Environmental Facts

Our environment is really important. We need to understand it to be able to look after it. We have put together a huge amount of resources and factsheets to help you understand all about our environment.

Image by: Bas Boerman

'Climate Strike' is Word of the Year

Talking of single use, Dutch brewing company Heineken has today announced that it will be replacing single use plastic can toppers used on its mult...

'Code Red' for humanity

The new report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), published today has made it absolutely clear that human activities are ca...

2015 is warmest year ever recorded

Data collected by NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) showed that the global average temperature was 0.13C warmer t...

2016 set to be hottest year on record

A report published by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) was published at the Marrakech global climate summit yesterday.  It says that the...

Acid Rain

Acid rain is a result of air pollution. When any type of fuel is burnt, lots of different chemicals are produced. These can mix in the atmosphere a...

Activities on Environment and Wildlife

We get many emails from young people asking us what they can do to play a greater part in the conservation movement, and so we have compiled this l...

Adder

One of our three native snakes, the adder is the UK’s only venomous snake.  However, they are not aggressive and no one has died from an adder bite...

African Savanna: Plants and animals

Children will enjoy learning about plants and animals in this unfamiliar habitat. As always, this lesson plan is accompanied by a Powerpoint presen...

Agreement in Warsaw

In the meantime, the delegates will be returning home  to work on their own countries’ ‘contributions’ to reducing carbon emissions, which will com...

Animal rights

Should animals be given more rights, to live without suffering, in the way that humans are allowed to? Or are their feelings less important than th...

Antarctica

Antarctica is Earth's southernmost continent, containing the geographic South Pole. It is situated in the Antarctic region of the Southern Hemisphe...

Ban on fracking lifted in England

Some 120 tremors were recorded in 2019 at Cuadrilla's exploratory fracking site in Lancashire, but most of these were too small to be felt. The ...

Ban proposed on single use plastics

Cotton buds are becoming an increasing hazard in our oceans, as they are often flushed down the loo after use and end up being washed out to sea.  ...

Being green isn’t black and white

But the full picture is more complicated than this.  A recent study comparing  electric and conventional cars, authored by the Norwegian University...

Biodiversity

Biodiversity describes the whole range of the different varieties of living things and systems on this earth, including animal species, plant speci...

Biosphere

We humans not only live in the biosphere but are absolutely dependent upon it for almost every aspect of our existence. 

Birds in the City

Over the last hundred years or so, large cities and their surrounding housing suburbs have grown, replacing countryside habitats. Many species of b...

Boats

How does a boat or ship carrying heavy cargo float while that same cargo would sink to the bottom of the ocean if dumped overboard?

Britain's Rare Flowers

Explore the UK's rare flowers, each section gives ideas about what you can do to help to protect them.  

Broken silence

 You can see some photos of some of the action on YPTE’s Facebook page. And since we got back from there, we have been judging the entries for t...

COP26 underway in Glasgow

World leaders, who have gathered in Glasgow for the conference have already heard impassioned speeches from United Nations Secretary General Antoni...

Calling young writers

At YPTE, we would like to start giving young people the chance to have their voices heard about environmental issues.  So from now on, we'll be pub...

Celebration of green cuisine in Paris

Yesterday, the winners of Eurostar's 'Create a Sustainable Business Dish' competition were presented with their awards at a ceremony held at the Ga...

Climate Change

The earth's climate has seen many changes in its 4.55 billion years. Now many people believe that we must act fast to avert climate catastrophe.

Climate Change

An introduction to climate change for use in the classroom.  Recommended for Years 5-9.

Climate Change and Animals

This factsheet takes a look at some of the challenges that animals might have to face in the future.  How does climate change affect them?

Climate Change for Parents: The Facts

It's really important that you've come here, because we need lots more people to realise the scale of what we are facing and get involved in creati...

Climate change

The fact that human activities are increasing the rate of climate change is now almost universally accepted by scientists.  In this suite of lesson...

