Petitions are everywhere! They are one of the most effective ways of getting your voice heard over an issue you care about.
Have you ever signed a petition? What was it about? Did you get anything changed?
Anyone who lives, works or studies in the UK can organise or sign a petition. This includes anyone under the age of 18 and you will find lots of petitions currently looking for signatures at: https://petition.parliament.uk/. The site will reopen after the election.
Write your own petition
This Climate Action Countdown challenge is to start your own petition all you need is paper and pen and by signing their names under what you are asking for in your petition, people are showing that they agree with what you are asking for.
Think of the changes you’d like to ask for in your school or community, such as banning single-use plastics, using renewable fuel, or having recycling bins in every classroom, or having a spot for nature in the playground.
Ask yourself
- Is this possible for my school or community to do?
- Will other people want to sign it?
- Is this petition respectful and tolerant of others?
You need to write what exactly you want to be changed, why you want it changed and some kind of scientific proof to back up your idea. Then create a signing section by stapling anywhere between 1 and 10 sheets of paper onto the back of your petition. This is what people will sign. Or you can print out a grid, or ruler one off, so that people can sign their names there and it will be easy to count.
Can you get the teachers or local MPs to sign? This might make the people considering what you are asking for take it more seriously. Then you’ll need to turn in your petition. At school give it to the front office. In your community, the town council might be the best place to start. Who knows, if you petition is well thought out and asks for something to be changed for a good reason, it might result in change.
Petition idea:
Could you start a petition for your school to join Let’s Go Zero to get support to be zero carbon by 2030? letsgozero.org.
Good luck!
