The Environment

Environmental Action

VOCABULARY a running water system accelerating rate of action

extinction
activism activists advocating all make a difference
and protect the anti-capitalist anti-fracking awareness
environment
binding treaties biomedical bushland campaign
campaigning change changemakers civil disobedience
clear-cut climate action climate change climate change activists
composting concerns consumerism cutting
damage destroyed disruption draw attention to an
issue
eco-friendly ecological ecosystem edible

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encourage environmental action environmental action environmental
projects education programs
environmental issues environmentalist erecting illegal extinction rebellion
structures
forced removal forest fracking global “climate
rebellion
global strike global warming levels grass growth
habitat halted haven hydroponic
impact inaction on climate innovation insects
change
invasive irreversible impact local communities logging
logging companies mass protests modern environmental national forest
movement
native native species natural world occupation
old growth organically pesticides phasing out of fossil fuel
planet planting policy change private land
protect protest protester protests on a global
scale
resistance self-sufficient shut down skipped school
solar/wind power sow sprays strategy
communications
structure taking action to halt threat timber
climate change
to improve tree house tree planting treesitter
urban tree-sit violating voices of the world’s wetland
youth
wildflowers wildlife world

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Thousands of Young People Take Environmental Action
Across the Country
Adapted from
http://www.ecounesco.ie/ue4sd/item/450-thousands-
of-young-people-take-environmental-action-across-
the-country
Young people from ECO-UNESCOs ‘Youth for
Sustainable Development’ Programme, St Tiernan’s
Community School Dundrum, and  Jesus and Mary
College Goatstown help to launch 20 years of ECO-
UNESCO’s Young Environmentalist Awards.
Young people get to work in their local communities
as ECO-UNESCO celebrates 20 Years of the Young
Environmentalist Awards
At a time when young people across the world are making their voices heard on the need for climate
action, thousands of young people across Ireland are coming up with environmental action projects in the
hopes of making it to the Young Environmentalist Awards Final Showcase and Awards Ceremony, which
celebrates its 20th anniversary in the Convention Centre Dublin on May 23rd.
ECO-UNESCO’s Young Environmentalist Awards (YEA) is the finale of an island-wide programme for 10-18-
year olds that recognises and rewards young people who take action to improve and protect the
environment. Approximately 4,000 young people take part in the programme each year, and over 45,000
have taken part since it began in 1999.
National Director of ECO-UNESCO, Elaine Nevin believes that these awards are inspiring young people to
display their passion and innovation and becoming changemakers for our country’s environment, “If you
haven’t registered a project yet, do it now before it’s too late. The Awards ceremony is a dynamic, lively,
exciting occasion with over 80 finalist projects displayed and hundreds of young people, teachers, youth
leaders and members of the public attending each year. We have had the privilege of hosting some high-
profile presenters and VIPs including President Michael D. Higgins, Mary Robinson in the past, as well as
UNESCO Dignitaries and media personalities. “
(L-R) Adam Mooney (St Tiernans Community
College, Dundrum),  Chriszabel Lwuaba  (St
Tiernans Community College, Dundrum) &
Gemma Quearney  (Jesus & Mary College,
Goatstown) 
Nevin continued, “This year is a very special
year for us being our 20th Anniversary. It is
wonderful to experience so many young
peoplecoming together with their thoughts
and ideas about how to change the world,
because no matter how big or small we can
all make a difference. Young people who take
part in the Young Environmentalist Awards
are the changemakers for our country’s
environment.”

Alicia Premkumar (overall super junior winner 2013 AND overall climate change & junior winner 2016),
became one of the youngest ever winners of the Young Environmentalist Awards, at only 10 years old.
Alicia encourages young people all over the country to participate “because it is the best thing that (she)

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could have ever done. Even if you don’t win, the people you meet and the experience you have, will stay
with you forever. I learned so many new things, including research skills, communication skills and
confidence skills”.

The rise of ‘ungardening’: how to turn a backyard into a

wildlife haven
A wildlife gardening expert gives her
tips on attracting birds, mammals
and bugs to your outdoor space.
Sirin Kale, The Guardian, Mon 5 Aug
2019 17.48 BSTLast modified on
Mon 5 Aug 2019 18.10 BST
‘If you want a mini-meadow, leave
part of the garden unmown and sow
other types of grass and suitable
wildflowers for the soil.’
Photograph: Tim Gainey/Alamy
Stock Photo
Very carefully manicured gardens
are out of fashion. Nowadays, the
trend is “ungardening”: doing things in your garden that will encourage native wildlife to live and
flourish. Rewilding, as it’s more commonly known, has been growing in popularity across Europe and the
US, as green-fingered activists use their skills to reverse ecological decline and encourage the growth of
native species. But how best to turn the average British garden into an idyll for birds, mammals and, yes,
even bugs? Wildlife gardening expert Jenny Steel weighs in.

