Students at Francis Patton School were given a lecture yesterday by Dr.

Ricardo Navarro, president of the Centro Salvadoreno De Technologica Apropiada Foe-El Salvador (CESTA), and chairman of Friends of the Earth International (FOEI).

Friends of the Earth is a federation of many different organisations and has over one million members, employing over 700 people in 62 different countries.

Dr. Navarro told students the leading cause of death in his country -- El Salvador -- was from respiratory disease, a direct result of air pollution.

He explained the greenhouse effect produced by the world's huge consumption of fossil fuels and the fact that the world's oceans and trees cannot recycle the carbon dioxide fast enough, leading to the greenhouse effect. The trapped atmospheric gasses act as layers of insulation leading to a steady warming of our planet.

Dr. Navarro first became involved in FOEI about ten years ago, when his organisation CESTA became a member just before a United Nations conference on development in Brazil.

They have since been making progress by working with the UN and governments around the world on topics such as climate change, as well as being involved in awareness and education campaigns. This is the first time FOEI has been involved here.

When asked about what we do well and poorly in Bermuda, Dr. Navarro said Bermuda has a beautiful landscape and would ideally be seen as a showcase as an example of a sustainable society.

Not so positive are concerns about the amount of litter on the Island, as well as areas that could be improved upon.

Dr. Navarro suggested that Bermuda should be headed towards a green future, and suggested simple things such as having a deposit on returned bottles.

Other suggestions included renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power, a move to non polluting vehicles such as electric cars, and healthy local industries such as organic farming which is becoming far more prevelant and popular around the world.

Several topics discussed in the lecture to students were the melting of the polar ice caps, and the resulting increase in sea level, which could would be devastating to small islands such as Bermuda.

Hurricanes, which may become more frequent and more intense as a result of global warming, are also of major concern, and Dr. Navarro related the experience of his home country El Salvador which was hit by the devastating Hurricane Mitch two years ago, killing 12,000 people.

On the other extreme, times of drought, which for a country so dependent on rain water such as Bermuda, could be tragic.

Dr. Navarro said that he hoped in the future to have a greater relationship with local organisations.

Green is good: Dr Ricardo Navarro of Freinds of the Earth International speaks to children from Francis Patton School about global and local environmental issues.