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CNN's 'Going Green' spotlights the young environmentalists taking climate action into their own hands

Nov. 9, 2022 - 13:10 By

A special 30-minute program airs November 12, with continuing coverage airing November 14-18

HONG KONG, Nov. 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Protecting our planet has never been more important than it is today. Whether it's finding alternative energy solutions or cleaning up our coastlines, a new generation is stepping up in the name of sustainability – and they're proving that every action, big or small, can make a difference. On the next episode of 'Going Green', CNN meets five gen-Z environmentalists from across the globe who are carving the path to a greener future.

CNN’s ‘Going Green’ spotlights the young environmentalists taking climate action into their own hands
CNN’s ‘Going Green’ spotlights the young environmentalists taking climate action into their own hands

First, we meet Raina Jain from the United States who is on a mission to help save the bees. Jain is the inventor of HiveGuard, a 3D-printed beehive entranceway coated in a pesticide that kills varroa mites, which are a primary cause of honeybee deaths worldwide. As bees pass through the passageway, the pesticide coats their bodies, which ultimately kills the mites, but leaves the bees unharmed. Jain won an Intel science award in environmental engineering for her novel invention. She has now also started a honey-based health food company called Queen Bee, which also focuses on supporting bee populations.

Next, CNN hears from one young inventor in Japan who is working on a method to capture carbon emissions and re-use them as fuel. Kazumi Muraki was just 15 years old when he developed a suitcase-sized carbon capture device called Hiyassy, which is capable of absorbing about the same amount of carbon dioxide as 15 cedar trees. The now 22-year-old recently updated it with an artificial intelligence component to make it a fun and informative experience for users. Now he's testing an alternative fuel he's creating from the captured carbon in Hiyassy and hopes to use it in all forms of transportation.

We then go to the largest lake in Africa, Lake Victoria, now under threat from an aquatic weed called water hyacinth that blocks oxygen from entering the water. The weed population has been increasing due to climate change. To fight this, Rahmina Paullete founded Kisumu Environmental Champions, an organization which works to restore and protect the precious lake for generations to come. In an effort to improve water quality and stop the decline of the fish population, Paullete removes the invasive hyacinth and turns it into products such as cards and bags to promote environmental sustainability.

Then, the programme spotlights the work of Felix Finkbeiner, founder of Plant-for-the-Planet, an organization dedicated to planting trees to tackle the climate crisis. His mission today is to help plant one trillion trees around the world, as part of a United Nations initiative his organization oversees. While Plant-for-the-Planet has ongoing restoration projects in Spain, Ghana, and Ethiopia, the rainforest of the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico is their biggest focus at the moment. Mobilizing the youth is also at the core of his work – the organization has trained over 90,000 youth climate justice ambassadors around the world.

Finally, CNN travels to Bengaluru, India to meet Garvita Gulhati, the founder of Why Waste? – an organization aimed at educating people about their water intake, ultimately to prevent water waste. Gulhati first set out to tackle water waste in restaurants with her 'glass half full' movement, which is now active in over 500,000 restaurants across India. The 22-year-old has also created an app that helps people monitor and change their water habits. She recently published a series of "sustainability stories" to empower and educate young people.

Going Green trailer: https://bit.ly/3hgDX9B 
Going Green images: https://bit.ly/3zWr9vK 
Going Green microsite: https://cnn.it/3bMvOqF 

Airtimes for 30-minute special:
Sunday, 13th November at 1:30am and 7pm HKT

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