Reject pesticides – and get your wildlife working for you

“Gardening organically is incredibly important,” says Steel. “If you’re using pesticides and sprays, you’re
basically removing a big food source, especially for birds, as they feed on small invertebrates.” Steel
prefers to get nature working for her. “Say you’ve got lots of aphids eating your roses: you can encourage
blue tits to come and eat those aphids by hanging a bird feeder next to the roses. That way, your garden
wildlife is working for you – because everything eats something else.”
Make a pond, if you can
 ‘ A pond is somewhere not only birds and mammals
will come to drink, but you’ll also get dragonflies,
and frogs will spawn there.’
Photograph: Getty Images/iStockphoto
“Birds need to drink and keep their feathers clean,”
she explains, “so if you have room for a small
wetland area, like a little pond, that’s a fantastic
habitat. It’s somewhere not only birds and
mammals will come to drink, but you’ll also get
dragonflies, and frogs will spawn there.” If there
isn’t room for a pond, or you have young children, a
birdbath is a good idea.

Creepy-crawlies are your friends

Even if you don’t like them, insects are crucial to maintaining a healthy garden ecosystem. Steel thinks that

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bug hotels are a waste of time and money. “Find some space in your garden underneath a shrub or bush
and pile up some moist twigs, bark or small logs. That’s a great place for beetles and other invertebrates to
have their homes.”
Don’t just let your lawn grow wild
“I’ve read a lot recently about how brilliant it is to let your lawn grow and how it makes this fantastic
wildlife habitat,” Steel says. “Unfortunately, it doesn’t.” Most suburban lawns planted post-1950 use rye
grass, which is durable and hard-wearing, but not great for wildlife. If you want a mini-meadow in your
garden, the best thing to do is leave part of the garden unmown and sow other types of grass and suitable
wildflowers for the soil. “The idea of leaving a garden so it goes wild is a myth,” she says. “A garden needs
to be managed, because if you don’t manage it, all you end up with is nettles – and you need a diversity of
plants to attract different types of wildlife.” So, get in your garden, and start snipping those nettles and
weeds.

Plant things for wildlife to eat

What you grow in your garden is critically important, Steel says. She advises planting wild marjoram: it’s
great for insects, and it’s edible. “Everyone should also have a buddleia of some sort,” she says. “They’re
great for butterflies, and also give lots of pollen and nectar for bees and moths.” It’s worth remembering,
however, that some species of buddleia are highly invasive.

Educate yourself
The best way to create an eco-friendly garden is to educate yourself. “Get a good book on wildlife – there
are lots now,” Steels says. (She has published several herself.) Don’t just assume something is good or
bad.” And enjoy the process of learning. “The more you find out about the wildlife that uses your garden,
the more fascinated you’ll become. Because it really is wonderful to walk out into your garden in the
morning and see what’s there.”

Tree Sitting
Adapted from: https://greenpolitics.fandom.com/wiki/Tree_sitting

Tree sitting is a form of environmentalist civil disobedience in which a protester sits in a tree, usually on a

small platform built for the purpose, to protect it from being cut down (speculating that loggers will not
endanger human lives by cutting an occupied tree). Supporters usually provide the tree sitters with food
and other necessary supplies.
Tree sitters have successfully prevented logging of ancient old growth forests for months at a time, and in
some instances have convinced logging companies not to cut trees in some areas. Sometimes, tree sitting is
used as a long-term resistance strategy, with activists occupying trees for months or years at a time. On the
other hand, tree sitting is often used as a stalling tactic, to prevent the cutting of trees while lawyers fight
in the courts to secure the long-term victories.
When tree sitting occurs on private land, it is trespassing. Sometimes logging companies will hire tree
climbers to remove trespassers sitting in trees. Although it is the companies' legal right to do so, some
treesitters are suing Pacific Lumber to challenge this practice. Most tree sitting in California occurs on
private land. In Oregon, where there are more logging projects on public land (National Forests and BLM
lands), treesitting is usually not trespassing but treesitters can be fined for violating closure orders or
camping limits, or for erecting illegal structures.
Extractions
Tree-sitters in trees claimed by Pacific Lumber in Humboldt County have been subject to forced removal by
hired tree-sit extractors. The practice started with a single extractor in the late 90’s but in 2003 Pacific

