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Eco Warriors 2009 |
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Ngati Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated wants to protect our environment. We believe that our environment has a direct influence on the health of our people. Therefore we are interested in preserving and protecting our air, water, lands, and our resources for the benefit and survival of our future generations. For this purpose Ngati Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated is seeking whanau, hapu and iwi eco-warriors to spread the word about threats to our whenua, moana and wai Maori. In July 2009 Ngati Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated gave future eco warriors the opportunity to participate in a competition about protecting the environment and the threats to our whenua, moana and wai Maori. Rangatahi were invited to submit an opinion piece (250-1000 words long) that:
Entries closed on 30 June 2009 and all entries have been published on this website Mangateretere School In Hawkes Bay Mangateretere School students showed great interest in submitting their opinion pieces. For this purpose, a special presentation was made to the school at an assembly on Monday 27th July 2009.
Congratulations to the following Eco Warriors, whose opinion pieces have been published below. Click on the stories below to view them in full.
By Tukahaere Monika By Cheylo Taumata PROTECTING RANGINUI AND PAPATUANUKU By Tamzyn Wihongi
By Rita Epps NGATI KAHUNGUNGU HAVE THE ANSWERS? By Alana Rahui TIAKINA MAI A PAPATUANUKU RAUA KO RANGINUI By Zion Harris By Georgina Rahui By Harmony Rahui By Mokonuiarangi Chong By Chanel Allen By Jazayah Cunningham By Leilani Wong
By Tukahaere Monika 331 words
In my class we are promoting the usage of recyclable bags and growing and caring for our organic gardens. We are learning that we need to make better choices when we go shopping also.
All schools should have organic gardens and ask communities to help them; some communities may even want to make their own organic gardens. I really like organic vegetables because they are free of poisons and sprays. Our class made a spray for insects using vinegar, water and a tea-spoon of detergent. We had the opportunity to eat our beautiful organic vegetables. They tasted really fresh and yummy.
I think people need to know what they are doing when they throw rubbish out of their car windows, because every time they do that they violate Papatuanuku. She is our mother and we don’t throw rubbish on our mothers. When I see people spitting on Papatuanuku I think that this is really gross and disgusting.
At my kainga we all try to recycle because we know it’s very important to protect our environment and more importantly the planet.
Did you know that the three main green house gases are carbon dioxide-methane and nitrous oxide? Nitrous oxide is a colourless gas with a sweet odour which is primarily used as an anesthetic because it deadens pain and is also known as “laughing gas”. Despite its small concentration in the atmosphere nitrous oxide is the third largest green house gas that contributes to overall global warming. Carbon dioxide is all the black stuff that comes out of the exhaust pipes on vehicles. Even humans breathe out carbon dioxide into the air.
I believe that everyone needs to be more educated about saving the planet. We learn heaps about how pollution harms the earth and that the United States of America creates the most pollution in the world and that New Zealand is the greenest country in the world. Did you know that xide or cide means kill in the Latin language?
By Cheylo Taumata 324 words
We as Maori need to find out more about recycling and pollution. I didn’t Know much about recycling until this year when we learnt heaps about protecting and preserving the planet. In the first term of school we visited Rocky shore and Marineland. The sea creatures are being polluted and poisoned with rubbish being thrown away into the sea. At Marineland we saw pictures of polluted villages in Asia. The houses or little huts that people live in are surrounded by raw sewage and the people of the village also used the water with sewage in it to drink. It was really horrific and sad. I’m lucky to live in Aotearoa.
In my class at school my friend and I love caring for our organic gardens. We plant the vegetables and make sure we keep on top of the weeds. Last month we started to cover the vegetables with recycled plastic and then we ran out of plastic. So we recycle cardboard banana boxes by placing them over our rows of cabbages, broccoli, lettuce and peas so we could protect them from the frost.
I’m really glad my koro already knew about saving the planet because he saw the red recycling bags and bought some. If he hasn’t got his bags he uses cardboard boxes. WELL DONE KORO!
Our school was also lucky enough to visit the expo at the Hastings Sports Centre. I was really fascinated with the Expo about water. With the water Expo you could see how to get dirt or stones out of the water and make it clearer and drinkable again. The Other Expo was when you have to wear these goggles which made you dizzy like you were drunk. It showed us how drinking and driving would feel.
