A PORTUGUESE international exhibition, entitled ‘Planet Blue’, which aims to teach schoolchildren of the importance of looking after our planet, was opened in Lisbon recently.
Planet Blue, conceived in 1999 and organised by the children’s foundation, Fundação da Criança, has already toured France and its next stop will be Ireland.
Minister for the Environment, Humberto Rosa, joined the foundation president, Cristina Paço d’Arcos, and Lisbon environmental councillor, Ana Sofia Bettencour, in the exhibition’s official unveiling in Terreiro das Missas, Bélem. In a short opening address, the minister stressed the social responsibility of educating today’s children on the importance of safeguarding the environment for future generations. “This exhibition reinforces the message that we cannot wait decades to deal with the pressing ecological and environmental problems the world and Portugal are facing,” he said.
Under the slogan ‘Love the planet, it’s your planet’, the travelling exhibition, which will tour 14 cities in Portugal and then Ireland between now and June, aims to teach young people that, if we continue to exploit and pollute the Earth in an uncontrolled manner, our future as a race cannot be secured.
Also on hand at the exhibition were groups of Lisbon schoolchildren, aged between four and 12, who aim to teach adults about taking care of nature and our planet through models and painting. They reminded visitors that each and every one of us has the responsibility of making a difference day-by-day by recycling household waste, cleaning the environment and rationing water consumption.
The exhibition runs until April 17 and is open for groups of children from 9am to 1pm and from 2pm to 6pm on weekdays. During the weekends, it will be open to the general public from 2pm to 7pm. Entry is free.
