The 11th Hour is a very powerful and thought-provoking film that explores some of the most important and pressing issues that face our planet and it’s people. The title of the film comes from the concept that human existence on our planet is in the 11th hour, the last hour in which change is still possible. From David Suzuki to former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, along with over 50 other leading scientists, the film compiles interview footage of some of the most respected and knowledgeable scientists and leaders of our time. It clearly outlines the reasons for which change is necessary, and explores how we have arrived at our current state – the 11th Hour.
Please take the time to read what my students – our young adults - have to say in response to watching this film. Read their responses below. Also, check out the 11th Hour Action website. If you haven’t already done so, view the film; here is a trailor.
Filed under: Sustainability | Tagged: student responses, Sustainability, The 11th Hour | 12 Comments »
I have two tree planting projects in mind, one smaller, and one quite large (from my perspective). I would like to plant trees indoor (inside our classroom) as soon as possible with my homeroom and with a couple of other teacher’s homeroom classrooms in the school as well. The idea here is to have students take care of the tree seedlings for the rest of the school year, and at the end of the year, they will take them home to plant in their yard. 
Originally, I had attempted to get trees from our provincial crown power corporation. That was a process that just didn’t feel quite right. This corporation uses the waste heat produced by one of its power plants aid in growing over 500,000 seedlings each year which are 
Earthrise is the name given to this photograph of the Earth taken by astronaut William Anders in 1968 during the Apollo 8 mission. In Life’s 100 Photographs that Changed the World, it was called “the most influential environmental photograph ever taken.” Photos of the Earth from space are so striking because they show how beautiful the planet is when viewed from a distance. Such photos of Earth allow us to view our planet as one singular system, which we are a part of. They remind us that we only have one Earth to work with, and that we depend on it for our survival. Against the inky blackness of space, our home appears small and fragile, a living miracle of air, water, soil, and vegetation. 
manufactured goods. Although it is of course true that humans are animals, we do not often like to be reminded of it. Indeed most of us know that we are mammals, however, we think it an insult to be called an animal, be it a pig, a dog, monkey, what have-you. Calling someone an animal is deemed as a derogatory statement.
When I first looked at images of the Earth at night, I remember being struck by their power. They are immediatley grasping in their ability to communicate visually. If we go by the old rule that every picture is worth a thousand words, then these collage of images certainly have something interesting to say. As I have spent more time looking at these images, I am struck by the notion that the Earth looks sick. The lights are symptoms of the spreading illness. Man-kinds current ways of thinking are destroying our planet. 
Now, this all seems very depressing, in a doom and gloom sort of manner. There is however a positive spin that can be taken from these visuals. That of course would be to understand the size and scope of impact that we have had in transforming our planet in such a small amount of time. This is important only because there is still hope. There is still time to reverse our effects. Man-kind is not necessarily the cause of Earth’s sickness, but rather man-kinds current ways of thinking. We need to change the ways in which we think, consume, and pollute. If we get the ball rolling towards new ways of thinking, we can have massive impact in very little time. Our objective is to work towards a sustainable, healthy relationship with our home, Gaia, Mother Earth.
