Ljubljana’s atomic green teens (19 images)
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A 2000 academic survey stated that younger people (between 15 and 31) in Ljubljana were more critical of the environment than elder generations. The ones we meet over four days in the Slovenian capital use bikes, recycle plastic or eat carrots. Some believe that the world could explode one day if we don’t take enough care of it. Others have not even heard about the springtime nuclear threat from Japan, would rather kill a tree than forget their mobile phone at home and drink naftaline as they explain: ‘fuck green’. Portraits by French-Argentine photographer Lucille Caballero
This image gallery is part of cafebabel.com’s 2010-2011 feature focus on Green Europe; read the full set of city special editions
On 11 June the Lunin festival celebrates praznik otrok or 'kids day' at Tivoli, the main park in Ljubljana. The festival hosts various eco-stands (Image: © Lucille Caballero)
‘I don’t care about the environment. I am not really scared about nuclear power. I don’t feel concerned,’ says the gastronomy student from Kranj, Slovenia's fourth biggest city. We meet at Metelkova, a huge social centre space (Image: © Lucille Caballero)
This family is from Koper on the Slovenian coast, though they say they like Ljubljana for its parks (Image: © Lucille Caballero)
65% of Ljubljana residents live within 500 metres of green spaces (Image: © Lucille Caballero)
A green apathetic (Image: © Lucille Caballero)
An elementary school pupil. The schools are located away from the noise which is a principal polluter of the city, with 60% coming from traffic (Image: © Lucille Caballero)
(Image: © Lucille Caballero)
The vegetarian says she would choose trees over mobile phones (Image: © Lucille Caballero)
The fellow vegetarian and nature lover goes to school by bus. ‘One day it’s going to be so bad that we won’t be able to live in this planet anymore,’ she says (Image: © Lucille Caballero)
Slovenia's anti-light pollution law is the only legislation of its kind in the world (Image: © Lucille Caballero)
Tita's father Martin says Ljubljana is small but green and its merits lie in the fact that the coast and the forest are very close (Image: © Lucille Caballero)
‘Fuck green!’ says the documentary maker (Image: © Lucille Caballero)
Darja goes to school by bike or takes the bus. ‘I like the mix of city and nature but I am not a big fan of the latter,’ she says (Image: © Lucille Caballero)
The primary function of Ljubljana’s green spaces is mainly recreational than environmental. Here, slacklining, or the practice of walking on a tightrope suspended between two trees (Image: © Lucille Caballero)
Part of the younger generation who often go to Tivoli park to practice the ‘slacklining’ craze (Image: © Lucille Caballero)
Whilst Hana is very careful to save water and recycle, Juve admits he doesn’t care about environment. ‘I don’t watch television so I don’t know about this tsunami,’ he adds (Image: © Lucille Caballero)
'Ljubljana has many parks and rivers, and is small and not as polluted as Paris or New York’ (Image: © Lucille Caballero)
Two of the eight members of the ZEK collective, who 'visually intervene' on the face of their city (Image: © Lucille Caballero)
Tracks outside of the city centre (Image: © Lucille Caballero)
Many thanks to Miha Mohorič, Jaša Pipan of cafebabel.com Ljubljana, Nabeelah Shabbir and Maximilien Van Aertryck