Let’s face it- every single time we listen to a speech on the environment, we expect a certain monotony and repetition in terms of the content.
And, this shortens our attention span, all the way more.
Well, it’s sad that a topic as dynamic and relevant as this can bore you to sleep if not presented well.
So, as an orator, how do you still stand out in the crowd?
Here are a few tips for you to master the art of writing a speech about the environment, without bringing the element of monotony.
But, before we dive into the speech writing and delivery lessons, let us have a look at how the environment is an evergreen topic when it comes to public speaking.
Important Environment Days call for Great Speeches
Apart from the fact that ‘the environment’ is a dynamic and ever-present topic, the important environment days spanning throughout the year call for you to get ready with your best speech on the environment. To list a few-
| 22nd April | Earth Day |
| 22nd May | International Day for Biological Diversity |
| 5th June | World Environment Day |
| 16th September | World Ozone Day |
| 1 – 7th of October | Wildlife week |
| 13th October | International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction |
SPEECH WRITING ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT
Let’s break this speech writing guide on the environment into four different sections:
1. Tips to Remember Before You Write Your Speech
2. Speech Writing Lessons on the Environment: Complete Guide
3. Drawing Inspiration from ‘Great Speeches on the Environment’
4. A Sample Speech on the Environment
Hold on till the very end of this blog as we have a bonus tip to simplify this process, just for you.
1. Tips to Remember Before You Write your Speech
Crafting a movie requires the crew to plan everything with utmost precision and that’s exactly where the pre-production stage comes to play.
Likewise, before drafting a speech on the environment, you need to focus upon a few things to enhance the speech’s impact on your audience.
At the same time, these tips will help you to stand out in the crowd.
A) Understanding your True Purpose
You possibly cannot deliver a speech about the environment without feeling deeply about the issue.
Firstly, start by questioning yourself, ‘Why should I be concerned about our environment?’
Now, start looking for even the slightest changes in your lifestyle in terms of the environment.
These changes can be as evident as the scarcity of water and as ignored as the less appreciation of nature by humans.
This will provide you with the reasons as to how is the issue affecting you?
These reasons can be listed by you during the course of your speech to establish trust, credibility and relatability factor.
Get yourself aware of the urgency of the situation
Go on the internet, research the issue at hand and make yourself aware of the worst-case scenario, that is, ‘what would happen if human beings do not respond now?’
This way, you will connect with the issue emotionally and this will reflect in your voice as you deliver your speech.
You simply cannot expect your audience to feel deeply about the issue unless you yourself feel that emotional connect.
Because somewhere down the corner, we all are responsible for environmental degradation in our own ways.
This realization must first hit you before you convey this idea through your speech.
This emotional connect will reflect in the form of:
- the content of your speech
- vocal variety
- body language
B) Brainstorming Session
A speech as informative as this needs to have right facts in just the right amount and at the right places.
The major issue with most of the environmental speeches is that the right facts are not incorporated in the right way.
- So, begin with researching the issue and note down the environmental facts.
- Prepare a mind map to better organize your thoughts. Jot down the main points and make a rough skeleton of your speech.
- Once you have done this, try thinking from an audiences’ perspective. Ask yourself, ‘If I were the audience, what would be my expectations from a speech about the environment?’ Note down those thoughts as well.
Try not to be generic while doing the brainstorming session, include the pointers other speakers have missed out on.
In order to stand unique as an orator speaking about the environment, one must learn from the mistakes made by other speakers.
Understand what exactly is your audience looking for and frame your speech accordingly.
We have written an article on How to add facts in a speech? Check it out to balance your speech about the environment with just the right facts.
C) Who is your audience?
A speech about the environment has a dynamic audience. Thus, it can be delivered at a school, college or even a workplace for that matter.
Understand the demographics of your audience, like age and level of education, to mold your speech accordingly.
For instance, if you are delivering a speech about the environment at school, you might want to include less jargon and break down the content in a much simpler way for the students to understand.
Similarly, if you are delivering an environmental speech at a workplace, you can incorporate jargon along with relatable lifestyle experiences to convey your ideas better.
In a nutshell, formulate the content of your speech according to the audience you are catering to.
