Laura Blinkhorn, a 16 year-old from Washington D.C, in the United States, sat with her two friends crouched forward on a bench in the hallway trying to get their bearings and wrap their heads around the whole United Nations Process.

The trio from the United World College spoke very frankly about some of the frustrations they were experiencing at Earth Summit +5.

"The first thing we're trying to do is figure out how it all works, which doesn't appear to be that easy," said Nico Stillfried, a 19-year-old from Germany.

It's easy to get lost in the process and all of the paper. For example, there are dozens of tables with rows and rows of documents filled with causes, new studies and recommendations coming from non-governmental organizations and the many, many UN bodies that exist.

All three agreed that it was hard to make positive changes in such a huge forum with so many agendas competing for time. They were also frustrated with the slowness of the process and the lack of follow-through with the many, many environmental conventions that had already been agreed upon by the United Nations.

"We really want some concrete change to happen," said Yuill Herbert, a 19-year-old from British Columbia, Canada. "Not just another convention."

Nico complained that the conference felt really abstract and didn't reflect the urgency of the worsening environmental situation. He noted with what sounded like a twinge of regret that his friends were back home working on actual projects.

The trio offered these practical, environmental tips to young people who may not necessarily have time to do something about the environment.

Herbert explained that young people could meet their neighbours. "They don't necessarily have to plant trees", Laura said. "They can get involved with their community by doing hands-on stuff such as helping the homeless."

"It feels good to get involved rather than just reading about it or watching TV," Herbert said. "It's constructive to go out and help repair a street."