Pride of Guernsey: Olivia Bennett
OLIVIA BENNETT has been nominated for Sustainability Hero of the Year, sponsored by Aon.
Nominator Rollo De Sausmarez described how Olivia has been working for Unity and Clean Earth Trust this past year. While at Unity, she has been working with a carbon literacy project to educate people about the importance of climate change and to take action now. Recognised by the Carbon Literacy Project and Patagonia, she has gone on to deliver sustainability training for more than 50 people in the last six months, partly through sessions with schools.
Satellite measurements show in the years 1993-2019 the island saw 1-2mm a year of sea level rise (from Climate Change Action Plan online). The effects of climate change are already apparent locally, for instance with increased flooding because of sea level rise and intensive rainfall. As is equally clear with yearly storm increases, another major worry is food security.
Despite the island’s great water security, all is interconnected. Mapping services such as climate change sea level rise online show how the island could shrink unless substantial action is taken.
‘I think it’s really important for everyone do get involved, as individual action results in communal action,’ said Olivia.
‘As Jane Goodall says: “You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make”.’