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Lumber hired teams of climbers to remove dozens of tree-sitters, particularly in the Freshwater area East
of Eureka, California.
List of tree sits

 Tree sitting in the 1970s led to the protection of Pureora Forest in New Zealand.
 Mikal Jakubal was the first American treesitter. On May 20 1985 he ascended a Douglas Fir in an area
of the Middle Santiam region of Willamette National Forest that was in the process of being clear-cut.
While short-lived, his treesitting action inspired a group treesitting event by Earth First! activists that
lasted from June 23rd to July 20 1985, when two Linn County, Oregon sheriff's deputies wrestled
Marylander Ron Huber from his tree after a daylong standoff.
 Native Forest Action used tree sitting during its campaign to save the West Coast, New Zealand native
forests. In April 1997, the logging company, Timberlands West Coast Limited destroyed one of the sites
by deliberately swinging a tree from a helicopter into it without ensuring that it was fully clear of
protesters.[2] The CAA cleared the helicopter pilot of wrongdoing in a controversial judgment that was
appeared to have been interfered with, according to leaked internal documents.
 Julia Butterfly Hill, an activist in Humboldt County, California became known for her 738 day sit
(from December 10, 1997 until December 18, 1999) in a 600-year-old Coast Redwood tree she
named Luna. Eventually, Hill and other activists raised money and paid Pacific Lumber
Company$50,000 to spare her tree and a buffer around it, something which some activists considered
an unacceptable compromise.
 Activists from Greenpeace and the Australian environmental organization The Wilderness Society hold
the record for the world's highest tree-sit, in the Styx Valley, Tasmania.
 In 2002, two US environmental activists involved in tree-sitting protests died in separate
accidents. [3] [4]
 In 2004, at least six tree sits are erected in Tuart trees at Ludlow Tuart Forest near Busselton in South
Western, Western Australia. [5]
 In 2006, two sits are built in Jarrah (Eucalyptus) trees at "Arcadia" Jarrah Forest near Collie in south-
western Western Australia. Two activists are removed and arrested but one had his charges dropped
and the other went to court and was acquitted. [6]
 In 2006, following a successful protest lasting over one year, tree sitters in Cathedral Grove (also
known as MacMillan Provincial Park), British Columbia, halted the removal of a number of old
growth Douglas Firtrees which were scheduled to be be taken down in an attempt to calm traffic and
improve the parking facilities.
 In 2006, 2007, and 2008, protesters in Berkeley, California sat in coast live oak trees to prevent the
construction of a new sports facility by the University of California, Berkeley. On September 5, 2008,
the University began logging the grove, after winning court agreement. Four days later, after a little
more than 21 months, the final four tree sitters surrendered to authorities, ending the longest running
urban tree-sit in history.[1].
 In 2007, protesters of the University of California Santa Cruz's Long Range Development Plan set up a
tree sit, in red wood trees, on the proposed site of a biomedical research facility.
 In 2008, a tree-sitter, who identifies himself as "fresh," climbed an oak tree on the University of
California Berkeley campus to begin advocating the democratization of the UC Regents.

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 In 2008, one tree sit is constructed in College Grove (remnant bushland), Bunbury, Western Australia
and is removed after being occupied for three months. Another is promptly constructed nearby in the
next stage that is threatened by housing development; it includes a functional trampoline. [7]
Tree Villages

A Tree Village is an extension of the tree sit/tree house protest, involving several more tree houses.
The Fall Creek/Red Cloud Thunder Tree-Village was a long running example. It was a 6-year occupation of a
small timber sale in the Willamette National Forest at Fall Creek Oregon US which ran from February 1998
to November 2003. It comprised seven houses of up to 5 occupants each tied together with rope
'traverses' high and up to between 'platforms'. This tree village was designed to be totally self-sufficient
with composting toilets, solar/wind power communications, cargo lines between ground and other sits,
individual rappel lines and hydroponic sprout farms. An estimated 1000 activists occupied the trees at
various times. The forest occupied during the Fall Creek campaign remains uncut to this day.
Winberry Tree Village in the Willamette National Forest was another long-term occupation undertaken by
Cascadian tree-sitters. The village consisted of two treehouses (160 feet high) and one suspension
structure hung between trees. The Winberry village was occupied for 5 years. One tree house was two
storey and situated in a huge Red Cedar tree. It featured a bottom storey built from branches in the
manner of a bird's nest as well as a running water system.

