Clean water - a given in the future? (Sweden)

YRE Competition 2018
1st Place as a campaign photo
15-18 years old

Every day in Sweden, around 350 million litres drinkable water disappear down the drain while 2.1 billion people worldwide suffer from a lack of clean drinking water. According to the sixth global goal, world leaders have decided that by the year 2030 the entire world should have access to clean water and sanitation. At the same time, we in Sweden overconsume clean water like never before. Do Swedes really need to flush the toilet as many times a day as we actually do, and why do we not use sea or waste water in our toilets?

In fact, a huge amount of energy and money goes towards cleaning all the water we flush down our toilets. This is money which could actually be saved and instead put towards, on the one hand, helping those without clean drinking water today and, on the other, creating a more sustainable future.

Sweden.jpg

Sources:
Avloppsguiden. Typical WC. http://husagare.avloppsguiden.se/vanligwc.html(Available 22/01/18).
UNDP. Goal 6: Clean water and sanitation. http://www.globalamalen.se/omglobalamalen/mal6tillgangtillrentvattenochsanitet/ (Available 22/01/18).
Unicef. Water and sanitation. https://unicef.se/fakta/vattenochsanitet(Available 22/01/18).

Made by students from Sweden.

On tiptoes (Slovakia)

YRE Competition 2018
1st Place as a reportage photo
11-14 years old

Slovakia.jpg

These very large garbage containers are not suitable for small children. Considering these garbage bins are difficult to open, pensioners have trouble with them, too. As a result, garbage often ends up beside the containers. Isn’t it time that these garbage cans are replaced with a modern solution?

Made by student from Slovakia

Note from Jury: Garbage containers should be accessible for everyone while remaining safe.

Wounds in the landscape (Portugal)

YRE Competition 2017
1st Place as a journalistic photo
19-21 years old

“This marble quarry is located in Estremoz. In this region, marbles are located in an anticline, a fold that is convex up and has its oldest beds at its core. In global terms, the collision of the two continental blocks gave way to a new great continent named “Pangea”. The carbonate raw materials located in the surface were buried to a maximum depth of 5 km, thus giving rise to the marble of Extremoz. The marble quarry is currently exploited for civil construction and ornamental use. Moreover, this rocks are mined for several years using open pit methods, which has a significant impact not only in what concerns the environment and landscape, but also in the Portuguese exports. The heaps are storage without special concerns, which means that there’s a real risk of soil and groundwater contamination. This situation has a great influence on the permeability of the soil, uptake of nutrients and, therefore, the fertility of the soil. Thus, grazing cover is destroyed and cork oak forests,which occupies a predominant place in the region, are undermined”.

___________

Bibliography:

Lopes, L. O Triangulo do mármore. Évora.

Oliveira, J. T. (2013). Geologia da região de Estremoz.

Rodriguez, C. F., & Azpiroz, M. D. Geología de la Zona de Ossa Morena (Huelva).

Made by student from Portugal.

Doksasmeni Lake (Cyprus)

YRE Competition 2017
1st Place a journalistic photo
15-18 years old

The forest of Galata is mesmerising during Winter when caramel leaves start to fall. The picture is presented upside down, as the water reflect the beautiful colours of the sunset making the lake look like the sky, thus creating an illusion!

Doksasmeni lake is mainly used for agricultural purposes such as watering. Due to climate change the total rainfall in Cyprus has been reduced tremendously in the past years, thus man made, concrete lakes had to be built.

Made by student from Cyprus.

Heritage? (Slovakia)

YRE Competition 2017
1st Place as journalistic photo
11-14 years old

The nickel smelter in Sereď was once the pride of Czechoslovakia. What is left for now are just millions of tons of sludge - waste from the nickel production. Already my great grandfather, then my grandfather and my dad looked at it, and now we still look at it. Will our grandchildren have to look at this cairn of unhappiness, too? Is this the kind of thing we want to leave behind?

Made by student from Slovakia.

For a brighter future (Sweden)

YRE Competition 2017
1st Place as a campaign photo
15-18 years old

We’re in a critical situation. Time to face reality. The dream of a healthy world’s beginning to fade. Do you remember what we’re fighting for? Will our children understand the meaning of a healthy, green world?

After nine uses, glass defeats plastic containers in the battle of low carbon emissions. After 200 uses, the overall emissions attributed to glass are 500 grams of carbon dioxide. The same number of plastic containers use 3,000 grams, which contribute to the greenhouse effect. The world’s greatest environmental threat.

Ninety percent of the raw materials needed to make glass can be substituted with broken glass. Only a small portion of plastic materials can be recycled. The rest are various fillers, which go to waste.

Are you aware of the world we live in? You’re the consumer. You consume every day. It’s time to look beyond the problem, ensure that there’s a solution. Reuse. Recycle.

Sources:

“Climate-smart choices of beverage containers”, Stockholm County Council, 2016 http://www.sll.se/Global/Om%20landstinget/Miljo/Klimatsmarta-val-dryckesbagare.pdf Accessed: 2017-01-26

“Recycling”, Stockholm Regional Waste Council, 2007-07-18 http://www.atervinningscentralen.se/web/page.aspx?refid=180Accessed: 2017-01-26

Made by students from Sweden.

The goat liked it (Montenegro)

YRE Competition 2017
1st Place as a journalistic photo
11-14 years old

Waste and animals

Nowadays, there are more and more people who do not dispose waste in the appropriate places. The real problem is the lack of these places trash bins, containers, landfills). For this reason, animals and plants get in contact with the waste, which has a harmful effect on them and their health. This may cause suffocation and poisoning to animals.

Dispose waste in appropriate places! Protect animals!

Made by student from Montenegro.

Surprising and unexpected finding (Portugal)

YRE Competition 2016
11-14 years old

April 8, on the day of Coastwatch activity in the Old Beach, near San Pedro de Moel, in the municipality of Marinha Grande, a group of students was faced with a huge “family“ of barnacles attached a small plastic buoy. The fishing gear, amazingly decorated, was the target of some pictures and great curiosity by the participant group, as this crustacean was unknown. to most of his colleagues and leed us to the investigation about these animals.
This crustacean (Pollicipes) differ from the common one, the bluish white color of the five calcareous plates separated by a black coat and the peduncle that appears thinner compared to the common barnacles . This is a crustacean hermaphrodite present in all oceans traveling to the taste of the sea currents and having plastic waste as “boat”…

Made by student from Portugal.

Shout for help (Slovenia)

YRE Competition 2015
15-18 years old

“Trash-strewn Earth calls STOP and defends herself…” Can we hear it ?

“Trash-strewn Earth calls STOP and defends herself…” Can we hear it ?

Don’t let plastic bottles “grow” on the fields.

Don’t let plastic bottles “grow” on the fields.

A man covered in foil dies. The nature covered in garbage dies too.

A man covered in foil dies. The nature covered in garbage dies too.

http://www.gympd.sk/skola/fotoarchiv/20142015/2015mladiReporteri/clanok.pdf

http://www.prievidza.sk/spravodajstvo/gymnazisti-skumali-environmentalne-problemy-potom-navrhli-riesenia/

Made by student from Slovenia.