Well anyway if we all get together and start trying to save the planet our lives will be healthier and we would live longer because Aotearoa is a beautiful country.
PROTECTING RANGINUI AND PAPATUANUKU By Tamzyn Wihongi 211 words
On our Marae we save all the food scraps for the pigs. We burn our paper and we recycle our plastic so the whanau can take home left over kai. Our nannies and koro always tell us not to throw rubbish around the Marae and they always tell us to sit at the table and eat our kai. It is really neat being on the Marae.
When we have big celebrations on the Marae our whanau cook a hangi. Everyone helps to get the kai ready and there is hardly any waste. Eating hangi is healthier for you and it is cooked in Papatuanuku. This is the Maori way and it is the good way.
Every week when mum and I go shopping in the supermarket we see nearly every vegetable wrapped in plastic or paper. In my opinion I think that is really stupid. When you dig your own vegetables out of your garden you just wash them then cook them. It’s much easier and the right thing to do.
Some Maori store there harvest in the soil all cover it with hay. No pollution eh!
The last thing I want to say is that I like sharing what I know about saving the environment with my mum and dad.
By Rita Epps 172 words I would like to say that schools and communities need to start their own organic gardens. Growing organic vegetables helps the whanau save money and helps us maintain a healthy diet. You don’t need poisonous sprays on your gardens and gardening is good exercise. We need to look after Papatuanuku and Rangingui because they look after us.We have to try and not use our vehicles to much because of the carbon dioxide that they produce. We only need to have holidays overseas about once every two years because the airoplanes have tons of carbon dioxide that float into the air and causes air pollution. We should try to use solar energy more.If we did this we would stop burning fossil fuels.When you use wood, coal and heaters you start sending carbon dioxide into the air and making the air dirty and poisonous. In some cities they call this air smog. You can’t see the sun or the sky because the smog is so thick.I really enjoy seeing the sun in the mornings.
NGATI KAHUNGUNGU HAVE THE ANSWERS? By Alana Rahui. 318 words
Whanau need to walk or bike more or catch a bus to work. Using your car everyday for little things like going to the dairy just down the road or a Sunday drive pollutes the environment with heaps of Carbon Dioxide. This also widens the gap in the Ozone Layer. I know that if my whanau decided to walk to the dairy everyday we would save money and then we would be healthier and more importantly we could do something that the whole family would benefit from and enjoy. For my Ngati Kahungungu people we need to have one day a week where everyone walks, bikes, or catches a bus to work. This will really help reduce the emission gases.
Another task we can do as an iwi is stop landfills. We shouldn’t dig giant holes in Papatuanuku and fill her puku up with poison. I know that I wouldn’t like to eat garbage like empty cans, bottles, plastic, babies tutai treasures pig tucker and polystyrene. So as part of an answer we need to recycle or buy things we can recycle. Did you know that if landfill gas is not used methane escapes into the atmosphere adding to the Global warming problem.
Poor Tangaroa. He suffers as well. People throw plastic into Tangaroa, glass bottles, rubbish, paper and sewage.Everytime we flush our toilet it flows into Tangaroa and Tangaroa starts to smell and looks really dirty and ugly. The pollution in Tangaroa starts to kill his tamariki. The fish die and all the other whanau of Tangaroa get very sick. If people continue to pollute Tangaroa we should have camera’s to catch those people who have no mana and violate the tapu of Tangaroa and make them take out all the rubbish in the moana.
I am 12 years old and I am trying to recycle and respect and look after Papatuanuku Ranginui me o raua Tamariki.
