Eco-campaigner taking on the world | Northland News | Local News in Northland

When Otaika Valley teenager Erana Walker observed couches and washing machines poisoning her local river, something clicked - now she's flying to Denmark to push world leaders to take action on climate change.

The 17-year-old is one of five young Kiwi ambassadors picked by Unicef to travel to Copenhagen in November to participate in the United Nations Children's Climate Change conference.

The aim is to come up with suggestions for world leaders on how to tackle the issue.

The meeting is five days before the  main conference, which aims to establish a global climate agreement by 2012.

Ministers and officials from 192 countries will take part, including New Zealand's climate change minister Nick Smith and conservation minister Tim Groser.

A Year 13 pupil at Te Kura Kaupapa Maori O Te Rawhiti Roa in Whangarei, Erana first became aware of the importance of caring about the environment when her science teacher, Joanne Murray, took her class to Parakiore River in 2003.

They found couches, washing machines, and "brown stuff" floating on top of the water, Erana said.

"It was a real eye opener to us as the river flowed into Whangarei Falls where we go for swims and then into Whangarei Harbour where we collect pipis.

"I thought maybe I'm part of the problem. Maybe I can help."

The students highlighted their concerns to the community by making presentations at local schools and by organising several planting days.

"We would gather and identify invertebrates using a magnifying tube which would tell us whether anything was missing and whether the water was clean."

In 2008 the school planted 600 locally-sourced native plants such as harakeke and kahikatea at Tikipunga Domain, through which the river flowed.

A similar event this year saw 3000 natives planted.

In June, six years after their plan to restore the river began, students found a koura or fresh water crayfish in the river - evidence their actions were working.

In her application to Unicef Erana wrote about the work she'd done in the community, and her thoughts on climate change.

"It will effect youth especially. If the leaders decide on a lousy treaty, we'll have to pick it up, and that's not fair."

She said she couldn't believe that some people thought climate change wasn't happening.

"Haven't they seen the weather changes recently? Northland is supposed to be sunny and warm and we're getting rainfall and floods - that's got to be telling you something."

Erana was unimpressed by New Zealand's target of reducing carbon emissions to 10 to 20 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020, if there was a global agreement.

At the Bangkok climate negotiations, a step to Copenhagen, New Zealand said it reserved the right to drop the target below 10 per cent if it didn't get what it wanted from other countries.

Greenpeace political adviser Geoff Keey said that was very likely and countries like India, Mexico and Brazil were wanting to do more than New Zealand.

Erana said the target should be 40 per cent. "The Government says that is too much and it will effect our economy but they just want to take the easy option and are more focused on money."

She wasn't thrilled either at John Key's comment to Greenpeace climate campaigner Keisha Castle-Hughes that she should "stick to the acting".

"Is he going to listen to youth or does he just think they're too young and don't know what they're talking about?

"My message to John Key is you can work alongside the economy and youth ... I'll high five him if he agrees."

The New Zealand team of young ambassadors have arranged funding for their trip and are now helping fundraise for a team from Kiribati so they can also attend the conference.