As the world celebrated Earth Day on April 22, the Ondo State Goodwill Ambassador for Environment, Miss Olayemi Olapeju, declared hours of energy turn-off in Owo last Saturday, while unveiling the logo of Myroot Social, the earth-friendly social media platform she created that will go live on the Apple and Android app stores in 2024.
The event, which was chaired by Dr Funso Esan, former Ondo State Commissioner for Environment, was attended by many environmentalists and students.
Speaking at the event, Ms Olapeju explained that the energy turn-off was to minimise environmental carbon footprints and the greenhouse emissions that will heat up the atmosphere of the event.
She stated further that the creation of Myroot Social was informed by her passion for the environment.
In addition to app functions for interacting and meeting new friends, sharing photos, uploading videos and even creating family trees, the social media platform would be a hub of climate information, to share essential environmental information and help people take climate action especially on sustainable fashion.
She disclosed that fashion enthusiasts can learn about environmental-friendly and ethical fashion products and that eco-friendly products which process of production are not exploiting the labour force of modern-day slavery and child labour will be allowed to be uploaded on the platform with prices for people to make purchases.
“The platform will be used to take action to end fast fashion. It will have winners for ‘earth face’ competition in which people will upload pictures and make short videos showing off their sustainable closet and share it on the platform for users to decide the best.
“Fast fashion is characterised by tremendous waste, stripping the earth of its limited resources, as the industry depletes healthy soil, contaminates fresh water sources, pollutes the air we breathe, defiles our oceans, destroys our forests, damages our ecosystems and biodiversity,” she said.
She disclosed that thorn tree was chosen for the logo of Myroot Social in order to honour the late renowned artist, J. D. Akeredolu, from Owo, Ondo State, who invented the art of thorn wood carving, which are used to produce charming, miniature sculptures that mirror life events of traditional lifestyle.
The beige, pink and brown colours on the logo is the three different colours that the thorn grows.
Also speaking at the event, Mrs Brereton Nike Maureen, the Foreign Bureau Chief of Myroot Television Broadcasting Limited, the Company that created Myroot Social, said Myroot Social Platform will have the inclusion social network with user safety as its heart and it is a social network that will give back to the society in replenishing the earth and make the earth a greener pasture in the years ahead.
“Myroot Social will prevent toxicity on its platform and it will be a place where users feel safe, secure and encourage positive, inspiring, life-affirming interaction with their friends without having to witness and endure hate, racism, homophobia and extreme politics. It will have hundred per cent human content moderation done by a trained team and will cover in shifts managed by us 24-7” she said.
The chairman of the event, Dr Funso Esan, said that Myroot Social is a laudable initiative and will create platforms for millions of individuals to have lasting earth-positive impacts.
Speaking through his representative, High Chief Ademoriji Oyewole, he said the platform will be a tool for environmental protection and bullhorn to demand change for the degradation of earth’s environment and alter people habits to be greener.
