The Race is On!

Race for the Environment started in Alicante (Spain) in October, and since has visited Cape Town (South Africa) and Singapore. At each port Scouts from that country have attended a Scout’s Day - a day of fun and activities in the "Volvo Ocean Race Village". Together with Volvo and local organisations, the Scouts have hosted a programme of learning and entertainment for their local Scouts - so far, more than 1,300 Scouts have participated!

Race for the Environment is a project which encourages young people to work to help the environment in their daily lives. By following the actions on our website and participating in the activities held in the Race Villages in Alicante, Cape Town, Singapore, Rio, Boston, Galway and Stockholm, you too can Join the Race!

The next Scouts Day will be held in Rio, Brazil on March 29th. Thereafter the Boy Scouts of America in Boston, USA will have their Scouts day on May 9th. The Irish Scouts in Galway will also have a Scout’s Day. The last Scout’s Day will be held in Stockholm, Sweden on June 17th- 18th.

The plan for the project is to bring as many people onboard our mission to create a better world. Our efforts will be brought together when we take a stand at the Copenhagen Climate Conference in December 2009.

FEBRUARY FOCUS: People and Natural Systems Need Clean Water and Clean Air What's the Problem with Water? Some scientists say that water pollution is the Number One worldwide cause of deaths and diseases, and that it kills more than 14,000 people daily. That's like a small city vanishing every day! Animals are harmed or even killed by drinking polluted water or eating fish that have lived in polluted water, and plant life is affected just the same. Fish cannot survive properly in polluted water. Clean water is used up too quickly around the world, by people being wasteful and thoughtless about the amount they are using. What can I do? Explore local sources of water near to you, find out where it comes from and where it can come from in the future. Is it at risk from any kind of pollution? Take a shower instead of a bath. It sounds simple but it can make a big difference.   What's the Problem with Air? Air pollution happens when harmful chemicals or materials are introduced into the atmosphere that hurt or cause discomfort to humans, animals, and plants. The World Health Organisation states that 2.4 million people die each year from the effects of air pollution. That's more people than live in the whole country of Kuwait! One of the worst offenders for polluting air is CO2 that comes from burning fossil fuels - we all know that this stuff is bad news and causes extreme weather events, changes in the amount of food that can be grown each year, polar ice caps melting, diseases spreading faster and whole species of plants and animals becoming extinct. What can I do? Eat less meat. It takes more water to grow and consume animals than plants, and whilst plants are growing they help use up CO2. Walk, bicycle or take a train or bus. Only drive in a car if you must. Cars add far more CO2 per person to the air than public transport.

Read about different kinds of action for the environment across the whole planet at the United Nations Environment Programme   -------------------- Find some good news at the Hope Resource at The Web of Hope --------------------- Visit the Scouts --------------------- Volvo Ocean Race