Group's plan to change the world (From Watford Observer)

Group's plan to change the world

10:39am Friday 15th February 2008 in News

While world leaders focus their efforts on cutting carbon emissions to save planet Earth for future generations, a band of campaigners from Watford are lending their support to an alternative solution.

Greg Peachey, 54, created the FREdome Visionary Group four years ago with an aim to create a better world for future generations using the ideas of people in the community.

"It's a launch pad for ideas," he said. "Act local, think global."

He listed four of the biggest world problems as climate change, the energy crisis, starvation and disease, which he said are caused by burning too many fossil fuels and stripping nutrients from soil.

And following research piloted by scientist Harry Hart, FREdome is supporting a theory known as carbon cycling, which suggests carbon from the air and sea nutrients can be converted into a fertiliser using algae.

This could then be used to reclaim deserts and wasteland, grow trees, which use carbon dioxide, induce rain, produce food and fuels, and safeguard the future of the environment, the study has found.

Greg, with the help of youth leader Jasmine, 15, now has more than 2,000 young people supporting FREdome's cause, in an effort to promote this solution to climate change.

And money raised by the group is put back into research, in the hope it can be presented as a way to bring climate change under control, in parallel with reducing carbon emissions.

Greg said: "There's no need for anyone to be short of anything. "You can get a group of people together and put the best idea in the world in front of them and nothing happens.

"Most adults do nothing, but young people are open and concerned about these things because it's their future.

"The only way to get through to them is through young people. They've got energy and enthusiasm.

"It could be a jolly bright future for young people instead of all the doom and gloom."

Jasmine, from Bushey, became involved in FREdome through Greg's daughter, Sophie, 14, and began by handing out leaflets.

Now through social networking websites such as Myspace and Bebo, she is raising awareness of their campaign and has received support from more than 2,000 other young people.

She said: "I just wanted to get involved. I am caring and I love to help people.

"We know the solutions to some of the world's problems. If we get a lot of people involved, then something can be done."

FREdome will host a fundraising youth event for their supporters at Area nightclub on Tuesday, March 25.