Commonwealth Bank Green Ambassdors
The Commonwealth Bank and Conservation Volunteers Australia have announced the national Green Ambassador for 2008
Ten Australians aged between 16 to 30 have been recognised for their hard work and commitment to the environment.
The Commonwealth Bank Green Ambassadors program is a joint partnership between the Bank and Conservation Volunteers Australia. The program recognises and supports young people who actively assist or protect their local environment.
2008 Green Ambassadors and runners up.
Green Ambassador at University
Renee Carr from Parkville in Victoria
Renee has been showing her fellow students just how easy it is to be sustainable. In particular, the 22 year old University of Melbourne student has developed an environmental handbook to help University Colleges and Residential Halls around Australia fight climate change. The handbook outlines best practices to implement at colleges: for example, ways to reduce electricity, gas and water usage, buying green energy and solar technology. After completing her degree, Renee plans to continue inspiring others through work focused on sustainable development and social justice issues.
Runner Up Ambassador at University
Tess Evans from Indooroopilly in Qld
The misconception that individual actions can’t save the environment has spurred Tess on to help her school make greener decisions. The Brisbane Girls Grammar School student has been working hard to encourage her fellow students and to educate the community on environmental topics. As a member of the Student Council, Tess developed “Grammar Goes Green” days where students volunteer at sites around Brisbane and spend time regenerating the area. Her involvement in the school’s environment conservation group includes fundraising to subsidise solar panel and water tanks for her school. Tess is looking forward to developing her green passions once she finishes Year 12 by studying environmental science at the University of Queensland.
Green Ambassador at Work
Kristie Young from Koo Wee Rup in Victoria
Kristie is showing the children of today how to create a greener tomorrow! The 23 year old first year graduate teacher has implemented many environmental awareness programs and special activity days to encourage students at Toorandin Primary School. Thanks to Kristie the school is now a depot for recycling mobile phones and printer cartridges, has a vegetable garden, a monthly environmental newsletter and a number of other sustainable practices that encourage students, staff and community members to be more environmentally conscious. Over the past twelve months, Toorandin Primary School has saved over 570,000L of water and reduced their waste by 50 per cent, at the same time planting over 1000 native trees, shrubs and grasses in the local community.
Runner Up at Work
Lauren Leggate from Queensland
Lauren works at the Queensland Government, focusing on campaign development, event management and communication advice. Through her recent role as project manager for the Premier of Queensland’s Smart Awards, Lauren convinced her colleagues to make the program carbon neutral. Lauren was able to identify key areas of resource use, implement strategies to reduce these resources, account for the project’s carbon usage and as a result offset 66 tonnes of carbon. By making the awards carbon neutral Lauren increased the awareness of environmental issues amongst hundreds of Queensland businesses. Lauren is now hoping to change negative environmental habits formed in the workplace by using her outstanding results to encourage other organisations to reduce their energy consumption.
Green Ambassador for Travel
Mark Rossiter from Clayfield in Queensland
This 24 year old has a vision of how he thinks the future should look and is working to make his dream a reality. By riding his bicycle to get around Brisbane, Mark is using a virtually emission-free form of transport and on his own saves 2.5 tonnes of carbon per year. Mark takes his passion into the workplace, currently acting as a sustainable transport consultant at the Brisbane City Council. His current focus is creating cost effect bicycle freeways to encourage more people to get in the saddle.
Runner Up for Travel
Lisa Litchfield from West Melbourne in Victoria
Lisa Litchfield walks or takes public transport at every available opportunity. By riding her bike and catching the bus to work every day over six months, Lisa saved 1200kms worth of car travel. Lisa has set herself a target to save over 3600kms by the end of the year by only catching public transport to work each week. Lisa’s volunteer work involves her educating young people about sustainable transport options and she uses her own personal reductions to inspire others to think about the ways they can reduce their impacts on the environment.
Green Ambassador in the Community
Julia Collin from O’Connor in the ACT
A 23 year old Australian National University student, Julia’s main environmental goal is to raise awareness among young people and to encourage them to take action. Her emphasis on local education and action has led her to develop a number of youth-based environmental projects, groups and networks throughout Canberra. Julia’s work in the community has included organising free environmental events, co-ordinating Youth Action on Climate Change (an event giving attendees an opportunity to ask politicians about their climate change policies) and being a board member of the Youth Coalition of the ACT. She has also helped to establish the ACT OtherWISE project, a project that aims to empower young people to be environmental leaders through workshops, group projects and mentoring.
Runner Up Ambassador in the Community
Hilary Bowman from Spotswood in Victoria
Education and media are vital in promoting sustainable lifestyles and 17 year old Hilary is hitting the airwaves to get the green message out there. In 2006 Hilary launched a weekly environmental program called Greenlight through FM radio broadcaster, Student Youth Network. Greenlight aims to present environmental issues in a way that is both entertaining and informative for young people living in Victoria. The program inspires practical ways to help the environment and for young people to get involved in sustainability activities. The entire program is based around technology, with a website, social media networks, podcasts and video content all part of the Greenlight initiative. By showing people how they can work sustainable principles into their everyday lives, Hilary and the Greenlight program are helping young people live in an environmentally friendly way.
Green Ambassador at Home
Rosy Porter from Surry Hills in NSW
The 20 year old Surry Hills resident has been recognised for her determination to reduce and eliminate consumption in her household. Rosy has launched her own war on plastics that includes using Green Bags for shopping, avoiding packaged products and sticking to a strict recycling system. Rosy’s family of four have installed fluorescent light bulbs in their home, don’t use a dishwasher or clothes dryer and have introduced renewable bamboo flooring as an alternative to Oak. Rosy’s small changes in day to day life have already had a significant impact with her personal carbon footprint at 1.8 tonnes of CO₂ compared to the average Australian footprint of 7.7 tonnes.
Runner Up Ambassador at Home
Holly-Anne Escott from Roleystone in WA
Holly-Anne is a member of a five person household in Roleystone, east of Perth. Over the last few years Holly-Anne has been endeavouring to reduce her family’s consumption of resources by reducing waste through composting and recycling and introducing energy efficient appliances like solar panels for heating water. Holly-Anne’s commitment to reducing her household’s footprint means that her family have reduced shopping costs, have 50 per cent less rubbish and are saving up to 20 litres of petrol each week. Holly-Anne has recently started volunteering with Conservation Volunteers Australia and is looking forward to using this experience to continue to make her household more environmentally sustainable.
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