D) Duration of the speech
Instead of beating around the bush, a good orator tries to make a long-lasting impact without taking too much time of the audience.
Thus, try to keep your speech short and precise without falling into the trap of possible digressions.
After listening to so many speeches on the environment, we all know our expectations from the next speech we listen about the environment.
Thus, most important of all, prioritize the information and interestingly present that information. This way, you give away the essential information while retaining the attention of your audience.
We have written an article on How to deliver a 1-minute speech: Tips, Examples, Topics & More. Have a look at it to make your speech memorable within a short time frame.
Once you’ve learned this, the next step is to have smooth transitions in your speech. This is done to avoid any sort of blabber and convey the ideas effectively.
To know more about smooth speech transitions, check out Effective Speech Transitions: How to Make Your Speech Flow.
2. Speech Writing Lessons on the Environment: Complete Guide
A) Out-Of-The-World Title
A speech about the environment can create a certain monotony in the minds of the audience, even before you actually deliver it.
As an audience, we expect that monotony in the environmental speeches.
Thus, a boring speech title can bore your audience to sleep.
Many a times, we stumble upon a speech title we haven’t ever heard of and are naturally drawn to know more about the speech.
The major issue with most of the environmental speeches in current times is a boring title. Titles like Speech on Save Environment and Speech on Environmental Degradation can seem pretty daunting to the audience and might disinterest them.
Instead, consider having a thought-provoking title that doesn’t give the speech idea away so that when the audience actually listens to your speech, they pay more attention and start connecting the dots.
This way, something unusual yet related to your speech can assist you to hold the attention of your audience.
Let’s look at a few interesting speech titles. All based on the environment!
Admit it, we’ve grown old reading that water is an essential pre-requisite for the crops to survive and grow.
But, what happens when a speech title tells you otherwise? You obviously get drawn to listen to the speech.
I’m sure after reading this speech title, you are now wondering, ‘which country is she talking about?’
So, the moment you come across a speech title like this, a sense of conflict has been created in your mind and you naturally want to know more about it.
B) Catchy Introduction
A catchy introduction begins with a strong opening line while bringing into light the main idea of the speech.
The attention span of the audience is at its peak at the beginning of a speech. So, now that you know this, make sure you capitalize it!
Instead of starting your speech with something as bland as a Good Morning, attempt hitting new approaches to grip the attention of the audience throughout the speech.
The last thing a speech topic as common as the environment needs is a bland introduction.
Thus, working on a strong beginning is the most crucial element when it comes to speech writing about environment.
Here are a few interesting ways to jump start your speech:
Start with a story
We all love listening to stories! Be it fictional or real. It’s a personality trait which we all share in common.
You can start your speech on the environment with a story inspired from your own personal experience or you can create your own story.
But, remember even while creating a story from scratch, you need to sound realistic and establish relatability. So, it’s ideal to avoid any sort of exaggeration on your part.
Once you have decided on the story you wish to tell, remember to connect your story with the environment, in general.
To assist you in this process of crafting a story, we have written an article on 9 Storytelling Approaches for Your Next Speech. Check it out to know more!
In this TED Talk, the speaker begins by telling a story about camping by revisiting his childhood days. This gripped the attention of the audience all the way more.
Bringing the Element of Creativity
Use of adequate props and placards can assist you to add real value to the audiences’ experiences, particularly in a speech about the environment.
Think out-of-the-box and bring this element of creativity the next time you deliver a speech.
By bringing this visual element, you make your speech all the more memorable.
Let’s understand this better with the help of an example.
In this TED Talk about the environment, the orator decides to begin her speech by bringing a small jar. Have a look at how well she connects this prop with the essence of her speech.
C) Relatable Anecdotes
Well, what is the point of delivering a great speech if your audience can’t relate to it?
By stating relatable life experiences, you sound more realistic and believable. As a result, the audience starts respecting your thoughts.
For instance, while delivering a speech about environmental problems and solutions, start discussing how the environmental problems have affected you and your family and what solutions you are considering to deal with it.
Essentially, convey these anecdotes in the form of a story and make sure that these anecdotes are relatable.