TIAKINA MAI A PAPATUANUKU RAUA KO RANGINUI By Zion Harris 311 words
My whanau are now buying reusable bags for when we go shopping because we need to get rid of plastic bags .These bags cause pollution . There are thousands of plastic bags in the landfills around the country and they take ages to decompose in the puku of Papatuanuku . Now I would like to share everything that I learnt about Biofuel . There are too many cars and other transport that use fossil fuels . These fuels send out Carbon Dioxide and Ranginui has to breathe air full of Carbon Dioxide which is poisonous . If we use biofuel we will reduce Carbon Dioxide . You can make bio fuels out of wood, wood chippings and straw . There is biodiesel as well . They make biodiesel out of vegetable oil , animal oils and fat . Most of these ingredients are natural resources . Biofuels are already being used around the world . Another way of caring for Papatuanuku and Ranginui is to use Solar Energy . In America they have solar farms . These farms have rows of solar cells on large flat panels that are tilted towards the sun . These kinds of farms produce electricity and don’t harm the environment . We also need to know about Green House Gases . These gases trap the suns energy and will keep the heat from escaping . The most important of these gases is Carbon Dioxide also known as CO2 but there is nothing we can do about that .Now we can do something about the main problem which is transport , communities and businesses who are burning fossil fuels . We can walk or use bikes more . We can make sure to try and buy things or items that can be recycled . If everybody tries and cares about the planet we will make a difference.
By Georgina Rahui. 220 words
We all need to protect Aotearoa from three main gases. They are Nitrous Oxide, Carbon Dioxide and Methane. The worse gas is Carbon Dioxide. It comes from burning or using fossil fuels. These fossil fuels were made out of dead animals and plants which were dead for over a million years and slowly turned into oil and coal. We also need to plant more trees because the trees turn carbon dioxide into oxygen
At my house all my family recycles glass bottles, plastics and we have four pig buckets. We have one bucket that we put all the soft food into like spaghetti, mash potatoes and bread. This is the chicken bucket. My dad has a compost heap and we put our egg shells in there and other food scraps.
We use green recyclable bags for our shopping. We also use cardboard boxes because you can recycle them. People we need to help each other and save the planet because if we don’t the whole planet will explode into a million, trillion pieces.
The ozone layer is a very important gas and it is around our planet. It protects us from the ultra – violet rays from the Sun. when people smoke or burn fossil fuels they widen the ozone and the sun gets through and starts burning and melting everything.
By Harmony Rahui 256 words
I want to be part of trying to save the environment from Carbon Dioxide, Methane and Nitrous oxide. We need to reduce our Carbon footprint. Your Carbon footprint is when you or your whanau, communities, businesses pollute the environment with Carbon Dioxide. Carbon Dioxide emissions come from all the buses, cars, vans, trucks, planes and chimneys that burn fossil fuels. Where I live my dad has 12 laying fowls. They roam around iour section eating worms, grass and other insects. My brother collects the eggs every morning. He collects between severn and ten eggs a morning. Our eggs are free range. They taste divine. We also have our own garden and we grow all the seasonal vegetables. I think that any Maori with a piece of land should start growing their organic gardens. Its much better for the environment and it will save your family heaps of money and its healthier to eat fresh vegetables and its good exercise. Another answer for reducing pollution is to plant more trees because the trees breathe in carbon dioxide and change it into oxygen. Not many of my classmates have their own gardens at their homes. We are lucky at our school because we have our own organic gardens. Organic Gardens don’t need poisonous sprays and keeps the environment safe. I would like all kids my age to encourage our families to buy products that are local and you can recycle them. I’ve already started to help save the planet and what’s funny is I didn’t make the mess.
By Mokonuiarangi Chong 226 words
I don’t know how people can neglect our environment and our planet. I get really annoyed when people leave or throw their rubbish outside our school, on the roadside or in the ditches. I enjoy seeing people with their recycled plastics and beer bottles outside their gates waiting for the rubbish trucks to pick them up.
The Ozone is an invisible gas and is right around the earth. It has a job to do. It protects every living think from the Ultra – violet rays which come from the sun. But the ozone layer is being destroyed. The main gas that is causing the most damage is Carbon Dioxide. We have far too many cars on the road and we have too many planes in the air because they all use fossil fuels which create Carbon Dioide. If the ozone layer keeps getting bigger the sun will really start to melt all the icebergs in the Antartic and certain Islands will disappear under water. I’ve already started to help by recycling cardboard, paper, glass bottles and plastic. All we need now at my kainga are pig buckets. When my koro and I go to the supermarket we try to make sure that we buy as many products as possible o that we can recycle. I would like to help save the planet would be cleaner and greener.
By Chanel Allen 230 words
We as Maori want to be part of trying to save the environment I love Kaimoana but Im not sure if Kaimoana is polluted. I know that sewage is being pumped out into Tangaroa and causing pollution. If they keep doing this, the Kaimoana will die and we wont have any left to enjoy.
