Green Long March 2009 Concludes with a National Student Forum in Beijing

Grasslands Route 2009

The Green Long March successfully completed its third year of research and campaigning on pressing environmental issues, this year with a focus on green energy. Student volunteers from more than 50 partner universities across China organized activities along seven routes. Key outcomes included improved research and problem-solving skills among the 5,000 participating youth, 40 green energy case studies, and 28 Green Seed Award projects.

Future Generations China is grateful to Founding Partner-Goldman Sachs Gao Hua; Gold Level Sponsors-Swire Pacific Limited, Suzlon Energy, and Li & Fung Foundation (1906) Limited;  Silver Level Sponsor-Zeshan Foundation; and many others, including Arcandor, Biostarch, Starbucks, BP, Oglivy, ClairePR, and Sohu for their support for the 2009 Green Long March.

New to the 2009 Green Long March was a National Forum in Beijing, which provided youth with a formal arena to present the results of their case studies and Green Seed Awards. It was also an opportunity for students and teachers to share feedback and voice suggestions for program improvements with each other, the organizers, and sponsors.Thirty representatives from 21 partner universities participated.

Students presented their findings from the top six case studies and Green Seed Awards. These included:

• BP Carbon Calculator Project in Xiaobeixiao Village, Changping District, Beijing, Beijing Forestry University
• Biomass Power Generation in Shandong, Liaocheng University
• Producing Energy from Waste, Zhejiang University
• Glass Window Insulation Film, Fan Hou Street, Changsha, Central South University of Forestry and Technology
• Biogas in Maliuliang Village, Zhanjiang, Guangdong Ocean University
• Economic Perspectives on Solar Energy Implementation, South China Agricultural University

Following the presentations, participants broke into three working groups to discuss their experiences and brainstorm ideas for scaling up the March in 2010.

A Sponsor-Student Q&A period provided an opportunity for sponsors to interact directly with the students who participated in the Green Long March. The March sponsors were represented by Robert Gibson, Director of Sustainable Development at John Swire and Sons, Eugenia Lee from Swire Properties, and Wangsheng Li from ZeShan Foundation.

Robert Gibson asked the students what difference the March has made to them. Lu Meilin, a second year student at South China Agricultural University, felt that participating in the March for two consecutive years has allowed her to experience great personal development. In her first year, she learned how to coordinate green campaigns and the dynamics needed for good teamwork. She also faced challenges and came up with ideas of how to improve the program, which she then acted upon the following year as president of her environmental association, SCAU Green. She feels that the Green Seed Award program is very successful, and she has created a permanent team of volunteers within SCAU Green, who will continue the work of their Green Seed projects throughout the coming year.

 Liao Lizhen, a first-year student from SCAU Green, agreed that she too has learned a lot through the March, in particular the logistics of organizing large-scale activities. Liu Meilin, a teacher from Guangdong Ocean University, observed a marked improvement in the quality of the campaigns her students organized and the reports they had written compared with last year. This year, her students had a better understanding of the objectives and methodology of the March, and she believes the program has helped her students become more mature and responsible. Robert commented that it seems valuable for students to participate in successive years of the March.

Wangsheng Li told students he views the March as a starting point, and that the 5,000 student volunteers are the “pipeline for a green future” for China. He asked them if they had any ideas about a future development strategy for environmental protection in China. Zhu Jianya from Qinghai Normal University feels that because China is developing so rapidly, students must focus on trying to influence public behavior. Frequent awareness campaigns can educate the public so that they understand the environmental damage caused by their individual choices and actions. Zou Li from China Agricultural University noted that the Chinese government is already seeking ways to promote sustainable development, particularly in rural communities. She hopes that each participant can incorporate what they have learned on the March into their future careers.

 A complete and final report of the Green Long March, 2009, is available for download on future.org by clicking <here>.