The Case of: Environmental Justice League vs. …...The Case of: Environmental Justice League vs....

The Case of: Environmental Justice League vs. Humans of Planet Earth – 2020 Mock Trial

The Case of:

Environmental Justice League

vs.

Humans of Planet Earth

Dorothy Bullock Elementary School

Glassboro, New Jersey

Teacher: Mrs. Matias-Castro

This mock trial was written by students in Bullock’s International Club and will take

place in Gloucester County’s Superior Court. The purpose of this mock trial is to raise

awareness on how climate change impacts the Earth, specifically for the Humboldt

Penguin. Students created rubbish penguins to defend in court, as well as rubbish

superheroes that make up the Environmental Justice League. This mock trial will be

part of our contribution to this year’s 2020 UNLESS Contest for the Philadelphia

Zoo.


UNLESS someone like you cares a

whole awful lot, nothing is going to get

better. It’s not. -The Lorax

Roles:

Judge: Hon. Isaiah

Sherriff Officer: Aaliyah

Lawyers for Plaintiff: Keira

Veterinarians: Ryleigh and Jaxon

Detectives: Gage and Houston

6-R Experts: Jayden and Natalia

Landfill Experts: Ajone and Erika

Environmental Engineers: Miliani and Isaiah

Defense Attorney: Melody

Witnesses for Defense: Lyric and Ivoryanna

The following standards are addressed throughout this project:

Writing: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.2.a , b and c

Reading: Literacy.RI.3.3

Science: 2-ESS1—1

http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/W/3/2/a/




http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/RI/3/3/

http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/RI/3/3/


All participants testifying during trial will be sworn in by Sherriff Officer Aaliyah.

Please repeat after me: I solemnly affirm that the evidence that I shall give, shall be the truth,

the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Judge Crispin: Ladies and gentlemen, we are hearing the case between Environmental Justice

League vs. Humans of Planet Earth. The Court will hear both sides and determine who is to

blame. Ms. Melody, I know you have testimonies and evidence to present to the court to

prove how humans of planet Earth are to blame.

Ms. Keira, you are here to show how not all humans hurt the Earth. You are here to show how

some humans DO care for our Earth.

We will start with the Plaintiff.

Opening Statement—Lawyer for Plaintiff: Ms. Melody

Ladies and gentlemen, I’m here to represent the Environmental Justice League who wants to protect

Humboldt Penguins. My clients called me because the Humboldt Penguins are endangered. If

nothing is done, they will become extinct. Today, we have summoned humans of Planet Earth.

These people are responsible for cutting down habitats, hunting and causing climate change. The

Humboldt Penguins need justice to be served.

I have experts who would like to tell you more about how humans of Planet Earth are to blame. First,

I would like our veterinarians to tell the court more about the Humboldt Penguins.


Veterinarians: Jaxon and Ryleigh

Testimony of Veterinarians: Jaxon and Ryleigh (Informational Board will be used for

presentation)

Ryleigh: How long do they live for? What is their usual height? Where do they live?

Humboldt Penguins live up to 15 - 20 years. Humboldt penguins are medium - size penguins that can grow to heights of 70 cm or more.

They live along the Pacific Coast of South America. Jaxon: What foods do they eat? FUN FACT: Explain why they blush.

The Humboldt Penguins eat fish, krill, squid and anchoveta. Did you know that these penguins

blush? When they get too hot, they avoid over-heating by blushing. When they get pink on their face, wings and feet, their body heat is released by sending blood to these parts of their bodies.

Ryleigh: (FUN FACT: Explain how having black backs and white bellies helps them survive.

FUN FACT: How do they keep feathers waterproof?

The black and white coloration helps camouflage the birds from potential predators. When seen from below a white belly better blends in with light-filled surface water while above a black back looks similar to the dark hues of the deep ocean. Jaxon: General habitat facts; elaborate on their nest…what is it made of and what humans are

doing to their habitat.

Habitat: Humboldt penguins live in South America, off the Pacific Coast.

Nests: Humboldt Penguins make their nests in an interesting way. They take dried up guano from

seabirds to, or poop, and layer it into a dome shape. They also make nests in rock crevices. Sadly,

humans take the guano nests for their own farms, which can kill the eggs. Humans have also

drilled into the rock crevices, which have also destroyed eggs. If there are no eggs, the Humboldt

Penguin population will go down.


Lawyer for the Plaintiff: Ms. Melody

Next, we will hear testimony of a Landfill experts. They will tell the court all about what a

landfill is, and how landfills contribute to climate change, which is a big threat to my clients.

Landfill Experts: Erika and Ahjone

Testimony of Landfill Expert: (Informational Board will be used for presentation)

What is a landfill? What is it used for?

Erika:

My name is Erika, and I am a landfill expert. A landfill is a large field filled with junk. Do you know

where landfill trash comes from? Landfill trash comes from dumpsters and littering. Do you know that

landfills are killing Humboldt Penguins? Landfills produce a lot of harmful gases that cause climate

change. As items decompose, the gases are harmful to our ozone. Plus, the littering that is going

on, also causes trash to enter the water that the penguins swim in. There is a huge problem – many

people are not throwing garbage away properly, and are throwing all garbage into the trash. Our

landfills are filling up and it’s damaging our ecosystem because animals are getting into the trash, as

well as harmful gases are being emitted into the air.

