"How I'd change the world..."

The future generation has an unenviable task: tomorrow they must tackle the environmental problems we are creating today. Ahead of the Kyoto treaty coming into force, we asked seven young people from around the world how they would do things differently.

Alex Lin 11, USA "It is very important to recycle e-waste - much of our e-waste is dumped in other countries" Aparna Bhasin 17, India "One of the global problems that really worries me is poverty" William Roper 17, UK "Free trade isn't helping - the bottom line is entirely monetary" JC Martel 17, Canada "My government should invest money in environmental education"

Analiz Vergara 16, Ecuador "We don't realise that many problems could have been prevented if we took care of the environment" Shoko Takahashi 14, Japan "Everyone should do a bit - if everyone does small things it can change a lot" Yvonne Maingey 17, Kenya "People don't realise that poverty and the environment are part of the same thing" Georgina Viveash 15, UK " I think it would be a lot better if children were made to walk"

Analiz Vergara

HOW I'D CHANGE THE WORLD... I think it is important to educate children about the environment from a very young age

I think if our government would give us a little bit more power to take decisions within our society then that would make a big difference.

In my country the people are always being ignored.

I think my government should invest money in environmental education. There is so much corruption that the money does not go to education.

I would pay more attention to the reserves like the Galapagos islands, and I would put more resources into environmental research.

I am a youth representative for United Nations Environment Programme and we would like to do an assessment in Ecuador, but in order to do that we need money.

It is very hard to get to the authorities - so we are still trying to get to a minister to help us.

The final product would be a book about the state of Ecuador's environment.

The assessment would look at climate, pollution, biodiversity, rivers, agriculture and population growth - a lot of things.

It is a big job. The idea would be that we would publish it with the government's help, and it would be given to schools to help with environmental education.

We don't realise sometimes that many problems could have been prevented if we only took care of the environment.

I think people should act locally. There is a phrase think globally and act locally - that is what people should do.

We have to realise that health is important, education is important - but so is the environment.

If we educate children about the environment then we won't have so many problems in the future. I think it is important to educate children from a very young age.

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