Warrington Can Produce The 'Climate Change Champion' Says Local MP

Warrington North MP HELEN JONES believes Warrington can produce a ‘Climate Change Champion’. The MP is promoting the Climate Change Champions 2006 Competition which is a new and exciting initiative for young people aged 10 to 18 years old. The search is on for nine Champions (one from each region across England) to help spread the word about climate change.

Entries should take the form of a news report about climate change in the UK either by designing the front page of a newspaper,  using computer skills to design a news page,  producing a short video or film,  or recording a radio story. In addition the judges will be looking for reasons why an applicant feels they could be a Climate Change Champion.

HELEN JONES said:

"Climate Change is one of the biggest challenges we face today. The first step towards tackling it is to make sure people understand the challenge and the difference they can make. Our young people are a vital part of that process and can make a real contribution to ensuring we all understand the very real environmental problems we face.

This competition is designed to communicate climate change issues and the more imaginative the entry the better. The judges will be looking for entries that show how climate change is affecting the UK now or in the future, why it is important that everyone is aware of the issue and how, by working together, we can help slow down the amount of greenhouse gases we are producing and thus reduce the effects of climate change.

 I believe we have young people in Warrington who can produce outstanding entries and that one of them can be this region’s Climate Change Champion. 

The nine Climate Change Champions will perform a number of duties throughout their year in office.

• In the summer there will be an expedition to Switzerland to see the Gurschen Glacier,  which is melting due to climate change;

• Climate Change Champions will be invited to discuss their plans for spreading the word about climate change with a minister;

• During the year the Champions will have other chances to increase their knowledge of climate change and develop plans by attending special events,  meeting with some of UK’s leading climate change agencies and being trained in public speaking and writing.

Entry forms and other information can be obtained from the website – http://www.climatechallenge.gov.uk/ or by contacting the office of Helen Jones MP on 01925 232 480.

The closing date for entries is 5.30 pm on Friday 31 March. The age of each entrant will be considered when judging takes place and a panel including communications and climate change experts will judge the entries.

The competition has two stages:

Firstly,  a group of 30 semi-finalists will be chosen from the news report entries.
  
Secondly, if selected as a semi-finalist an entrant will be invited to London for an interview at which the nine Champions will be chosen. 

People going to London will be asked to present their entry to a panel of judges, to show their knowledge of,  and passion for climate change and that they can communicate this well. The judges, including government minister Elliot Morley MP, will also be looking for young people who will work together with their fellow champions and with people in their region.

The initiative is led by Defra in partnership with the Environment Agency, the Carbon Trust,  the Energy Saving Trust, the UK Climate Impacts Programme, the Department for Transport and the Department of Trade & Industry.