Ideas for my speech to Sustainability East

Basically, I, as the Climate Change Champion for the East of England have been invited to the Sustainable Development Round Table for the East of England. Key people are going to be there, including :  Baroness Barbara Young, Chief Executive for the Environment Agency, Barbara Follett Mp, Minister for the East of England, Brian Stewart, Chief Executive for the East of England Regional Assembly and Richard Powell, Chair of the RSPB East of England and me! Obviously I'm just a little bit nervous, and have been told to challenge Sustainability East, suggesting what they could do in their powerful position, and how they could involve youth and why it is important to do so. 

I would love to know peoples ideas, and will hopefully spread the message of Footprint Friends while I'm there!  

Hi Hatter, sounds like a good opportunity - Good luck, (hopefully I haven't missed your point...) 

I think 'we' have to be flexible and tread a balance between persuading people to change - and alienating people;

for me - a few of the more important things in engaging more people in Green and Sustainable issues are...

• educating people but with more emphasis on Solutions (there's enough shock/scare tactics, fear and general negativity in the world - on that note, anyone see "Cutting Edge: Cotton Wool Kids" on Channel 4 last night???)

• reducing mixed messages (this is a hard one and I think we need science/government bodies to catch up/intervene and help to define or weigh up the relative environmental affects of a lot of everyday things)

• encouraging people to challenge their everyday perceptions (for example; why do I drink bottled water - is it really any cleaner or taste any better?), and at the same attaching more thinking to everyday tasks and things you do on autopilot or choices you make almost subconsiously.

Why is it so important to engage particularly young people? a couple of my thoughts...

• Young people will have to live with any consequences (the obvious one!) 

• If someone grows up with ideas or habits, they'll become second nature and the things you do without thinking in your life, e.g. recycling.
  

Basically, this posts to says I did the event- so not really much point in any more ideas. For my account of they day, check out the blog section.