D) Body of the speech
Here lies the main purpose of your speech!
It is at this point that you start supporting your ideas with relevant facts and evidence.
In this case, while delivering a speech about the environment, be aware of the real purpose of your speech.
If your speech about the environment is required to list down the solutions to save the environment, try leading the solutions with the micro-level steps which we all can practice in our day-to-day lives and then move onto the solutions at a community level.
Because the major flaw with most of the environmental speeches is that we focus a lot more upon the changes at a government level rather than bringing into light the changes at the individual and community level.
It all begins at home and then the awareness is spread at a community level.
Steer clear of stating the obvious while citing supporting shreds of evidence and think innovatively to come up with information that can actually add value to audiences’ experiences.
E) Drafting a Memorable Conclusion
A captivating conclusion keeps your speech alive in the minds of the audience.
First things first, avoid ending your speech with a bland ‘thank you’.
Instead, in the concluding statement, sum up the gist of your speech and provide the audience with a key takeaway.
To maximize the impact of your concluding remarks, end your speech with a poem or an intriguing question, and leave your audience awestruck by providing them with something to ponder upon.
Check this article to learn effective ways to end your speech with maximum impact.
F) Set the Right Mood
Setting the right tone of the speech is extremely crucial.
This way, you guide your audience to perceive your thoughts in just the intended manner.
You can set the right tone with the help of effective body language, facial expressions and voice modulation.
For instance, while delivering a speech about the environment which demands you to cite the solutions, a sense of hope must be reflected throughout the course of your speech. You can achieve this by sounding optimistic in your voice and having open body language.
In a similar fashion, a speech about the environmental problems would require you to sound empathetic in your voice.
3. Drawing Inspiration from ‘Great Speeches on the Environment’
Saving the Environment from Consumerism
How to save Earth with 5 minutes a day of responsible consumerism
Why We Need to Think Differently About Sustainability
4. A Sample Speech on the Environment
“Why should I be studying for a future that soon may be no more, when no one is doing anything to save that future?”, asked Greta Thunberg, and I’m sure we all are in search of an answer to this question, more so in these unprecedented times when the entire world is at a standstill.
Environmental depletion, a term we take so lightly, has been increasing with each year passing by.
This year (2020 as of writing), Earth Overshoot Day was observed on August 22, exhausting nature’s budget for the year in just seven months.
Even as I speak and you listen to this speech,
The residents of Goa are raising their voices against an infrastructure plan which is all set to cut through Mollem National Park and destroy the habitat of thousands of animals.
Even as I speak, 10,000 clothing items are being sent to landfills every 5 minutes.
All because of Fast Fashion!
Even as I speak, more than 80 percent of the world population is living under light-polluted skies.
All because of light pollution!
And, when we actually reflect upon all of these things, there’s no one to blame but us.
Yet, we choose to remain silent.
So, I ask you today,
Why are we silent? Why don’t we care about the planet we live on?
I believe that by choosing to remain silent over the environmental issues, we are doing a disgrace to the very act of humanity.
Ain’t we ought to save this environment while we still can?
I know that since time immemorial, we have grown up learning about sustainability. In the most literal sense, we PREACH sustainability. But when it comes to bringing that into practice, our values shy away. All of a sudden, we start to run short of time. You know why?
The reason is we don’t appreciate our environment, anymore. And, that’s the root cause that is holding us back in the pathway towards sustainability.
I still remember when I was 10 years old, my father and I had this really nice ritual of going to the park for evening walks. Back then, it just didn’t matter what headspace we’re in, the air of calmness that surrounded the park would just put us at ease. It was THAT therapeutic!
But, coming back to this so-called modern mechanized era, we’ve parted our ways with this ritual. Now, in these times, even the thought of going to a park sounds cliché to all of us!
We need to learn to appreciate, nurture, and love our environment in order to save it. Because it all begins at home! You and I CAN make the difference and now is the time to inculcate sustainable lifestyle habits.
The first step here can be as simple as cutting down the waste we produce in the environment. Be it in terms of buying packaged fruits and vegetables from a farmers’ market or making the area you live in litter-free.
