2013 Young Conservationist of the Year: Linh Do

By AG Society October 22, 2013
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Linh Do has been named Young Conservationist of the Year at the 2013 AG Society Gala Awards.

WHEN SHE WAS JUST 15, Linh Do had a light-bulb moment. It was 2006 and the Melbourne schoolgirl was fiercely determined to do something positive for the environment. While taking part in a school leadership program, she came up with the bright idea to have every incandescent light bulb in the school changed to an energy-saving fluorescent one.

With the support of her local community, Linh’s Change a Million Light Bulbs project grew: her neighbours and friends jumped on board and nearby schools followed suit. The campaign spread and over the course of 18 months, more than 1 million light bulbs were changed.

As part of her campaign, Linh encouraged people who made the switch to send letters to their local member of parliament. As a result, in 2007, Australian legislation changed to limit the sale of incandescent bulbs.

After the success of Change a Million Light Bulbs, Linh spent two years working with the United Nations Environment Programme, encouraging other nations to adopt fluorescent lighting policies. Today, 30 countries have phased-out the sale of incandescent bulbs.

Now working as a community coordinator for the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF), 22-year-old Linh continues to foster grassroots environmental change.”

Back to the 2013 AG Society Gala Awards