The most inspiring climate change protests around the

world
Adapted from: https://www.panmacmillan.com/blogs/literary/environmental-protests-losing-earth-
nathaniel-rich
Nathaniel Rich’s ground-breaking book, Losing Earth, illuminates our failure to sign the binding treaties
that would have stopped climate change in its tracks. As thousands of people continue to protest across
the world, we take a look at the activists who are fighting for policy change and action on environmental
issues.
Environmental issues are in the spotlight like never before, with the Bank of England warning of the threat
of climate change to the global financial system and climate change activists continuing mass protests
internationally. This summer's protests in London, organised by activist group Extinction Rebellion as part
of a global “climate rebellion”, caused major disruption in the capital, closing bridges and delaying public
transport. It's fair to say that in 2019, there is a new awareness of how urgently global warming needs to
be addressed, with David Attenborough’s visually stunning new Netflix documentary Our Planet not only
sharing incredible footage of the natural world but also taking a stark look at the damage that climate
change is doing to the environment.
The IPCC Special Report on Global Warming explicitly explains the risks of reaching global warming levels of
1.5°C, and the irreversible impact that an increase of 2°C would have on our planet. Nathaniel Rich’s
ground-breaking book Losing Earth investigates how even in 1979 this information was known, how close
we came to taking action to halt climate change, and how we ultimately failed.
But there is still hope if action is taken now, with research finding that climate change could be halted at
1.5°C with the immediate phasing out of fossil fuel usage. As we continue to witness protests on a global
scale with people are campaigning for change internationally, we look back at some of the most inspiring
climate change protests around the world.
Extinction Rebellion Protests, April 2019
Starting on 15th April 2019, climate change protests, organised by Extinction Rebellion as part of an
International Rebellion, have been staged in 27 countries around the world. The action has caused

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disruption across London and by day four of the protests more than 400 people had been arrested. From
delaying public transport and closing Waterloo Bridge, to setting up a stage on a pink boat in the middle of
Oxford Circus, the protests are certainly making an impact. In Canada, six activists chained themselves to
the doors of Prime Minister François Legault's office, while in New York protesters shut down the Brooklyn
Bridge.
Students Climate Strike, 15th March 2019
On 15th March 2019, students around the world skipped school to protest against inaction on climate
change. The protests were inspired by the actions of Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg, who began
protesting outside the Swedish parliament every Friday. News of her activism spread around the world,
and she called for a global strike with the aim of ensuring that the voices of the world’s youth were heard.
Greta will also feature in David Attenborough’s BBC One documentary Climate Change: The Facts which
airs on 18th April 2019 and addresses the damaging effects of global warming.
Extinction Rebellion activists strip
off in the UK Parliament, 1st April
2019
As MPs debated Brexit, Extinction
Rebellion protesters were
determined to draw attention to an
issue which they believe dwarfs our
other concerns. Eleven activists
stripped off in the public gallery of
the House of Commons, before
gluing their hands to the glass to
ensure they wouldn’t easily be
moved on. Two of the protesters
dressed in grey body paint and
elephant masks, highlighting their believe that politicians lack of action on the climate crisis is the ‘elephant
in the room’.
The first activists to receive prison sentences for environmental protest since 1932
In September 2018, three anti-fracking protesters were convicted of causing a public nuisance, with three
men receiving prison sentences and one a suspended sentence. The men took part in a four-day anti-
fracking protest which blocked lorries from delivering drilling equipment to the Preston New Road fracking
site. They are believed to be the first environmental activists to receive jail sentences since the mass
trespass on Kinder Scout in 1932, which was the beginning of the right-to-roam movement.
Vivianne Westwood protests climate change on the catwalk, 17th February, 2019
Vivianne Westwood used her London Fashion Week show to protest climate change, sending models down
the catwalk covered in climate change and anti-capitalist slogans. Many models, including John Sauven, the
executive director of Greenpeace, made speeches addressing consumerism and the threat of climate
change. The climax of the show saw the models gathered on stage under banners reminiscent of protest
placards.
Earth Day, annually on 22nd April
The first Earth Day took place on 22nd April 1970, with 20 million Americans getting involved, and has
been credited with starting the modern environmental movement. Twenty years later in 1990, Earth Day
became a global event, and more than one billion people participate in various activities each year, from
protests to tree planting and environmental education programs. The theme of Earth Day 2019 is Protect
our Species, aiming to draw attention to the accelerating rate of extinction and both achieve progress on
policies and encourage individuals to take action to protect the world’s species.

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