In the last few days to enter the Planet in Peril competition, I hand over to marketing intern Ella with some brilliant ideas for writing prompts...

Climate change is not just a threat to the future, it is also a threat to the present. The effects of climate change are not just going to be felt by future generations, they are being felt by plants and animals and human beings all around the globe. Huge glaciers that have been frozen for a millennia are melting, causing sea levels to rise and coastal towns flooded, air toxicity in cities is climbing and causing many to suffer and die from respiratory related illnesses across the world. The continued use of fossil fuels is releasing an unprecedented amount of carbon back in to the atmosphere, which has been safely stored by nature for thousands of years and hundreds of species are being pushed to the brink of extinction every day. It is a challenge we need to urgently address and we need to address it now.

(Image from Wix)

Last week, on the 5th April 2019, Netflix played their part in addressing this pressing crisis with the release of their game-changing nature documentary, ‘Our Planet’.

The traditional passivity and non-contextualised filming of the beauty and spectacle of nature may now be a thing of the past. In this multi-million-budget docuseries from Netflix, partnered with WWF and narrated by the one and only Sir David Attenborough, continually highlights the fragility of the connections within ecosystems, with a focus on us as the ultimate threat to it all. The blame is placed very firmly at our feet. The premiere, fittingly hosted at the National History Museum London, was highly attended by many climate change advocates, such as Prince Charles (President of WWF) with Prince William and Prince Harry, Sir David Beckham and Ellie Goulding (who was responsible for the poignant accompanying soundtrack to the series.) Hopefully the big names of those in attendance, reflects that this is an issue that affects everyone and that everyone is responsible for finding a solution to it.

(Image from Wix)

During Sir David’s introductory speech he talks about climate change being not just an ecological issue but a communication challenge as well. In the grips of the 6th mass extinction event on our planet, it is vital that everyone is united in working towards saving the planet; the reach of the 8 part docuseries is roughly 1 billion people and in the week following its release both #SaveOurPlanet and #OurPlanet have been trending.

Communication is key. The ‘Planet in Peril’ anthology (in association with WWF and The Climate Coalition) will contribute towards the communication of the pressing global crisis. Through highly crafted poetry and dramatic photography, nature’s plight will be displayed for its readers.

After watching ‘Our Planet’, why not use the breath-taking and at times highly emotionally footage to inspire your writing? Why not a poem entitled the Flight of the Walrus’ or The Dance of the Birds of Paradise? Why not be inspired to get outside and capture a honey bee pollinating the flowers in your garden? Why not use a quote from Sir David or Prince Charles’ moving speeches to inspire your own writing? Because if they’ve got one thing right, it’s this: this is our planet, it’s the only one we’ve got and that makes it all of our responsibility to save it from peril.

Sir David Attenborough’s speech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlKkqQHCCCs

Prince Charles’ speech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzHhEZYUibE

If you would like to submit to the Planet in Peril poetry competition and find out more about prizes please see our Planet in Peril page https://www.flyonthewallpoetry.co.uk/planet-in-peril

Deadline is the 28th April

#Anthology