Queensland’s Runcorn State School’s tuckshop has been stocked with more environmentally friendly food products after year 7 student Nicholas Buddle discovered noodles on sale contained palm oil from farms which replace habitat of the threatened orangutan.

Queensland’s Climate Change and Sustainability Minister Kate Jones presented Nicholas with the top award at today’s inaugural Green Lane Diary Environmental Hero Awards, held at the Queensland Museum.

“Nicholas has shown real leadership and helped his whole school community to become more sustainable,” Jones said.

“After learning about the plight of orangutans, and the effect of the palm oil industry on this fragile species, he set out to make a difference and take environmentally unsustainable products off the shelves.

“Thanks to Nicholas, all foods now sold at the tuckshop are sustainable or of fair trade value.”

Jones said the Green Lane Diary awards, coordinated by Green Cross Australia, had inspired more than 14,000 students from over 200 schools across Queensland to take action on a range of environmental issues.

“The aim of these awards was to empower young people to respond to environmental change,” she said.

“Today’s awards ceremony has demonstrated how young people across the state can make a big difference.

“We want to encourage the youth of today, as the leaders of tomorrow, to help raise awareness of these issues and suggest ways we could do things better.

“Today’s youth are the environmental stewards of the future, so it’s vital that we listen to, and support them in their efforts to protect our environment.

“That’s what these awards are all about, and it’s great to see the results are making a difference.”

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