#WellDrinker14 Sports and Environment – Julian Zhang

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有想過棒球跟環保有什麼關係嗎?不如看看這次WellDrinker 的主角Julian和他的棒球以及環保故事。棒球在香港並不是十分熱門的運動,而電影《點五步》令我們對香港棒球歷史有更多的認識。其實近年有很多年輕新血投入這項運動。14歲的Julian,是《香港少年棒球聯盟》成員,還十分關注環保議題,今年他主動找Urban Spring城泉為他們其中一個棒球練習場地安裝戶外添水站。一起來了解一下Julian 對添水站的想法吧!

Julian Zhang – Player@ Hong Kong Little League:
我喜歡棒球是因為它講求團隊合作,即使有時棒球賽事的節奏很慢,但它也有緊張、刺激、專注及令人興奮的時候,這令人更快投入愛上這項運動,這也是我繼續打棒球這麼多年的原因。另外,我享受跟朋友一起打棒球,也喜歡棒球這項運動。
在 2020年的聖誕假期,因為疫情關係,只可以留在家中,沒有特別的事情可做。所以我決定在家中做分類回收,同時寫了一份關於香港堆填區的小論文。完成後發現,其實我可以改變日常生活習慣去減輕這個情況。於是我決定要在我的棒球聯盟裡安裝添水機,這會是減少塑膠的好方法。
香港的天氣非常炎熱,所以棒球員比賽或者練習時,每次都要喝很多水,由於這些場地都沒有添水機,所以他們會帶很多即棄樽裝水,變相產生了很多廢膠樽。如果可以在這些場地安裝添水機,棒球員等就不會帶這麼多即棄膠水樽了。
所以我聯絡了Urban Spring, 因為我知道他們可以幫到我,而最後是非常成功的。

Robert Park – President@ Hong Kong Little League :
Julian 主動去改變,解決我們場地一直存在的棄膠問題,令我感到非常驕傲。
《香港少年棒球聯盟》有大約400名球員,我們無可奈何地產生了很多塑膠垃圾。有了安裝水機的建議,我們便可幫忙減少香港面臨的大量塑膠廢物問題。
安裝了水機後,立刻收到的反應是十分正面的。當他們看到水機時,家長及球員們如釋重擔,因為他們不用再帶大量水來棒球場。他們都想減少用即棄膠樽,但在炎熱的天氣,實在是逼不得已要買樽裝水。現在安裝了水機後,他們只需要帶備自己的水樽,便可以重複添水,這又是另一個安裝水機後的好處。
這是我們的第一部水機,希望其餘3個棒球場也能安裝。現在,多石棒球場是第一個,其他級別的棒球練習場地也需要,希望推廣至整個聯盟。

Helen Chan – Business Development Director@ Urban Spring
Urban Spring城泉一向都很重視教育,我們很希望小朋友可以從小開始培養一個BYOB,自攜水樽的習慣,Julian甚至走多一步,把這個添水機帶到這裡他以前經常練習的地方,將一個這麼有意義的信息宣揚給他的隊友、家長,甚至朋友。我覺得這個朋輩之間的影響力其實一定更加深遠及有效。
Julian主動寫了一封電郵,聯繫了各方,所以今天這部水機可以放在這個練習場裡面,方便到這麼多小朋友,可以帶自己的水樽到這裡添水。

Julian Zhang – Player@ Hong Kong Little League:
我覺得整體上,香港年青一代對氣候關注有持續上升的趨勢,但我覺得我們可以做更多。很簡單,日常生活已經可以使用環保袋購物,當你外出時,可以帶備重用水樽,好像這個金屬水樽,可以帶它一起外出。如果你想做更多的話,可以選擇與你有關的組織或人,鼓勵他們關注環保,而我的例子就是棒球聯盟,而你們可能是學校,你的朋友或者家人。其實有很多方法可以做,作出微小的改變來幫助減少氣候變化和廢棄物產生的問題。