Moving ahead, the next step might sound a bit difficult because let’s face it- We ALL love shopping! But, when it comes to leading a sustainable lifestyle, minimalism is the key. Start prioritizing every single time you shop for something. When you do this, you value things you own and don’t end up wasting so much.
Gladly, to our relief, the world isn’t that pessimistic. In this age of globalization, we now have people as ‘environmental influencers’ initiating a call for action. Let’s shower our love and support towards them by drawing inspiration from them.
Therefore, I now say,
Let’s pledge to align our values and actions.
Let’s pledge to spend more time in nature.
And most important of all, let’s pledge to save this planet while we are on this planet.
DOWNLOAD THE ABOVE SAMPLE SPEECH BY CLICKING HERE
BONUS TIP: A QUICK CHECKLIST
Now, as promised, we have got a quick checklist for you to follow the next time you write a speech about the environment.
Follow this checklist to eliminate the most common flaws and stand out in the crowd as you deliver a speech about the environment.
| 1. | Find out your ‘why’. State the purpose of you delivering a speech about the environment to establish an emotional connect with the environment to convey your thoughts more effectively. |
| 1. | Research well on the environment to avoid generic facts and provide your audience with just the relevant facts. |
| 2. | A topic as vast as the environment requires you to draw a mind map to gather your thoughts better. Know what content will mark repetition and what will stand out in a speech topic as common as this. |
| 3. | The audience here is dynamic as it includes people from different age groups and different walks of life. So, get the audience analysis done to employ your communication skills accordingly. |
| 4. | Keeping in view the duration of your speech, prioritize the content of your speech. You don’t want to bore the audience. Keep your speech to-the-point, nice and engaging to keep up the interest of the audience. |
| 5. | Prepare a first draft of the speech by jotting down the key elements (Make sure you think from an audiences’ Point of View while preparing this draft). |
| 6. | Provide a catchy and relevant title. Avoid generic speech titles like ‘Speech on Save Environment’ as it will lead the audience to expect monotony and pay less attention to your speech on the environment. |
| 7. | Structure your speech by dividing the content into introduction, body and conclusion. |
| 8. | Start well! Don’t start your speech on the environment with a bland good morning. Either begin with a story related to environment or use relevant props to relate it to your core idea about the environment. |
| 9. | Relevant detail-oriented body with less generic content, more environmental stories and less touched concepts about the environment. |
| 10. | End well with a call-to-action! Generic environmental speeches lack actual takeaway for its audience. Make sure your audience actually takes something away from your speech for working towards a better environment. |
| 11. | Add relevant personal experiences to establish relatability. State why you care about the environment and provide the audience with a reason to care. |
| 12. | Work on speech delivery techniques by improving body language, voice tonality and facial expressions. |
| 13. | Practice, practice and practice. |
IN CONCLUSION
By having a close look at the sample speech attached above, you’ll understand the use of storytelling technique in the opening remarks of your speech.
The sample speech includes a story which follows a question directed towards the audience which instills them to ponder over the situation in hand.
The body of the sample speech constitutes three simple solutions towards a sustainable environment instead of going all vague and broad by citing the generic solutions. So, the key here is to be specific and realistic while listing solutions in your speech.
The thoughts have been organized in a poetry format so as to conclude the speech in an interesting and memorable manner.
We hope that this article aids you in the speech writing process the next time you write a speech about the environment, or any descriptive topic for that matter.
Essentially, there’s no escape to the ever-present threat to our environment. So, make sure you write your next speech on the environment well because always remember it’s never just about you but more about having a call of action.
To make you aware of the intensity of the threat, let’s talk some facts, shall we?
- We only have 10 years to prevent the worst impacts of climate change. before it go irreversible by 2030.
- In just the span of past 22 years, we have recorded 20 warmest years.
- More than a million species are prone to extinction due to climate change.
- Every hour, 1,692 acres of productive dry land become desert.
- We are using up 50% more natural resources than the Earth can provide. At our current population, we need 1.5 Earths, which we do not have.
If this still doesn’t scare you and bring into the light the urgency of situation which we are facing, try checking these articles to know more harrowing stats, all about the environment!
The threat faced by Planet Earth- The urgency of every single second!
