In short...
Themes: celebrating Earth Day; climate change and living sustainably; taking action to preserve the environment.
Summary: this assembly is suitable for use on or shortly before Earth Day (22 April each year). It can be used at other times of year to consider climate change and the need to live sustainably. The first Earth Day happened on 22 April 1970 in the USA, in response to a spill from an oil tanker. It has since grown to become a global event marked by many millions of people around the world.
Resources: The framework to / print (pdf), a photo of palm trees during a hurricane and an illustration of global weather patterns.
The video
On the 22nd of April each year people all around the world celebrate Earth Day.
It’s an opportunity to highlight the importance of caring for the planet by taking part in a range of specially organised events.
The first Earth Day took place in 1970 in the United States in response to a spill from an oil tanker.
20 million people took part in the very first Earth Day from all over the US.
It is now a day marked by over a billion people in countries around the world.
We’ve all become aware of the need to protect our beautiful but fragile planet from the effects of climate change. Climate change is the long-term change in temperature and weather patterns on the planet.
Many children and young people are speaking out on the need for action.
(Young demonstrator) I can tell you for sure, because of the rising global temperatures, the weather patterns are changing, and we are experiencing extreme weather events from floods to droughts to landslides, to hurricanes and this is only going to get worse.
Someone else who has been urging us all to take action is Greta Thunberg.She started the Fridays for Future demonstrations that lots of schoolchildren around the world have taken part in.
This has inspired other movements with similar goals too.
(Young demonstrator) According to surveys, 59% of young people like me are extremely worried about climate change. Climate change isn’t just some world problem, it is happening now and is affecting all of us.
Human activities are the main cause of temperatures increasing, largely due to burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas that release carbon dioxide that warms the planet.
Switching to cleaner energy, like wind or solar power, would make a big difference, and many people around the world are urging their governments to make that happen.
(Young demonstrator) We are making people listen and act now to help save our planet.
(Young demonstrator) I think they should just get their act together, save the planet.
(Young demonstrator) If we do not look after our planet, we are not looking after ourselves. So many things we take for granted are just going to stop.
These young people are all ionate about protecting our planet and educating others about the issues.
So, what actions can we take?
The organisers of Earth Day have plenty of suggestions for how we can all get involved and help to make a difference.
In our gardens and schools, we can plant flowers to encourage pollinating insects.
Pollinators such as bees and butterflies, are essential for preserving many plant species. They help to protect biodiversity and ecosystems by moving pollen between flowers to help them reproduce.
We can get involved with organisations that are planting trees in local parks and gardens.
Trees are very good at absorbing carbon dioxide from the air, so are a helpful way of slowing down global warming.
Plastic pollution is one of the worst problems in our environment. So, recycling plastic, and avoiding using single-use plastics, will help too.
And we can all help with air pollution as well. Walking, cycling, or scooting to school can help to prevent more fumes from cars going into the air we breathe.
Earth Day is a time to that we are all responsible for caring for the planet.
Making small changes can have a big impact.
Change begins with taking action!
Can you do one thing today to help?
Earth Day is marked on 22 April each year. The first Earth Day was held in the USA in 1970, in response to a spill from an oil tanker. It has since grown to become and global event, during which as many as 1 billion people around the world mark the need for action on the environment and living sustainably.
One consequence of global warming is an increase in extreme weather events. Global warming is a result of the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, the main cause of which is the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas. There is an ongoing switch to cleaner forms of energy, such as wind and solar power, but many protestors feel that the transition needs to happen more urgently. At the current time - 2023 - the UK government has a commitment to achieve 'net zero' by 2050.
The organisers of Earth Day have plenty of suggestions for how we can all make a difference: plant pollinating flowers to preserve biodiversity; plant trees to help with the capture of carbon; reduce use of plastic and avoid single-use plastic; walk or cycle to school if possible.
Duration: 4' 14"
Last words: 'Can you do one thing today to help">