What Rio+20 has demonstrated is that we can no longer stand by and wait for world leaders to provide solutions to prevent us from reaching the tipping point, or point of no return.

Our beloved bodies of water are now showing how fragile they really are. Whether we see oceans as a natural resource bank account, a key component of our health and well-being, or as a heritage for our children, it is imperative that we include them in our march to a better future.

Brittany Trilford, a 17 year old school girl from Wellington, New Zealand is the winner of an international search for a person under the age of 30 to represent youth and future generations at the Earth Summit this June 20-22 in Rio De Janeiro.