“We feel having an environmental conscience has become part of our lives. It’s part of the way we think, and it influences a lot of our behaviour. “We’ve got so much available in the way of environment projects. We’ve got the Eco-Action nursery when you can come down on Fridays and plant out saplings; sometimes there’ll be 30 of us involved for an hour or so, including students from Rangi Ruru Girls’ School, and then do tree plantings with groups in the red zone when the trees are more established. “There are beach clean-ups, which we’ve all been part of, and had a lot of satisfaction from clearing debris and rubbish from New Brighton Beach. It’s great when you can see how much litter there is, and what a difference you’re making.” They’ve also made an overture to the Christchurch City Council to see if it will attempt a river clean-up.
“We feel having an environmental conscience has become part of our lives. It’s part of the way we think, and it influences a lot of our behaviour.” Janindu Pahalawatta
The committee is also very aware of brands, and of determining those that are attempting to follow sustainable practices and those that are not. “It’s teaching us to be more supportive of clothing brands, for example, which follow sustainable practices.” All the committee members and their supporters feel that their environmental selves are developing throughout their time at Christ’s College. “It’s about making environmentally friendly choices,” Scott says.
“And you can do this about things as small as selecting what you eat, and what with, or what you wear, and where it’s made and how and with what. Moving forward, these concerns are going to affect everyone. We’re all going to need to adapt and realise that whatever we do impacts on our world and everyone in it.” The team wishes future College Environment Committees and their service projects great success and assures them of the ongoing need for their grassroots service projects.
College Issue 41 2021
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