Advocate encourages students to care for environment

THE air in Papua New Guinea is cleaner compared to New York in the United States, an environment advocate says.
September Kelokelo, from Milne Bay, who returned from a brief stint in the city also known as the Big Apple, urged more than 300 students and staff at the Limana Vocational Centre in Port Moresby to appreciate little things in life like the fresh air in the country.
“Here in PNG, the country’s atmosphere is very clean with so many different plants and trees, allowing for us to easily breathe,” she told staff and students on Thursday.
“We have to be appreciative of this because in New York, you won’t find it.
“Instead, the air there is thick and dark making it hard to breath.”
Kelokelo’s presentation ranged from a brief background of herself, her travel and stay in New York, her personal battle with climate change at home, reducing the usage of plastic and providing long term solutions to gradually reduce the effects of climate change.
She gave a detailed description of her experience in New York, but admitted to being homesick.
Kelokelo urged students to care and love the environment.
“Try to fall in love with nature and appreciate all that it has provided in abundance,” she said.
“This applies to everything, from all creatures big and small, the plants and trees, the air, ocean and earth.
“When we start appreciating the existence of nature, we start caring and loving the environment.”
Encouraging students to be agents of change for the environment’s benefit, she said that the environment needed young people’s protection.
“Now more than ever, the environment desperately needs young, talented, creative and innovative minds in forming long-lasting solutions for the environment,” she said.
Limana Vocational manager Sr Maria Goretti Leison described Kelokelo as a role model for students.
“I’m grateful for her time in coming to the school,” she said.