Watch and Learn - Dr. Jane Goodall's 2025 Earth Day Message

Click on a word or part of a phrase to learn more.

Scroll through the captions and click to skip to a caption.

Play video to start

Hello, this is Jane Goodall with a

Hello this is Jane Goodall with a

message for Earth Day 2025.

message for Earth Day 2025

There's one really urgent message that I

want to share on this day.

want to share on this day

I urge everyone to treat every

day of the year as Earth Day.

day of the year as Earth Day

Planet Earth is the only home we shall

ever know, yet we are

ever know yet we are

relentlessly harming it.

relentlessly harming it

We're destroying forests, woodlands,

We're destroying forests woodlands

wetlands, peatlands,

wetlands peatlands

savannas, prairies, and all the

savannas prairies and all the

other ecosystems I haven't mentioned.

other ecosystems I haven't mentioned

We're polluting

rivers, lakes, and oceans.

rivers lakes and oceans

We're emitting greenhouse gases that are

causing temperatures to

rise, which lead to changing

rise which lead to changing

weather patterns, with more hurricanes,

weather patterns with more hurricanes

typhoons, floods, droughts,

typhoons floods droughts

heatwaves, and forest fires

heatwaves and forest fires

that may destroy our homes.

that may destroy our homes

We're in the midst of the sixth great

extinction of plant and animal life.

extinction of plant and animal life

If we add to this list the fact that

hundreds and thousands of

people are suffering from

war, poverty, and discrimination, well,

war poverty and discrimination well

it's not surprising that

more and more people are

losing hope.

losing hope

So people ask me if I

really have hope for our future.

really have hope for our future

Well, I do believe there's a window of

Well I do believe there's a window of

time when we can at least

slow down climate change

and loss of biodiversity, but only if we

and loss of biodiversity but only if we

get together and take action now.

get together and take action now

And without hope, we will fall into

And without hope we will fall into

apathy and do nothing.

apathy and do nothing

If this happens, we are doomed.

If this happens we are doomed

So let me share my reasons for hope.

So let me share my reasons for hope

Probably many of you already know them.

Probably many of you already know them

Firstly, there are our

Firstly there are our

young people everywhere.

young people everywhere

Once they understand the problems and are

empowered to take action, they're rising

empowered to take action they're rising

to the challenge.

to the challenge

Our own Roots & Shoots movement, now in 75

Our own Roots Shoots movement now in 75

countries, is growing

countries is growing

fast and involves young

people of all ages.

people of all ages

They're truly making a difference and

often influencing their parents,

often influencing their parents

grandparents, teachers,

grandparents teachers

and friends.

and friends

Secondly, nature is amazingly resilient.

Secondly nature is amazingly resilient

I've seen so many places that we've

totally destroyed where

nature has taken over again

when given time, and perhaps some help,

when given time and perhaps some help

sometimes from Roots

& Shoots young people.

Shoots young people

I wrote a book about animals on the brink

of extinction that

are being given another

chance.

chance

How?

How

Because of individuals who were

determined they should not vanish.

determined they should not vanish

People who demonstrate that indomitable

human spirit, tackling

human spirit tackling

things that seem impossible

and succeeding.

and succeeding

And then there's our

amazing human intellect.

amazing human intellect

Scientists are working on technologies that

enable us to live in

greater harmony with nature,

greater harmony with nature

like alternative energy, for example.

like alternative energy for example

Perhaps some of you are thinking: How

does this affect me?

does this affect me

What can I do about these things?

What can I do about these things

And if that's the case, I say to you that

And if that's the case I say to you that

every day you live

you make some impact on

the world and you can choose

what sort of impact you make.

what sort of impact you make

You can remember to turn off lights.

You can remember to turn off lights

Perhaps you can walk or cycle or take a

train or bus instead of using a car.

train or bus instead of using a car

You can think about what you buy.

You can think about what you buy

When it was produced, did

When it was produced did

it harm the environment?

it harm the environment

Was it cruel to animals?

Was it cruel to animals

Is it cheap because of unfair wages?

Is it cheap because of unfair wages

Then search for a more

ethically produced product.

ethically produced product

Will it cost more?

Will it cost more

Probably.

Probably

But then you'll value

it more and waste less.

it more and waste less

And waste is a huge problem today.

And waste is a huge problem today

And another very important thing you can

do is to adopt a

plant-based diet, partly because

plant-based diet partly because

it will greatly reduce the suffering of

the billions of

animals currently crammed in

horrible conditions in factory farms.

horrible conditions in factory farms

But also because huge areas of habitat

are cleared for growing

the food to feed them,

the food to feed them

much water is needed to change vegetable

to animal protein and

water is scarce in more

and more places.

and more places

And the animals produce methane during

digestion, a very

digestion a very

virulent greenhouse gas.

virulent greenhouse gas

And perhaps I should

add, it's healthier for us.

add it's healthier for us

Millions and eventually billions of

people thinking about their own

environmental footprints

every day will make a huge difference and

go a long way towards

healing Mother Earth.

healing Mother Earth

And remember, we depend on Mother Earth

And remember we depend on Mother Earth

for food, water, well, everything.

for food water well everything

So for the sake of our children and all

future generations, and

future generations and

for the sake of Mother Earth,

for the sake of Mother Earth

please start today, not only on this

please start today not only on this

Earth Day 2025, but on

Earth Day 2025 but on

all the days that lie ahead.

all the days that lie ahead

Thank you for helping

to make a difference.

to make a difference

- Pause

Account Settings Subscriptions

Your daily language practice

Today's Learning Tip

You might also like these videos

Dr. Jane Goodall's 2025 Earth Day Message