Nelson video takes world stage

COLIN SMITH/Nelson Mail

POWER: Green Teens Sophie Turner, left, and Brittany Packer, both 17, with Dean Schneider and the Nelson-produced environmentally themed music video Kids Can!, which has been picked up by the UN.

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An environmental empowerment music video made in Nelson has helped launch a United Nations campaign in New York.

Co-written by Nelson-based environmental educator and photographer Dean Schneider and former Nelsonian Paulo Grossi, Kids Can! was to be screened at the United Nations headquarters during the UNite to Combat Climate Change campaign launch on Thursday.

On Friday, the video clip was to be released in Norway as part of United Nations Day.

Mr Schneider was excited about the video clip being presented to the world. "What I'm about is kids, and educating them about the environment ... To say that I am over the moon is an understatement."

Mr Schneider has been a driving force behind sending young people from Nelson and around New Zealand to conferences sponsored by the UN Environment Programme. In June, he received a Green Ribbon Award from the Ministry for the Environment for a lifetime committed to sustaining, protecting and enhancing New Zealand's environment.

Mr Schneider conjured up the song after thinking it would be "wonderful" for New Zealand's seven Sir Peter Blake Trust ambassadors to sing an environmental song at the United Nations Childrens' World Summit on the Environment in Japan during 2005.

He had never written a song before, but liked the idea of having a rap component.

"I like almost all music, but New Zealand rap artist Scribe switched me on to rap. I liked the messages he was conveying, and obviously young people are liking it at the moment."

Many of the ambassadors' parents mentioned the song would make a great video clip, so he found enough singers and performers to film a day at Kaiteriteri and another near Pelorus Bridge.

The music video landed on the world stage after Mr Schneider sent a copy to UNEP head of communications Satinder Bindra.

The video features 17 young people aged nine to 19.