New Tread Lightly Program Launches Two Exciting Initiatives on the International Day of Climate Action

Torontoe, Canada, October 24, 2009 --(PR.com)-- With humanity currently using the equivalent of 1.3 planets for our resource consumption and waste absorption, it is clear that we must learn to decrease the pressure we put on the planet. Beginning on October 24th, youth worldwide will be able to participate in two exciting initiatives designed to help them understand and reduce their ecological footprints.

A 40-day ecological footprint challenge and art contest are being organized by TakingITGlobal as part of its new Tread Lightly climate change engagement and education program. These initiatives are purposefully launching on the International Day of Climate Action to encourage youth to organize or attend one of the day’s climate change events (see 350.org for more information), and then strive to adopt a greener lifestyle over time. As noted by Sarah Toumi of DREAM Réseau Mondial d’Echange et d’Action pour le Développement, the organization coordinating the Tread Lightly program in France, “Educating and engaging youth is essential to creating positive and lasting change for a better and more sustainable world."

Global 40-Day Challenge
Everyone, everywhere, is invited to step up to the 40-Day Challenge. It begins by using the online Tread Lightly ecological footprint calculator to get an idea of where one stands. Then it’s time to utilise online tools to help adopt, track and maintain as many of the 40 different ecological commitments as possible. At the end of the 40 days, participants are invited to recalculate their ecological footprint to see how far they have come in greening their lifestyle.

Imprints Art Contest
From October 24th to December 3rd, people around the world can participate in the Imprints Art Contest by sharing creative expressions that incorporate either the concept of the ecological footprint and/or the number 350 (the level of carbon dioxide, in parts per million, in the atmosphere considered safe by UN climate scientists). Submissions may include drawing, painting, collage, sculpture, photography, video, flash animation, and more. Youth participants aged 13 to 30 are eligible to win one of a number of exciting prizes, which include a folding aluminium bicycle, a digital camera, and the BBC’s Planet Earth documentary DVD set. Select submissions will be displayed at the UN climate change conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, this December.

Tread Lightly
Available through the generous support of the Staples Foundation for Learning,® the Tread Lightly program also includes an interdisciplinary secondary school curriculum on the issue of climate change. Available now, free of charge at www.treadlightly.me, its lesson plans are specifically designed to run in parallel with global climate change events leading up to and including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in December in Copenhagen, Denmark.

“We firmly believe in the importance of offering environmental engagement opportunities to young people, and are pleased to work with TakingITGlobal to create a more sustainable future,” says Katy Dobbs, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility for Staples.

Tread Lightly welcomes all interested participants. Simply visit www.treadlightly.me or email info@treadlightly.me to find out more or get involved.

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