Embassy News

Embassy Celebrates Earth Day 2008

Chargé d’affaires Michael Ratney presenting Earth Day poster to the school	PAO Joey Hood planting a tree

The American Embassy in Doha celebrated Earth Day 2008 with a weeklong series of activities to raise awareness about environmental issues in Qatar.

On Tuesday April 22^nd, Joey Hood, Public Affairs Officer at the American Embassy visited Abdelrahman Bin Jassim Independent School in Al-Wakrah for the performance of a student play highlight the protection of nature. Mr. Hood planted a tree on the school grounds and gave out Earth Day 2008 posters to the school. 

Also during Earth Day 2008, the American Embassy launched a paper waste recycling project. In cooperation with the Al-Suweidy paper factory in the Industrial Area, the Embassy will now begin recycling all paper waste produced by the Embassy.  The Al Suweidy factory is providing the Embassy with disposal bins for paper waste and will arrange for weekly pick-ups of all paper waste for recycling. The embassy has been working to introduce recycling projects since announcing a cooperative grant with the Center for Environment Friends (CEF) to support their efforts to promote recycling in Qatar schools.

To conclude the week’s Earth Day activities, Michael Ratney, Chargé d’affaires of the American Embassy visited the Abu Ayoub Al Ansari government middle school. He toured a display of student science exhibits and was introduced to the different displays by the school art groups, student scouts and science teachers. Encouraged by their science and art teachers, the students used recycled waste materials collected from local beaches and their school to create art work highlighting environment themes.  The program also included a screening of an animated film about recycling, produced by Center for Environment Friends and sponsored by the American Embassy.  To conclude the visit, Mr. Ratney was received by the school principal to exchange gifts, where the American Embassy presented Earth Day 2008 posters to the school.