Protecting environment on the agenda for student

A Massey University student won’t be afraid to take on the world’s big problems following a trip to a mock United Nations.

Veterinary science student Anne-sophie Page is in the New Zealand delegation going to the model UN in Harvard in the United States, and she is also part of a political leadership tour visiting Mexico, the United States and Canada.

Page, 21, leaves next week and will be away for more than a month with UN youth New Zealand with 13 other students. Protecting the environment and corruption are topics Page wants to work on while she’s away.

She said they would visit think tanks, political organisations and non-government organisations in Mexico City, San Francisco, Boston, New York and Montreal.

‘‘We’ll be looking at the current global standing and where New Zealand fits into the standing,’’ she said.

‘‘We have sustainable development goals about what we as youth can be doing in our backyard in relation to the American region, which is hugely political.’’

Climate change and the environment are her passions. She said youth were becoming more politically aware and that was making them more open minded. ‘‘We are seeing a time of change with [United States president Donald] Trump. Climate change is becoming more and more of an issue.

‘‘Especially for people here at Massey, there is a real drive to get out there and physically see what it means to make a difference.’’

Originally from Dunedin, she studied climate change at Otago University before she came to Massey.

She has also done work in the Pacific, looking at the physical effect of climate change on the environment and people, as well as assessing the health of coral.

‘‘It’s quite distressing. Even if you go snorkelling in the Great Barrier Reef, the skin of the coral is much less.’’

Plastic in the oceans is another problem Page would like to help remedy.

She said she had made a commitment to tackle climate change, empower youth to take on opportunities and look at global awareness.

Massey University student Anne-sophie Page is part of the New Zealand delegation competing at the model United Nations event in the United States.