sea nutrients.
The test was to see if the Sholto 2 Hydroponics system devised by Harry Hart could be used to support vegetable growth.
A control test also took place to see if sea nutrients had any discernable effect on the growth and taste of lettuce.
Results
The hydroponics system still needs work to ensure that it can be left for a period of time without drying out. Lack of water has restricted the growth of the leaf vegetables in the lower tray. The root veg in the upper tray are showing some promise.

Students test the letttuce grown with sea nutrients

Taste test
Students and teachers at the college were on hand to try out the lettuce at a handover session in early September.  A general consensus was that crops grown in compost and watered with a sea nutrient solution did have more flavour, although there was no obvious difference in the growth. 

All the lettuce was harvested an served to students in the school canteen. Catering staff were reported to be “impressed”!

 

 

 

 

 

Seedlings in the root tray

 

 

 

 

Going forward
School project co-ordinator Ian Petrie said,  “Students need raised awareness of healthy eating and environmental issues to do with food miles. Up to now the hydroponics experiments have been abstract, but now we have a resource for our geography and science departments that is quite exciting.”

The hydroponics and sea nutrient experiments form the first stage in the Carbon Cycling theory. 

 For more information about this possible solution to global warming visit our project website www.c-greensolutions.com.
The experiment will be continued by the school’s Environmental Council with continued help from FREdome volunteers. Foot note:
Experts from the University of Southampton oceanography department are taking a positive interest in this experiment. We hope to bring you news of this soon!

Young People in Herts will ‘Show the World’

A group of young people in Hertfordshire, FREdome-YEA (“Youth Encouraging Adults”), have been awarded just over £4000 to put on a hip-hop variety show at the Watford Colosseum on Saturday 20th March 2010.

Through “The Big Spend” (the Youth Opportunity Fund in Hertfordshire) young people decide how funds are spent on positive activities. The event, entitled “Show the World” will involve young talent from across the county.

It will include choreographed dance routines and live music, all performed by teenagers, interspersed with dramas and presentations explaining to a young audience and their families the global issues that they are due to inherit, and a potential solution researched by an independent group of out-of-the box thinkers.

The young people, at a local community workshop run by the FREdome Visionary Trust in 2007, became convinced that this needs to be brought to the attention of those who have the means to implement it.

They aim to ensure that there will have a hospitable planet and resources to inherit, by urging the world to divert war budgets into recovering wastelands and deserts with marine algae. This will turn vast quantities of greenhouse gases back into plentiful nutritious foods, ethical biofuels and safe materials – restoring the planet for the young and helping to create a future of morality and optimism.

FREdome YEA aims to encourage the world to respond at last to the challenge laid down to adults in 1992 by Severn Cullis-Suzuki when she was just twelve years old. Severn and three friends raised their own funds to travel 5,000 miles from Vancouver to the Earth Summit in Rio to tell a United Nations Assembly to take responsibility for the world being left to young people and future generations.

Now that potential answers have been found to the issues she raised, these young people are contacting Severn (now 29) asking her to review this solution, and if she sees it as worthy of consideration, to help these young people put it before the UN themselves. They also plan to make and submit a short film to be seen all over the world at the Climate Change Conference to be held in Copenhagen this December.

The young team is still seeking further sponsorship to use the purpose built audiovisual system in the Colosseum and to hire the venue for a full dress rehearsal on the evening before the performance. Call 0845 225 3005 for more information.

“I am fighting for my future…”

 

Are you on Facebook? Then you need to join the only group that matters….

Up to 400+ MORE PEOPLE may be reading this blog than last month. Hooray and welcome to our new readers.

“I am here to speak for all generations to come…

Greg has set up a Facebook group to draw attention of other groups world wide to the potential of the C-green Carbon Cycling solution to solve the problems of starvation and climate change.

“What you do makes me cry at night…

His ultimate aim is to reach the girl you see in the video above. She is  Severn Cullis-Suzuki, who addressed the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, aged 12  and shamed them all for their lack of commitment to eco goals.

“You grown-ups say you love us…

Now Severn is an adult and respected speaker on the world stage.  She said then

“I challenge you; please make your actions reflect your words.”

Be part of it. Search for it. Oh yes…. Join – The Only Group that Matters…

St Michael’s greenhouse project grows stronger roots in the community

With St Michael’s School closed for the summer, a team of around 15 FREdome volunteers of all ages has stepped in to run a summer growing experiment at the £13,000 facility. …

The carefully-controlled experiment will verify that good edible crops can be successfully grown using a solution of sea nutrients in tap water.

Volunteers will check the hydroponics system daily and record growth. 

Can you help?

No horticultural experience required, just willingness to give up half an hour of your day up to once a week through the summer break.  If you would like to get involved please call Greg Peachey on 0845 225  3005!

C-Green Solutions is FREdome project to grow more healthy and sustainable food locally.  It is supported by St Michaels Catholic High School in Garston.  To find out more about hydroponics and the C-Green solution, please visit  www.fredome.org