Climate change update

The Bank of England has said that up to £16 trillion of assets could be wiped out if the current climate emergency is not tackled effectively by bu...

Climate change update 2022.1

New data from the EU's Copernicus satellite system is showing that the last seven years have been the hottest on record, with 2021 in at number 5 i...

Cold Areas: Antarctica

This suite of lesson plans explores the continent of Antarctica.  Designed to be used alongside the Powerpoint presentation, packed full of stunnin...

Cold Areas: The Arctic

This set of lesson plans explores the Arctic - one of the coldest regions on our planet.  The accompanying Powerpoint presentation brings the Arcti...

Common lizard

As its name suggests, the common lizard is the most common reptile in the UK and is Ireland’s only native reptile.

Composting

The rubbish we throw away everyday is polluting our Earth. A lot of this rubbish comes from our gardens and kitchens and the good news is that this...

Conservation

Conservation of nature means the protection of species from extinction or harm. It can include maintaining and restoring habitats, and protecting  ...

Copenhagen Climate Conference

The Copenhagen Climate Change summit was a gathering of world leaders in the capital of Denmark over a two week period from 7th - 18th December 200...

Desert Regions

When you hear the word 'desert', what picture does it bring to mind?  Perhaps you think of a very dry place, a place without people or plants livin...

Desertification

It has been said that forests came before human beings, deserts followed them. Desertification is becoming a major problem as more and more of the ...

EU backs ban on single use plastics

The ban doesn't have legal force yet.  Member states still have to back the directive before it can become law, but with voting so overwhelmingly i...

Earth Summit 2002

The World Summit on Sustainable Development organised by the United Nations (UN) in Johannesburg was held in August and September of 2002.

Ecocide

It is against the law to steal from or hurt other people, and it is against the law to kill another person.  However, it is not currently against t...

El Nino and Indonesia

This Fact Sheet was originally written in November 1997, when major fires in the forests of Indonesia were blamed on the El Nino effect.  

Electric Cars

Electric vehicles are becoming more popular.  In this factsheet we explore why.

Endangered Animals of the World

Endangered means to be under threat or near extinction.  When a species/animal is endangered it means that they are disappearing fast or have a ver...

Energy

The following chapters describe the various forms energy can take and the story behind humans, energy, fuel and the environment.

Environment

Our planet is changing.  We need to help it change for the better and we're asking for your help to do that!

Extinction

A species becomes extinct when its death rate is continually greater than its birthrate.

Feeding Garden Birds

Birds appreciate being fed throughout the year, but winter is their most difficult time, when they find it hard to find their natural food, such as...

Food Chains and Keystone Species

After introducing food chains and food webs, this suite of four lessons looks at ecosystems, focussing on the species that can completely alter an ...

Food of the Future

As the world’s population grows every minute, there are more and more mouths to feed.  In fact, there are so many mouths to feed that ‘overpopulati...

Food: Fairtrade

It can be difficult for farmers in poorer countries to get a fair price for the food they produce; Fairtrade exists to address this issue. These...

Food: Farming and the Environment

As consumers we can choose to buy food that has been produced ethically and sustainably. These resources comprise a set of informative teacher n...

Food: Food Miles

The food we eat makes up about 30% of our carbon footprint.  Knowing how far it has travelled and how it has been stored is essential if we wish to...

Food: Food Waste

Around a billion people don't have enough food to eat, yet we throw away around a third of all the food produced. These resources comprise a set...

Food: Packaging and Recycling

Our food is packaged in a variety of ways, all of which have impacts on the environment.   These resources comprise a set of informative teacher...

Freaky Friday Facts about plastic

Eleven top plastic facts 1.  16,000 plastic bottles are made in the world EVERY SECOND! 2.  500 billion plastic bottles are made in the world E...

Fuels and Energy Resources

A suite of 3 lessons for Key Stage 3 with accompanying PowerPoint presentation to compare the pros and cons of different types of renewable and non...