Urban Spring城泉致力推廣香港成為無塑城市,而教育下一代關注環保,保護自己居住的地方一直是我們十分重視的一環。世界各地的年青人環保意識日漸增強,勇於發聲,令我們十分鼓舞,而這個正面的反應,亦是我們的推動力,在未來的可持續性發展道路上,令我們更堅定地推廣環保,希望更多市民將環保融入生活,每個微小的一步,加起來就是很大的改變。

 

Have you ever thought about the relationship between baseball and environmental protection?  Let’s hear what our WellDrinker – Julian said about how he brought sustainability to his baseball games.
Julian, who turned 14, is a member of the “Hong Kong Little League”. He also cares a lot about the environment.  He approached Urban Spring and asked about installing water dispensers in one of their baseball fields.

Julian Zhang – Player@ Hong Kong Little League:
I like baseball because of its teamwork aspect but also because even thou sometimes it is a slow game, there are moments of intense excitement and concentration which is why it is so exhilarating to play, and this is why I kept playing even after so many years because I enjoy playing with the people around me as well as the game itself.
In the winter of 2020, there was nothing to do at home during the Christmas break.  So, I decided to start with recycling at home and eventually wrote a small paper about Hong Kong’s landfill problem.  And then I realized that something I could do was change what I was doing in my life.  I decided to build the water fountain for my baseball community because this will be a great way to just reduce a lot of plastic waste.
Because of Hong Kong’s very hot weather, everyone has to drink a lot of water every time they have a game or practice but since there is no water fountain, they have to bring a lot of single use plastic bottles which kind of like make me realised there were a lot of plastic bottles being wasted.  If I could get a water fountain built at the field, people wouldn’t have to bring so many plastic bottles. So I contacted Urban Spring because I knew they could help me build the water fountain and in the end it was successful.

Robert Park – President@ Hong Kong Little League :
I am very proud that Julian is taking the initiative to really change something that we have an issue with on this field.  A lot of it is plastic waste.  We have about 400 players in the Hong Kong Little League, and we accumulated a lot of plastic waste.   With this initiative to have fresh water, it allows us to reduce the problem that we have in Hong Kong which is the large vast amount of plastic waste.
Immediately, the response has been very positive.  Once they saw the machine, it almost lifts the burden off lots of the families to have to bring so many bottles of water.  A lot of them are trying to reduce plastic waste but in hot days in Hong Kong playing baseball, they have to carry several bottles of water.  Now with the machine, they just need carry one and they can continue to retrieve as much water as they want, and it is unlimited, so they don’t run out of water which is another great positive aspect.
So far this is the first machine that we have on our field.  We hope to include and install it in other 3 fields.  Right now, To Shek is the first one.  We have other fields in other divisions which we want to implement this machine.  We hope that we can share it with the entire league and not just this field.

Helen Chan – Business Development Director@ Urban Spring
Education is a key focus in Urban Spring. We inspire young people to sustain their BYOB habit.   Julian is a great role model.  He walks one step further to bring a water dispenser to the place where he practices baseball and spreads the sustainability message to his teammates, parents, and friends.  Peer influence has a great impact and is very effective.
Julian initiated an email and connected everyone.  This one simple step facilitated the installation of this water dispenser in the field and enabled many more children and adults to refill their bottles here and encouraged this BYOB habit.

Julian Zhang – Player@ Hong Kong Little League:
Hong Kong youngsters’ awareness of climate change is rising, a lot more need to be done.  There are many small acts that you can also start to do. For example, bring your own reusable bags when you go to grocery shopping or bring your water bottle every time you go out.  If you want to do more than that you can just choose your closest community, for me this was baseball, for you, it can be your schools, your friends, and your family.  There are a lot of ways that you can just make small changes that can help climate change and the waste problem overall.

Urban Spring strives to reduce the consumption of single-use plastic bottles in Hong Kong.  Educating the next generation on environmental protection and to protect where they live is a key focus.  We are encouraged by the growing awareness of environmental protection among young people all over the world and their courage to speak up.  This positive response is our driving force to continue our work in environmental protection and sustainable development.  We hope more people will pursue a sustainable lifestyle.  Each small step adds up and contribute to a big change!

 

 

 

 

 

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