University of Adelaide Planet Fix competition asks Year 8-12 students for climate change solutions

The search is on for SA high school students who have what it takes to find climate change solutions. The University of Adelaide’s Environment Institute and The Advertiser Planet Fix competition asks Year 8-12 students to write about their idea.

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Schoolchildren such as 12-year-old Jess know climate change is real – and now they can have their say about how to fix it.

Today, Adelaide Unversity, together with The Advertiser, launches the Planet Fix Competition for Year 8-12 students with ideas for tackling climate change.

“Unfortunately, these students can’t leave it to their elders to fix the problem,” said Professor Robert Hill, director of the university’s Environment Institute.

“They’re soon going to be the people that are having to deliver the solutions. There’s only so many times you can say ‘we have a problem’ before you start saying ‘so what are we going to do about it?’.

“Solutions will come in many forms, from changing public perception and lifestyles (and) spurring government and community action to hi-tech devices or nature-based solutions that directly attack the problem, such as removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.”

Compassion for animals motivated St Thomas School student Jess, 12, of Clovelly Park to make an award-winning 3minute video about climate change, pictured at Glenelg beach with her dog Rosie. Picture: Mark Brake.

For Jess, it’s a chance to have a say on a subject she’s passionate about.

The Year 6 St Thomas School student won the Mobile Science Education Science Communication Prize (R-7) in the Oliphant Science Awards for her entry, “Climate Change Is Real”.

“I really hope that when people see … climate change is a really big problem they decide to act on it and help our world in any way they can,” Jess, of Clovelly Park, said.

“If children were more educated then in the future there might be more people who really want to help out and change our world.” To enter the competition, students must write in 50 words or less what they think is the best solution for climate change. They will win the chance to help write an article for The Advertiser.

The top three entries will also win cash prizes up to $500 and the top 12 will win a year’s online subscription to The Advertiser.