Fukushima

The powerful earthquake which hit Japan on 11th March 2011 caused a tsunami which added to the destruction of millions of people’s homes and liveli...

Genetically Modified Foods

There is much debate about genetically modified (GM) foods, some of which are being tested and some of which are already used as ingredients in the...

Global Warming

Global warming is the increase of average world temperatures as a result of what is known as the greenhouse effect. 

Global sea levels rising faster

Most of the losses are happening in western Antarctica, where warmer ocean waters are beginning to undermine glaciers that end at the sea. Globa...

Greenhouse gases at new high

Against the backdrop of a climate emergency, the gap between targets set by governments for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and the real sit...

Greenhouse gases at new record level

Average global CO2 levels in 2017 were 405.5 parts per million - almost 50% higher than they were before the Industrial Revolution.  WMO Secretary ...

Have your say on sustainability!

For the competition, young people aged 11-18 are invited to create a short video clip sharing their views on the environmental issues that concern ...

Heathland

Heathlands are largely artificially created habitats. They only persist if they are managed. Many of the heaths in England would quickly become woo...

Hedges

The Anglo-Saxon word for enclosure was ‘haeg’ or gehaeg’ and this is were we get the word ‘hedge’.

Home Learning Pack: Energy and Power

Here are some amazing ideas for learning and activities focused on how we can make and use energy.  Try making your own circuit using a pencil and ...

Home Learning Pack: All about weather

Find out about the weather with this Home Learning Pack!  It is full of great activities to help you learn and there are instructions for making lo...

Home Learning Pack: Garden Birds

Learn about the birds in your garden with this great home learning pack.  Includes designs for making bird feeders from recycled materials, researc...

Home Learning Pack: Plants

Supporting parents and carers during the Covid-19 lockdown Our home learning packs have been compiled by the Young People’s Trust for the Enviro...

Home Learning Pack: Rainforests

Some fantastic ideas for games, arts and crafts, learning activities and lots more to help you and your children learn about our amazing rainforest...

Hot Areas: The Sahara

This suite of lesson plans explores the Sahara - the largest hot desert on Earth.  It also looks at the spread of the Sahara into the Sahel and the...

Hunter-Gatherers

Until the development of farming practices, hunting and foraging for food was the means by which all humans survived.  Hunter gatherer communities ...

Indigenous People of the Rainforest

Rainforests are very rich in natural resources, but they are also very fragile. For this reason, indigenous people have become instinctive conserva...

Introducing Better Planet Schools

Better Planet Schools is an online environmental education programme, created by the Young People's Trust for the Environment to engage children an...

Last male northern white rhino dies

He was living at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya, and was put to sleep by vets there after the pain from a degenerative illness he was suffering...

Leaves

Leaves are nature’s food factories, converting the light from the sun into energy to help plants grow.  

List of Talks

The school talks service is available in person for schools within a 30-mile radius of our office in Yeovil OR on Zoom, Teams etc. for schools anyw...

Listen to the new YPTE Podcast

For Episode 1, YPTE President Cel Spellman talked about his love for the planet, his biggest hopes for the future and why he thinks young people ha...

Local environment: Plants and animals

The curriculum encourages children to use the local environment to explore plants and animals in their habitat. This suite of lesson plans and acco...

Make climate change a greater priority!

In his inaugural speech as Prime Minister, Mr Johnson said that Britain was  “leading the world in the battery technology that will help cut CO2 an...

Making a Pond

Here is a step-by-step guide to making your own pond

Mass walkout by NGOs in Warsaw

The Conference of the Parties (COP) in Warsaw should have been an opportunity to make some progress.  And with the horror and devastation caused by...

Meat Free Mondays

Meat Free Monday is all about reducing the amount of meat we consume because of its health and environmental benefits.

Migration

Animals do many different and amazing things. Some of them ‘migrate’. This means they travel to other places where the weather is warmer or they ca...

