Junk to Green Funk Winners

Press Release:

Junk to Green Funk Winners

Wednesday 25th June 2008

What does a green dinosaur made from coat hangers, toilet paper rolls, recycled wire, cardboard and newspaper have in common with the environment? It is one of the twelve national winners in Trade Aid’s Junk to Green funk art competition where junk has literally been turned into green funk for environmental justice.

The dinosaur’s creator, Max Te Rito (11) from Hataitai School, sees that making toys from recycled materials can help to reduce his carbon footprint and provide environmental justice to the world’s poor “I think it s unfair that the poor countries that have low carbon foot prints suffer from climate change a lot more than us…we should do more to help them” says Max.

The Junk to Green Funk competition attracted numerous entries from across New Zealand with a preschool, primary, secondary and adult category. The twelve winners were selected by a panel of well known New Zealand judges from various different backgrounds including Wa$ted TV and Good magazine editor Francesca Price, New Zealand artist Otis Frizzell, The Edge radio presenter Jay-Jay Feeney and Charlie Panapa from What Now.

New Zealand artist and competition judge Otis Frizzell comments "It was amazing to see how many people entered. These entries were not only beautiful, but expressed true concern for our planet. With the amount of thought, design and recycling involved in this competition, which is a lot, I believe that perhaps justice is indeed closer to being served." says Frizzell.

The judging of the competition was organised to culminate with the end of World Environment Day (June 5) and Trade Aid’s campaign for Environmental Justice. Trade Aid spokesperson Julia Capon says “We are highlighting the need for environmental justice as Trade Aid’s producers, and most of the developing world’s population, have amongst the lowest carbon footprint in the world, yet are the ones already being affected by global climate change.”

A key example of this environmental injustice is in India and Bangladesh, where it is believed that 125 million people will be displaced with rising sea levels triggered by a projected increase in global temperature during this century. The effect of climate change is a serious one for the whole global population as it threatens to undo all the gains made in development over the last thirty years.

This Junk to Green Funk competition for environmental justice provided a called to action for New Zealanders with the entrants who converted junk into green funk showing their desire to do right by the environment.

The prizes for the competition comprised of environmentally friendly products including bikes, eco media players and wind up radios. Every winner also received a Trade Aid voucher to buy fairly traded products where the price paid to producers takes into account the social and environmental protection costs.

The winners:
OPEN/TERTIARY
WINNER: Mike Naylor (Wanganui)
Bike vouchers to the value of $500 + $50 of Trade Aid vouchers

2ND: Jen Marchand (Wellington)
A Trevor Ballis eco media player + Trade Aid voucher

3RD: Kirsten Smedley (Auckland)
Sony wind up radio + Trade Aid voucher

SECONDARY
WINNER: Acushla Sutton (New Plymouth Girls High School)
Bike vouchers to value of $500 + $50 of Trade Aid vouchers

2ND: Marianne Chia (Otago Girls High School)
A Trevor Ballis eco media player + Trade Aid voucher

3RD: Helen Ker
Wind up radio + Trade Aid voucher

PRIMARY
WINNER: Shania Miller (Oamaru)
Bike vouchers to the value of $300 + $50 of Trade Aid vouchers

2ND: Amelia Young (Oamaru)
Wind up radio + Trade Aid Voucher

3RD: Max Te Rito (Hataitai school, Wellington)
$50 of Trade Aid vouchers

PRE-SCHOOL
WINNER: Tots Corner - Bex Stapleford (Auckland)
$50 of Trade Aid vouchers + windup radio

2ND: Sawyers Bay play centre - Kaitrin McMullan (Dunedin)
$50 of Trade Aid vouchers

3RD: Collectively Kids (Auckland)
$30 of Trade Aid vouchers
ends

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