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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.
The Case of: Environmental Justice League vs. Humans of Planet Earth – 2020 Mock Trial
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
The Case of: Environmental Justice League vs. Humans of Planet Earth – 2020 Mock Trial
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.
The Case of: Environmental Justice League vs. Humans of Planet Earth – 2020 Mock Trial
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.
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 – 2020 Mock Trial
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 – 2020 Mock Trial
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 – 2020 Mock Trial
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 – 2020 Mock Trial
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.
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 – 2020 Mock Trial
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 – 2020 Mock Trial
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 – 2020 Mock Trial
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.
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 – 2020 Mock Trial
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 – 2020 Mock Trial
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 – 2020 Mock Trial
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 – 2020 Mock Trial
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 – 2020 Mock Trial
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.
The Case of: Environmental Justice League vs. Humans of Planet Earth – 2020 Mock Trial
EXHIBIT A: OVERFISHING
The Case of: Environmental Justice League vs. Humans of Planet Earth – 2020 Mock Trial
EXHIBIT B: GUANO NEST
BEING REMOVED
The Case of: Environmental Justice League vs. Humans of Planet Earth – 2020 Mock Trial
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.
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 – 2020 Mock Trial
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 – 2020 Mock Trial
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.
The Case of: Environmental Justice League vs. Humans of Planet Earth – 2020 Mock Trial
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
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 – 2020 Mock Trial
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 – 2020 Mock Trial
The Case of: Environmental Justice League vs. Humans of Planet Earth – 2020 Mock Trial
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.
The Case of: Environmental Justice League vs. Humans of Planet Earth – 2020 Mock Trial
She is riding a carbon- neutral boat. Carbon- neutral
means to leave no carbon footprint.
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 – 2020 Mock Trial
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 – 2020 Mock Trial
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.
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 – 2020 Mock Trial
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 – 2020 Mock Trial
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.
The Case of: Environmental Justice League vs. Humans of Planet Earth – 2020 Mock Trial
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!