Junior high school students in Beijing recently wrote a letter to Premier Zhu Rongji, raising eight suggestions for protecting the environment.

Premier Zhu praised these environmentally conscious students attached to the No.2 Middle School at the Northern China Jiaotong University. Students said in the letter that primary and middle school students should organize regular tree planting activities and take care of parks, gardens and other green belts in Beijing.

These students said burying ashes under trees benefits the growth of trees. They said that trees would be just like tombstones.

They also suggested that disposal chopsticks made of wood be banned to save forests and tanks be carefully designed to save water when flushing toilets.

These junior high school students have taken an active role in environmental protection activities since their school started a course for environmental protection in 1996.

"Although we are young, we should try our best to make the world a better place", said Xiong Feng, one of the students.