From the Louisville Zoo:
Louisville Zoo volunteers Emily Goldstein, an 18-year-old University of Louisville freshman; Sam Leist, a 18-year-old Senior at Saint Xavier High School; and Kaitlin O’Bryan, a 15-year-old sophomore at Atherton High School, have made it to the final round in the international Project Polar Bear contest sponsored by Polar Bears International (www.polarbearsinternational.org/project-polar-bear).
The contest challenged teens to find ways to reduce carbon emissions in their home communities. The four finalist teams—from Louisville, Ky.; Tulsa, Okla.; Pittsburgh, Pa.; and Winnipeg, Canada—will travel on an all-expense paid trip to the San Diego Zoo in California at the end of April where the winning team will be announced.
“Our teens are downright inspiring,” Louisville Zoo Director John Walczak said. “I am so proud of their accomplishment and dedication to the Zoo and our mission of bettering the bond between people and our planet. These teens exemplify conservation leadership and they are working hard to educate others to make a difference. Polar bears illustrate the beauty of the Arctic, and we must do all we can to save them.”
While in San Diego, the teens will get a VIP tour of the San Diego Zoo, including a behind-the-scenes stop at Polar Bear Plunge and a trip to Sea World. The grand prize for the winning team will be a trip to see polar bears in the wild in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada—the polar bear capital of the world.
“While we are very excited,” Leist said, “what is important is not the recognition of our achievements, but the fact that the recognition itself means people are beginning to care about the world.”
For the contest, the teens developed a free Energy Use Evaluation Kit for local businesses and organizations that evaluates the business’ energy use and offers easy energy-saving options to implement.
“Our team was able to convince dozens of companies to commit to saving 17 million pounds of CO2 per year!” Goldstein said. “If three teenagers from Kentucky can do this, think of what could happen if everyone would do their part?”
In addition to the kit, the teens made presentations to local businesses to educate employees on the importance of using less energy and asking them to sign a carbon emissions reduction pledge.
“I was amazed at how many people were saving CO2 but didn’t realize it,” O’Bryan said. “Some things are so easy to do and when we gave them suggestions, they were happily surprised that they were already doing it. It inspired them to do more.”
The teens have a website, www.louisvillezoo.org/projectpolarbear that features information and resources on polar bears and climate change in the form of quizzes, a photo gallery and journal. At the end of the contest (which ran from June 1 to December 31, 2009), the team reduced more than 17 million pounds a year of CO2 though pledges.
This is the second year a team of Louisville teens entered Polar Bears International’s Project Polar Bear contest. Last year, the team of Goldstein and Brandie Farkas won the grand prize—a 6-day, 5-night trip to the polar bear capital of the world in Canada to see polar bears in the wild and go dog sledding. (Read more at http://www.louisvillezoo.org/news/press/MR/2009/MR%2009-05-04_polar.htm.)
For detailed information on all four finalist projects in this year’s Polar Bears International’s Project Polar Bear contest, visit http://www.polarbearsinternational.org/programs/project-polar-bear/winners#2009-winners.
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Congratulations to all of the young, conscientious, and compassionate people who aren’t just TRYING to make a difference – they ARE making a difference. Also, Kudos to the Louisville Zoo. The success of Louisville teens reflects on the zoo and the education it provides.
