How to take a pollution problem – discarded chewing gum – and turn it into a green resource by recycling it and using the result to make products like re-usable coffee cups. This A1+ document aims at developing your students’ reading skills and autonomy. Its general theme is protecting the environment, and should prove of … Continue reading “Chewing Gum and Doing Good”
As many of us get used to spending much more time than usual at home during the Covid-19 outbreak, it seems a perfect time to catch up on some of that sleep we all keep saying we don’t get enough of. And it turns out we could help the planet at the same time. World … Continue reading “Sleep for the Planet”
The speech young climate activist Greta Thunberg made to the UN Climate Action Summit in September 2019 is a great example of a speech for students. It can be added to work on several Shine Bright 1e themes. Greta Thunberg would also be interesting to study in connection with the LLCER literature curriculum The Curious … Continue reading “Greta’s Speech”
It’s been quite a year for Greta Thunberg. As well as leading millions of people in climate protests around the world, the 16-year-old activist has addressed the United Nations, met and harangued world leaders. It’s no wonder that Time Magazine named her its Person of the Year. Thunberg never imagined her solo protest would have … Continue reading “Greta’s Year”
A quiet revolution is building momentum around the world as school pupils strike and march to try to get their elders to take serious measures to limit climate change. It started with one Swedish 15-year-old missing school to go and be a one-person picket line in front of a government ministry in September 2018. She … Continue reading “School Strike for the Planet”
Australian water activist Mina Guli has undertaken a gruelling physical challenge to draw attention to the growing global water crisis. From November till February she is attempting to run 100 marathons in 100 days. The United Nations estimates that there will be a 40% shortfall between demand and supply for water globally by 2030. Increasing … Continue reading “Running Dry”
The Ocean Cleanup non-profit organisation is hoping to remove vast quantities of plastic pollution from the oceans. Here are some articles and videos you could use to introduce your pupils to this topic. To set the scene, and with lower-level pupils, there is an article provided at A1+, A2 and B1 levels about Ocean Cleanup … Continue reading “Ocean Cleanup Webpicks”
Plastic pollution, particularly in the oceans, has been in the news a lot recently, with governments, institutions and big business calling and pledging to reduce the use of disposable, single-use plastics. But a young Dutchman has been fighting for eight years to tackle the other end of the problem: removing existing plastic from the sea. … Continue reading “Cleaning Plastic From the Oceans”
A British university made progress on two environmental problems with one successful campaign: it got rid of unsightly used chewing gum littered about the campus and significantly reduced use of unrecyclable disposable coffee cups. How? By getting students to put the chewing gum into special bins, then using the recycled gum to make free re-usable … Continue reading “Green Coffee”
South Africa’s second largest city came very close to running out of water in April. Only a massive effort by its citizens has delayed “Day Zero” for now. More and more urban areas face water shortages as a result of climate change. Three years of unusually low rainfall, combined with population increases, left Cape Town … Continue reading “Cape Town: The Day the Water Stops”