The environment in young people’s hands

The European Union, among its numerous good and bad points, is always on the front-line – yet again since some years back – in two very important topics: youth on one side and the environment on the other.

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/youth/index_it.html is the web-site created from the union of the two subjects. It shows efficacy and directness in the title already: “The environment for the young Europeans”. The web-site – translated in 20 different languages – is, after all, simple and linear in its graphics. This may be a strategy of its creators to permit an easy navigation to anyone. Even those people who are not used to the web.

The flag of the European community

The web-site’s home page, part of the European Commission official one, is fresh and youthful. This thanks to the introduction made by the Member of the European Commission to the Environment, Janez Potočnik. Knowing he was referring himself to a younger public, he wrote it in an informal and confidential tone unusual for his politic role, without, anyway, abandoning it. In particular we can notice the colloquial “you” he uses when referring the young recipient (“you can discover on your own or with the company of your friends or classmates”), putting the readers immediately at their ease.

Past the civilities, Potočnik (in office for this role from 2010 to 2014), in the same introduction underlines that respect for environment is one of the most important points of the UE’s politics. He also talks about the 4 subjects into which the UE has decided to go during the next 10 years: air, water, wastes and nature.

With a simple click of the mouse, it is possible to accede to one of the 4 pages referring to the 4 topics previously cited. In these pages we can find specific information on the subjects and on how the UE is working on them: general notions, aims and objectives, possible projects handled by the Organization. Each page is also full of on topic articles that show what is actually happening in the world. Moreover, we can find a very interesting link for both students and their teachers: activities and group projects. In this section neatly organized suggestions can be found. They are a series of interesting, simple activities to be done in class or in extracurricular environmental projects, made to stimulate the recreational didactic active knowledge of young people.

Through the consultation of the available material we can understand the worth and merit of this project. This is because it is made for the youth and not for adults who are maybe more aware of the environmental problems and the precarious current affairs around them. This is very important considering that these young people will be the citizens of tomorrow.

(trad. Alessia Losito)