Ajohne

What is the biggest problem with landfills?

My name is Ajohne, and I am a landfill expert. Because of landfills, Humboldt Penguins are

endangered. A landfill is a dump; it is where trash goes when it is thrown out. Trucks bring trash to

landfills to decompose. The garbage is getting bigger and bigger—they look like mountains of

garbage. Did you know there are 13 landfills in New Jersey alone? Now that you know all of this

information, don’t you want to help the penguins? I certainly do.


Ms. Melody: Next, we will hear about the 6R’s which are reduce, reuse, recycle, rethink, repair

and refuse. We will learn 6 ways humans can chose to help the Earth.

6-R Experts: Jadyn, Natalia, Zachary, Colton, and Azuri

Testimony of 6-R’s:

Reduce: JADYN

Reduce means to decrease or use something less. If you can use less energy, then that will help the

Earth. For example, you can walk, skateboard or ride your bike instead of using a car. This will reduce the

amount of gas you use. Not leaving the water running while you brush your teeth, taking shorter showers,

turning the TV and lights off when you are not in the room will also help. Have you ever heard of Every

Star appliances? They conserve energy. These are all ways you can reduce the amount of energy

wasted.

Reuse: NATALIA

Reuse means to be able to use something over and over again. Some people can use things for the same

reason like a reusable grocery bag. Another way people can reuse items is buying a plastic water bottle for

sports, or a reusable coffee mug. Instead of using Styrofoam goods, people can use reusable dinnerware

they can wash and use again. These are all simple ways to cut down on the amount of trash in our

landfills.

Recycle: ZACHARY

Recycle means to take materials that are not biodegradable and use them over again. For example,

plastic, metal, and paper can be used over and over again if it is recycled properly. Some items take

YEARS to decompose. Recycling helps the environment because instead of these materials sitting in

landfills for hundreds of years, these materials can be used over and over again to make new things.

Rethink: JADYN

We have a responsibility to rethink our daily decisions. Are we making an effort to use less energy?

Are we buying products that save energy?

If everyone does their part in Going Green, we can make a big difference in our world. Sometimes we

have to STOP and think about our choices. There are many ways we can conserve energy and

produce less waste.

Refuse: COLTON

We have the choice to refuse. We can refuse to buy items that aren’t good for the environment. For

example, plastic straws. When we are offered a plastic straw, we can refuse it because it can end up in

a landfill or in the ocean. We can also refuse to buy drinks that have plastic holding it together. These

are all choices we can make by refusing. If enough people refuse to buy a particular item – hopefully,

businesses will end up not making it anymore.

Repair: AZURI

To Repair simply means to fix broken items instead of tossing them into the trash. There are many

broken items that can be repaired. The more broken items that are fixed, will less items in the landfill.

Many toys can be fixed, even electronics. Sometimes it’s cheaper to repair something instead of

buying a totally brand new item.


Ms. Melody: Next, we will hear from our detectives. These two detectives have gathered proof

of the impact of climate change. They have pictures and video evidence to share with the

court this morning.

Detectives: Gage and Houston Humboldt penguin populations were first devastated by the mining of guano deposits -- in which the

species prefers to nest -- for fertilizer. Gage: (Mining of Guano)

Humboldt penguin populations are going down. Humans are mining guano deposits — which the penguins

use to make their nest. Humans use penguin nests for fertilizer. Climate Change has caused changes in the

ocean’s currents and temperature. The change in water temperature cause the penguins to have less food

supply; the mining of their nests cause their reproduction rate to go down tremendously. No nests means

no babies; no babies means endangered numbers for the Humboldt Penguin.

Houston: (Over-fishing)

Do you know what humans are doing to Humboldt Penguins? People are causing climate change,

which leads to dangerous living conditions for penguins. Also, we need to stop fishing large amounts

of fish because less fish will be available for Humboldt Penguins. We also need to stop polluting, if

we don’t, we will have bigger problems. Sadly, a lot of people throw garbage into our water supply,

which makes its way into the ocean. Living things in the water cannot control the plastic and garbage

that are in their habitat. Did you know that 15 billion pounds of plastic make its way into the ocean

every year because of humans?

Permission to approach the bench to show you the pictures we took while undercover. (Both Houston

and Gage approach Judge Crispin with pictures.


EXHIBIT A: OVERFISHING


EXHIBIT B: GUANO NEST

BEING REMOVED


Ms. Melody : Next, we will here from our Environmental Engineers. The engineers here today

will talk about how plastic in water, and how climate change are two major contributors of why

the Humboldt Penguin is endangered. Your honor, the ones to blame for each…are humans!

Environmental Engineer: Miliani

Testimony of Environmental Engineer:

Informational Board will be used for their presentation.