Did you know in 1985 scientists discovered that the ozone layer was not getting thinner but that there was actually quite a large hole in it over the Antarctica. In fact the hole was so large that it covered an area the size of the entire U.S.A. Our hosehold recycles as much as we can. We separate the plastics bottles and aluminium cans. We burn all the paper. We are still trying to encourage our mum to use reusable bags or cardboard boxes. My koro uses reusable bags and we know that using these kinds of bags is the right thing to do. At my school if I see rubbish around the school. I pick it up and put it in the ipu Para. I also clean up at home. I have no problems picking up rubbish and keeping my environment clean. I’m ten years old and I already know that it is very important to recycle and help save the3 planet from pollution. When I grow up I would like to be clean and green.
By Jazayah Cunningham 273 words
I think that my great grandparents didn’t realize our environment would become unhealthy and not safe for their mokopuna. I would like to see more people growing their own vegetables because it would save them buying vegetables from the supermarket. You have no idea of whgat kind of sprays or poisons they have used on their vegetables. Organic gardening is much better for you and the environment. Last term our class made chowchow with our own vegetables from our organic garden at school. The first thing we did when all our vegetables were ready was to harvest them. We picked the beaus, tomatoes, kamokamo the Chinese cabbage and peas for our chowchow. We had to prepare all the veggies and then our teacer demonstrated how to cook everything. We all had to bring a container to school so we can take our chowchow home. I saved my money for my nanny and she said it was divine. I say a picture of a landfill at Marineland and it was a lake filled with rubbish. I thought it was really sad and mean. Poor Papatuanuku. She is being abused by the people who don’t care about her. Papatuanuku is very important to maori. She gives us everything we need.
She gives us water, fruit vegetables and even feeds our animals and gives us trees that give us oxygen and without oxygen humans would not survive on this planet. I would also like our Maori whanau to start using bags we can recycle when they do their shopping. We don’t need plastic bags. They take years for our Marine life like sea birds and penguins
By Leilani Wong 639 words
The Threat – Everyday, the average person inhales about 20,000 litres of air. Every time we breathe, we risk inhaling dangerous chemicals that have found their way into the air. Every day, the average person inhales about 20,000 litres of air. Every time we breathe, we risk inhaling dangerous chemicals that have found their way into the air. Air pollution can be found both outdoors and indoors. Pollutants can be trapped inside buildings, causing indoor pollution that lasts for a long time. The sources of air pollution are both natural and human-based. The effects of air pollution are numerous. Air pollution can have serious consequences for the health of human beings, and also severely affects natural ecosystem. Because it is located in the atmosphere, air pollution is able to travel easily. Some areas now suffer more than others from air pollution. Cities with large numbers of automobiles or those that use great quantities of coal often suffer most severely from problems of air pollution.
Does It Affect Us? - During these cold months, fires are popular as a source of warmth and during this time many people feel like a hangi. The problem is, our fires are affecting our environment and polluting our air and this is a big concern to me. One of our family traditions and for all maori people is being able to enjoy a hangi, not one steamed in a home made steamer, but a traditional hangi, cooked in the ground. Earlier this year my grandfather made us a hangi. It was so nice, but I could see how the smoke was ongoing well after the hangi was out and eaten. At least 5 hours later, the smoke from the fire was still going.....slowly creating clouds of smoke that seem harmless, but like all clouds eventually they will cause acid rain that goes into our water....and eventually into our bodies. Does this have an impact on our Maori Culture..... Of course it does. Hangi is a traditional custom that may need to be compromised because of this knowledge. Does it have an impact on our Maori tikanga.....Yes. It affects the fresh air we breathe, the very thing that gives us life. So….slowly we are dying because of our environment. We are killing ourselves. It almost seems too late or even too unbelievable to realize and it is just as easy to forget about how our way of life is affecting our future. We need to accept changes in our lives to ensure we have a future.
What Can We Do? - As Maori people and part of Ngati Kahungunu there are a lot of simple things we can do to help the situation. There are things we can do to prevent our air getting worse... Of course air pollution will always be in the world but if we all do our part we can try to minimize the large amount of Air Pollution we have today. There are a lot of things we can do to help; they don't have to be big.
Here are some simple things you can start doing today:
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