Student wins international competition on climate change

Chennai, Dec 23 (UNI) An 11th standard boy from Chennai won an international competition on 'climate change' for suggesting innovative ways to redesign existing communities in the city to make them more environmental-friendly.

Jaswanth Madhavan, 16, from the Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan School won, while nine of his school mates won the runner-up prize in the competition, which was attended by more than 50 students from various countries.

The 'Energising Sustainable Communities' competition, organised by the South Australia government, was held as a precursor to the International Solar Cities Congress, which would be hosted by them in Adelaide in February. These students would interact with world leaders in the fight against climate change.

The Congress would be attended by over 90 speakers from 30 countries, including Rajendra Pachauri, Chairman of the Nobel Prize-winning Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change and Robert F Kennedy Jr, an environmental lawyer.

''The competition was a great opportunity for us to involve the students to come up with innovative ideas to combat global warming,'' Trade and Investment in India and South Asia, under Government of Australia, Director, A K Tareen said during a felicitation function held last night.

''We organised this initiative to help stimulate students around the world to develop an understanding of environment sustainability issues and showcase their skills in tackling climate change,'' he added.

Madhavan suggested greater use of solar energy, tidal power and osmotic power in his 143-page entry. He outlined plans for establishing a nature park in Adyar estuary and small-scale micro-electricity generators on the wheels of commuter trains.

UNI