Mirage

A mirage is a phenomenon where you think you see water... 

Nestboxes for Birds

Nestbox building is a good activity for the autumn, ready for occupation (hopefully!) the following spring.

New 25 year green plan announced by PM

Much of her speech to launch the plan concentrated on the issue of plastic pollution, which has come into much greater focus in recent months.  The...

New download: Green Halloween Guide

Use our new guide to find out how you can make your Halloween a greener one.  You dan download it here:  https://ypte.org.uk/downloads/green-hallow...

New halt to fracking in England

No future fracking projects will be allowed by the government until compelling new evidence is provided that fracking could be safe.   Preston N...

New lesson plans for Year 5 teachers!

The three extended lessons cover the differences in life cycles of mammals, amphibians, insects and birds; how animals reproduce; and how the work ...

No relaxation of fracking regulations

A spokesman said on behalf of the government, “We set these regulations in consultation with industry and we have no plans to review them." Acco...

Offshore wind farms

The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) has published its recommendations to the UK government regarding the UK’s fifth carbon budget, which is due t...

Oil Pollution Case Study

The 147,000 tonne oil tanker Sea Empress ran aground on February 15th 1996 at 8.07 pm, despite being under the control of one of Milford Haven’s ha...

Outcomes of COP28

Many countries and environmental groups remain concerned that the more definite "phase out" of fossil fuels - asked for by over 130 countries -  wa...

Overfishing

It is sobering to consider that nearly 90% of the world's marine fish stocks are now fully exploited, overexploited or depleted, and there is no do...

Overpopulation

At present there is still space enough on Earth for humans, wildlife and wild places, but can this be maintained?

Ozone Layer

Ozone is a naturally occurring gas found in the atmosphere where it absorbs most of the sun's ultraviolet light - invisible rays which are harmful ...

Palm Oil

Have you heard of palm oil?  How about vegetable oil or olive oil?  Oils from plants, vegetables, seeds and nuts have been used for centuries all o...

Paris climate deal comes into force

Delegates from almost 200 countries will be meeting in Marrakech, Morocco next week to consider their next steps.  A UN review of the pledges to cu...

Plants: Year 3

A suite of four lessons on Plants, each with suggestions for classroom activities.  Accompanied by a presentation filled with excellent photographs...

Plastic Pollution

This downloadable zipped folder contains a suite of lesson plans, for Key Stage 2 and above.  The lesson plans look at the problems caused by plast...

Plastic Pollution

This presentation accompanies the Plastic Pollution lesson plans for Key Stage 2 and above looks at the problems caused by plastic and covers the f...

Plastic bag charge may double

Speaking in Kenya yesterday, Mrs May said “I want to leave a greener, healthier environment for future generations, but with plastic in the sea sti...

Plastic found in tap water

New research published by Orb Media has revealed that 83% of tap water samples, taken from various sites around the world, were contaminated with m...

Playing in nature is good for children

They had been used to having play areas in gravel yards, but for the study had their play spaces upgraded to mini-forest environments.  Within a mo...

Pollution

Pollution is a word that we are all aware of these days. What does it mean exactly? 

Pollution

Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause adverse change. 

Ponds

A pond is a small area of still, fresh water. It is different from a river or a stream because it does not have moving water and it differs from a ...

Pope urges action on climate change

He expresses his concern that in the eight years since his last message on the climate crisis, 'our responses have not been adequate, while the wor...

Rainbow

A rainbow is sunlight spread out into an arc of colours and seen by your eyes when the sun shines through water droplets

Rainforest Animals

Animals of the rain forests are provided with a variety of habitats in the different layers of the forest trees. Some live at the top of the talles...

Rainforests

Rainforests are forests which grow in areas of high rainfall.  Tropical rainforests are found between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capric...

Rainforests

This set of lesson plans looks at rainforests, with particular focus on the Amazon.  Lesson plans are brought to life by the stunning images in the...

