EARTH DAY: GREENING THE PLANET, ONE SQUARE METER AT A TIME

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Jennifer Resick 202-518-0044, ext. 21 [email protected]

Earth Day: Greening the Planet, One Square Meter at a Time

  WASHINGTON, D.C., March 4, 2010 – Earth Day Network has partnered with the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) youth initiative, Tunza, to launch the Adopt– A – Meter2 program, engaging youth around the world in Earth Day 2010. Adopt– A – Meter2  encourages youth around the world to adopt a square meter of land and green it, clean it or paint a mural  – whatever activity best suits the child’s imagination and culture. Youth can participate individually or in groups, bringing together square meters for larger projects like tree planting, park cleaning or roadside pickups. Because Earth Day Network takes a holistic approach to environmental education, the program is accompanied by tailored lesson plans that include other environmental activities and information, including the history of the modern environmental movement. “One of the most impactful ways to engage youth about environmental issues is through environmental education,”said Sean Miller, Director of Earth Day Network’s Education team. “It is a true honor to work with an organization like Tunza that is dedicated to encouraging young people around the world to take part in the environmental movement, this Earth Day and beyond.” As the challenges facing the planet continue to grow, younger generations must learn to simultaneously adapt to the Earth’s changing needs and combat climate change to preserve the Earth’s rich biodiversity. The Adopt – A – Meter2 program works to both educate youth about the environment and provide them with tools to begin environmental stewardship at a young age. “The need to address the environment and climate change has never been greater,” says Theodore Oben, Head of the UNEP Tunza Programme. “By working with Earth Day Network on Adopt – A – Meter2, Tunza continues to foster environmental awareness and information exchange among the youth generation.” Earth Day has always been a launch pad for environmental advocacy, providing an entry point into environmentalism and serving as an important avenue for civic action. The Adopt – A – Meter2program, along with the Earth Day 2010 campaign, aims to engage vital and diverse communities around the world to take an active role in saving biodiversity and combating climate change. About Earth Day Network Earth Day Network was founded on the premise that all people, regardless of race, gender, income, or geography, have a moral right to a healthy, sustainable environment. Our mission is to broaden and diversify the environmental movement worldwide, and to mobilize it as the most effective vehicle for promoting a healthy, sustainable environment. We pursue our mission through a combination of education, public policy, and consumer activism campaigns. Our campaign and programs are predicated on the belief that an educated, energized population will take action to secure a healthy future for itself and its children. Earth Day Network has a global reach with a network of more than 20,000 partners and organizations in 190 countries. Earth Day Network is a 501(c)3 organization located in Washington, D.C. About UNEP Tunza Programme On the 25th session of the Governing Council in February 2009 adopted the second long-term UNEP strategy for the engagement of young people in environmental issues. Through the Tunza Programme UNEP seeks to enhance the involvement of youth in sustainable development, particularly in the six UNEP priority areas. Activities planned will be aligned to the six thematic areas which include Climate change; disasters and conflicts; ecosystem environmental governance; harmful substances and hazardous waste; resource efficiency, sustainable consumption and production.  

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