Miliani: Greenhouse gases are emissions that rise to the atmosphere and trap the sun’s energy. This

keeps heat from escaping—making the atmosphere warmer. The more energy we waste, the more

gases are in the air. Many of these pollutants are invisible, so we cannot see them, but we can feel

what it is doing to the world because it is changing the climate.

Global Warming means the Earth is overheating. Glaciers are melting and the atmosphere is getting

warmer. The Earth is trying to regulate itself. As the Earth tries to regulate itself, we will see changes

in our weather patterns. As humans, we can adapt quickly; however, many animals including the

Humboldt Penguins aren’t as fortunate. These changes can be seen in the change in temperature in

the ocean.


Closing Statement for the Plaintiff

Ms. Melody: We have presented facts to prove our case. We had expert witnesses share how

humans are to blame. We feel justice needs to be served for our client and all animals who cannot

speak for themselves. I have no further evidence to show the court at this time. Thank you your

honor.

Judge Crispin: We have heard testimony from the plaintiff. Ms. Melody, you have provided the

court with evidence of how humans are hurting the Earth in multiple ways, and how their

decisions are hurting the Humboldt Penguin and other animals. Now, we are going to give the

defendant a chance to speak. Ms. Keira, you may state your argument to the court.


Defense Attorney: Keira

Witnesses for Defense: Lyric, Ivoryanna and Majesty

Opening Statement—Lawyer for Defendant

Keira: Environmental Justice League is blaming all humans for hurting the Humboldt Penguin.

I am here because there are humans who do care for planet Earth. It is NOT all humans – the

ones to blame are the humans who choose not to help the environment. It is everyone’s

responsibility to take care of the Earth, and I will prove it in court this morning. I have

witnesses that would like to share their testimonies with the court today.

Lyric:

Boyan Slat was just 18 when he invented a system for capturing waste in the ocean. He

invented the Interceptor in 2013. He is the CEO of The Ocean Cleanup. He raised 30 million

dollars to raise funds for his project.

The Interceptor works by cleaning rivers because most of the plastic in oceans, come from

rivers. The Interceptor tries to stop plastic before it enters the ocean. Research shows that

1,000 rivers are responsible for 80% of the plastic entering the ocean.

Did you know that the Interceptor runs on solar energy? The Interceptor has a barrier that

guides debris from the water into The Interceptor. Once inside, the waste goes up on a

conveyor belt, where it gets sorted for recycling. Once the bins are full, The Inceptor sends

a notification and is emptied out. The goal of The Ocean Clean Up is to rid 1,000 most

polluted rivers of debris, and preventing plastics from entering the ocean. One Interceptor

costs $750,000.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bm1rH70wfJo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bm1rH70wfJo


Ivoryanna:

Greta Thunberg is an environmental activist. She was born in Sweden, in 2003. When she

was eight, she started learning about climate change. The more she learned the more baffled she

became as to why so little was being done about it. Did you know that at the age of 11 Greta

became so sad about climate change that she temporarily stopped speaking.

Greta has Asperger Syndrome, a condition that affects how people socialize. However,

Greta views her condition as a “superpower”. “Greta says her condition helps her see the world in

black and white, and that, there are no grey areas when it comes to climate change.

Greta now travels around the world to demand change. She has millions of followers on

social media that have joined her in her mission.


She is riding a carbon- neutral boat. Carbon- neutral

means to leave no carbon footprint.


Environmental Engineer: Majesty

Testimony of Environmental Engineer:

Informational Board will be used for presentation.

Majesty: Your honor, my name is Majesty, and I am an environmental engineer. I am here to defend

the many humans that are using renewable energy sources, as well as more efficient eco-friendly

products. For example, some people are using solar panels on their homes for energy. They depend

on the Earth’s rays to gather energy for their home. It is a fact that if these solar panels collect more

energy then what is used, the homeowner can sell the energy back to the electric company to provide

energy for others.

Some communities are using wind turbines or water to produce energy as well. Using renewable

energy sources like the sun, wind and water allow for less fossil fuel to be used. Some humans are

purchasing cars that run on electricity. Your honor, many humans do care for the Earth. They are

producing less waste, and making better choices to help the Earth. We just need more humans to do

the same.


Closing Statement—Lawyer for Defendant

Keira: Your honor, the Humboldt Penguin and many other animals of this world, are

endangered or extinct because of the actions of some humans – not all. Humans are the ones

cutting trees and not planting trees; humans are the ones hunting animals at a high rate. The

many choices of humans have resulted in climate change. However, we are looking for each

and every human to care. We want the court to enforce new laws to protect every animal, the

Earth, and even humans from themselves.


SENTENCE

Judge Crispin

The court has listening to all of the evidence today. Ms. Melody, thank you for sharing the evidence

found by the Environmental Justice League. You have shown how humans are harming the Earth in

more ways then one. Ms. Keira, you took a stand for the humans of the Earth that are making a

difference. Thank you for showing the court that there are many humans who do care for the

environment.

It is the ruling of the court for all humans to do their part; we can make the world a better place for the

Humboldt Penguin and all animals around the world. We are all connected and depend on one

another.

Everyone in this courtroom has the responsibility to care for our EARTH.

Court is adjourned!

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