Record high temperature in Antarctica

Meanwhile, Argentinian scientists based at Esperanza on the continental Antarctic peninsula recorded a reading of 18.3C on 6 February - the highest...

Recycling

Humans on Earth produce more rubbish today than ever before.

Renewable Energy

Renewable means that the energy won’t run out, unlike coal, oil and gas which will.  Before we get started on renewable energies let's take a look ...

Renewable Energy: Biomass Energy

Biomass is a versatile energy source. Organic matter that is used as a source of biomass energy includes trees, timber waste, wood chips, corn, ric...

Renewable Energy: Solar Energy

Throughout history the suns heat has been used as a form of energy – in the beginning it was used to cook food. Then we learnt to collect the sun’s...

Reptiles (British)

Of the four living groups of reptiles, only one, the snakes and lizards is represented in Britain. Reptiles bodies are covered with scales. Lizards...

Rio+20

On 20 June 2012 many young people, scientists, academics, politicians and others met at a very special event in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

River Pollution

It seems that almost every day there is another story about pollution of one form or another, in the food we eat, the water we drink and the air we...

Rivers

Rivers can run for many hundreds of miles. The longest river in the world is the Nile in Africa. It is 6,700km long. The longest river in Britain i...

Sand lizard

Sand lizards are among the UK's rarest reptiles.  They are the only egg-laying lizard species in the UK.

Save The Plants

There are around 400,000 plants species recorded in the world and many more waiting to be discovered and named. 

Scotland bans fracking

The public consultation attracted more than 65,000 responses, with 99% of replies originating from areas targeted by the fracking industry opposed ...

Sea Pollution

It seems that almost every day there is another story about pollution of one form or another, in the food we eat, the water we drink and the air we...

Sea ice not yet forming in Arctic

Scientists believe that this is further evidence of human-made climate change.  They predict that as the planet continues to warm, it's likely that...

Seashore

A rocky shore consists of rocky ledges with pools of salty water, boulders and pebbles.  Living in this habitat is a community of hardy plants and ...

Seasonal Changes (Key Stage 1)

A suite of four lessons on our seasons and how they differ from each other, with accompanying Powerpoint presentation filled with inspirational ima...

Single-use is 2018's word of the year

2018 has been a year for campaigning against single-use plastics, with the EU planning to bring in a ban on single-use plastics from 2021 and with ...

Snowflakes

A snowflake is one of the most recognisable symbols of winter weather, used on weather forecasts across the world. Snowflake come in millions of di...

Some good news, some bad news

According to the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) now looks like 2016 will mark another milestone for climate change for being the first yea...

Some progress, but not enough at COP26

Education ministers from a series of countries put forward proposals to ensure that education about climate change was included in their school cur...

Surge in demand for biomethane

There are now 98 biomethane plants in the UK, which produce methane gas using food leftovers and waste from farms, including manure and grass silag...

Survival at the Poles

Polar bears and penguins never bump into each other! Why is this? The answer, of course, is simple; polar bears live only in the Arctic (the North ...

Sussex: Birds

Thanks to support from the Ernest Kleinwort Charitable Trust, we have produced this set of classroom reference guides, for use in Sussex schools.  ...

Sussex: The Coastal Plain

Thanks to support from the Ernest Kleinwort Charitable Trust, we have produced this set of classroom reference guides to the regions of Sussex, for...

Sustainability

The United Nations says that sustainability means “meeting the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet...

Sustainable Development

A suite of four lessons on sustainable development, covering: What does sustainable development mean? Pollution Over-use of natural resou...

Sustainable Living

This suite of 5 lessons looks at human impacts on our planet, current attempts to be more sustainable and the changes we will need to make in order...

The problem with biofuel

A report issued today by Chatham House shows that biofuels will cost us more too. Biofuel comes in two basic forms – ethanol, which can be added to...

