Liter of Light partners with UST to raise awareness about ongoing climate crisis

Liter of Light, a Filipino-born global grassroots solar lighting movement, has partnered with the University of Santo Tomas (UST) for a large-scale solar art installation to raise awareness and call for urgent action on the ongoing climate crisis.

Building on the success of its award-winning “Light It Forward” campaign, Liter of Light’s latest initiative – called “Messages for the Planet” – engages young people in leading the call for change in climate policies, even in the midst of a global pandemic.

By inviting youth climate leaders and environmental luminaries from the university to design and build a large-scale installation using its hand-built solar lights, the organization is using its platform to amplify the voices calling for climate action. 

The UST installation features a large sun and the figure 1.5, to represent the critical 1.5 degree C threshold that the world must adhere to in order to avoid major climate change catastrophes, including super typhoons, which are the direct result of rising ocean temperatures. 

“This week, we are confronted once again with the fact that the Philippines is on the front lines of the climate crisis. We can – we must – act now,” said Illac Diaz, Founder and Executive Director of Liter of Light. “Typhoon Odette destroyed hundreds of thousands of homes and lives across the country in a matter of hours. Through this symbolic installation with UST, we are calling for dramatic action to halt global warming that is devastating our environment and endangering our way of life.”

The installations are part of a series of pop-up artworks that Liter of Light is building across Metro Manila to raise awareness and urgency for climate action. It recently completed large-scale solar art installations in St. Andrews, Scotland with youth environmental leaders and student representatives to the global climate change conference, COP26.

After the unveiling of this week’s installation, which includes a mass in tribute to the victims of this latest natural disaster, the lights used to create the artwork will be deployed to the communities ravaged by Typhoon Odette.

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About Liter of Light:

Working in 32 countries with over 2,700 youth ambassadors, Liter of Light is one of the largest organizations that works with youth to engage companies in Europe, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Africa on building simple and repairable solar lights, mobile charging systems, and street lights. Using materials from within each community, the organization has empowered the lives of over one million people a year, while creating opportunities for green micro business, and lowering carbon emissions by 1000kg per hand-built solar lamp.

To learn more about Liter of Light, visit: www.lightitforward.ph 

Instagram: @literoflight

Facebook: www.facebook.com/aliteroflight

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmkj2sShWG4O5xGdq15gB7A/