10 YRE photos (from Republic of Korea, Greece, Israel, Montenegro, Portugal, India, China, Singapore, Iceland, and New Zealand) are now hanging at the COP26 venue in the Blue Zone.
Below each photo, quote of the student and his/her/their name(s) and country.
1. Companionship
Let saplings and children grow together, let us add greens to our world!
Xue Fan
Wonjae Lee, Republic of Korea
China
2. Garbage Feast
Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the exponential increase of consuming disposable products was inevitable. The disposal of diversified and swelling waste leads to consequential harms to the earth: burning the waste pollutes the atmosphere; burying it degrades the soil; and marine litter destroys the aquatic ecosystem. The earth is cramming the garbage feast humans have prepared.
3. Looking Back for a Solution of Today
Along the corridor of her 3-room apartment, my grandmother cares for her 16 vegetables. While she claims it is "nothing much", she has cut her carbon footprint by reducing plastic waste from her supermarket trips. While we often think that climate change requires modern-day solutions, my grandmother's garden reminds us that we can take a page from the past.
Loraine Lee Yen, Singapore
4. It's Time to Solve This Puzzle
Challenges arise over time to rethink and reflect on society and the planet. The situation we have been through is one of those moments that we should use to put the missing pieces together. We must put the broken pieces together and rebuild a more sustainable planet, preserving the environment and solving part of the problems of which we are guilty.
5. Recycling Makes Good Business Sense
Recycling saves earth's resources, provides work to many people mainly in the unorganized sector, and can be a profitable business too! Material like glass and metal can be melted, reshaped and recycled. They could be repurposed and also up-cycled into useful products. Segregated waste material helps in ensuring its efficient use.
Yogeshwaran Rajagopaal, India
6. Save the Octopus
We started this project knowing the needs of our island, Andros, Greece. It seemed to be a simple school trip at the beginning. However, when we eventually took action, we found out how much we underestimated the pollution of our seas. Through our Nature Art project, we want to raise awareness for the devastating situation in the Mediterranean sea, where marine life is gradually 'drowned'.
Vasiliki Lembesi, Irene Marini, Michaela Eftyhia Syrigou, Athanasios Spyridon Panagiotopoulos, Styliani Petraki, Greece
7. Sustainable Surfer
The photograph represents my whanau's (family) spiritual connection with the land and oceans of Aotearoa (New Zealand). For Maori people wai (water) is the essence of all life and all water has mauri (life force). Rubbish accumulating on beaches threatens aquatic life. This is my sister at the break of dawn playing her part in cleaning up the beaches and recycling. Small regular acts do matter.
8. Sweet Destruction
We are ruining the earth for our own short time happiness. We are licking up the earth, and it’s sweet resources just like ice cream. If we don’t want the earth and the life on it to die we need to stop consuming and producing so much at the earth’s cost. Let’s enjoy our sweet and beautiful earth responsibly.
9. The End of the World
I often visit the national parks in Montenegro and photograph what catches my attention like this - the remains of a boat, a missing lake, cracked earth in the middle of Biogradska gora. Obviously, nature is calling for help. It is up to us to react as soon as possible in order to postpone the "end of the world".
Djordje Pejović, Montenegro
10. Footprint
This photo was taken on a family trip in Hadera forest. It represents the negative effect humans have on Earth. Like this shoe, people leave their footprints all over the planet and it's hurting nature for a long time. The idea behind the photo is to inspire people to preserve nature - our most valuable resource. Let's leave only positive footprints!