The week’s climate news

He likened humanity to a 16 year-old, saying “We believe that someone else will clear up the mess we make, because that is what someone else has al...

To Work on Two Wheels!

So, we take the train, we take the bus, or we take the car. We know that taking public transport reduces our carbon footprint, so in many cases it’...

Trade and Endangered Species

Along with habitat destruction, wildlife crimes such as poaching currently pose the largest threat to the future of some of the world’s most endang...

Transport

This suite of lessons and activities for Key Stage 2 looks at the following issues: What were the earliest types of transport? Why do so...

Tsunami

The word tsunami (pronounced soo-NAH-mee) is Japanese, and it means ‘harbour wave’.

UK MPs call for ban on microplastics

Huge numbers of tiny pieces of plastic are building up in our oceans, lakes and estuaries.  Microbeads are very small pieces of plastic, which are ...

UK aims for 68% emissions cut by 2030

He urged other world leaders to follow his example at a virtual climate summit, which is being held on 12 December.  He said, "We have proven we ca...

UK homes to be wind powered by 2030

Mr Johnson said, “We believe that in 10 years’ time offshore wind will be powering every home in the country, with our target rising from 30 gigawa...

UK’s new cars are greener than ever

The average emissions of new cars sold in 2011 was 138.1g/km.  By 2015, average emissions must fall to below 130g/km to meet with EU targets and by...

UN climate report urges 'act now'

The report sets out the millions of lives and homes ruined by droughts and floods, the millions of people facing hunger, the increased deaths from ...

USA to rejoin Paris agreement

President Biden is also set to end oil drilling at two huge national monuments in Utah, Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears End and drilling in the...

Using a Quadrat

A quadrat is a frame used in geography and ecology studies to section off a standard sized area for study. Predictions can be made about distributi...

Video on food chains

Arthur explains food chains and why removing keystone species like turtles can make a big difference to a marine ecosystem.  Created in collaborati...

Vivisection

Vivisection is the practice of experimenting on live animals for scientific and medical purposes.

Water Cycle

A suite of five lessons on the water cycle, illustrated with a PowerPoint presentation and accompanied by suggestions for activities and experiment...

Wave energy

Here's a fab video from our friends at Explorium showing how wave energy gets converted into power we can use every day!

Wet wipes set for a clean-up

An analysis of these monster sewer-stoppers by Water UK, the membership body for water providers, found that the 'fatbergs' were in reality more li...

Whales - Saving the Whales

Whales are warm-blooded mammals and the largest creatures on earth. The magnificent blue whale is the largest animal that has ever lived on this pl...

What did COP26 achieve?

Ending deforestation Over 100 nations, including Brazil (home to a large proportion of the Amazon rainforest) and Russia (with over 20% of the wor...

Why Plastic's Not So Fantastic

Short film on plastic, its uses, its history and why it is now presenting us with such a major environmental problem. Presented by YPTE Director Pe...

Wildlife Areas for Schools

Schools that have begun to develop their grounds often report that this has led to beneficial changes in relationships and  attitudes and to the at...

Wildlife ID

How we can identify animals by Footprints, Pellets, Nuts and Seeds, Droppings and Skulls

Wildlife in Winter

Even though our British winter is not nearly so cold and severe as polar winters, plants and animals still have to be able to adapt to low temperat...

Wildlife in the Garden

Share your garden with wildlife by creating habitats that help different species to thrive.

Wind energy exceeds coal in 2016

The government has pledged to remove coal from the UK's energy mix completely by 2025, but it is now expected that the final plant will actually cl...

Woodlands in Spring

A look at the plants and flowers that grow in a deciduous woodland in the Spring.

Yippittee - Issue 11 - Winter

Why does it get cold in winter? What is snow? Do fish freeze? How tall was the world!s largest snowman? Find out here!

Zoos

The subject of the rights or wrongs of zoos can be very emotive with many unbalanced views being put forward by people who have little real knowled...

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