PLANNING Minister Pennelope Beckles on April 22 urged youngsters to get involved with environmental activities like beach clean-ups as she addressed Earth Day celebrations at UWI, St Augustine.
Earth Day was set in 1970 as April 22 as a day to show support for the environment worldwide, with this year's theme being Planet versus Plastics.
Pupils from several schools visited UWI to enjoy displays, literature and staff interactions by several different environmental agencies, governmental and non-governmental.
[caption id="attachment_1078825" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Students visit one of the booths at the Earth Day Exhibition 2024, where they asked questions and learnt about environmental protection and awareness. This year's theme is Planet vs Plastics. The exhibition was held at the University Inn and Conference Centre, St Augustine, on April 22. - Photo by Venessa Mohammed[/caption]
Youngsters of their own volition keenly joined in a rendition of Kool and the Gang's hit, Celebration, sung by MC Kendall Fontenelle, showing serious matters can be done in a fun way, according to permanent secretary Aarti Bedassie-Maharaj.
Beckles, in her address, said Earth Day was both a notable date and a mark of people all over the world working together to take care of the planet.
Touching on this year's theme, she said plastics do not decompose to a natural state very easily, yet every year millions of tonnes were dumped into the world's rivers and oceans.
While glad that in Trinidad and Tobago turtles have been returning to nest in areas they previously avoided, she lamented cases of their eating plastic bags they mistake for jellyfish, or getting tangled in fishing nets and drowning.
[caption id="attachment_1078823" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Minister of Planning and Development Penelope Beckles-Robinson, drives a screw into a bench made of recycled plastic by Flying Tree Environmental Management, at this year's Earth Exhibition Day held at the University Inn and Conference Centre, St Augustine on April 22. - Photo by Venessa Mohammed[/caption]
She asked assembled pupils if they would join with her ministry to clean up local beaches. Detecting a subdued response in some quarters, she zoomed in on the pupils of Fatima College to repeat her question, electing a loud "Yes!" from those young men.
Beckles then told pupils plastics contribute to global warming, in that plastic production releases methane into the air (a greenhouse gas even worse than carbon dioxide.)
She said the government alone cannot deal with the country's plastic waste.
"It is the responsibility of every citizen."
[caption id="attachment_1078836" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Students from different schools across Trinidad and Tobago attend the Earth Day exhibition held at the University Inn and Conference Centre, St. Augustine on April 22. Photo by Venessa Mohammed[/caption]
She again called for pupils to help to pave the way for a cleaner, greener Trinidad and Tobago.
The event also saw the award of prizes for th
