Don’t Dump Carbon (Puppet Show)
Download: Don’t dump Carbon, a Puppet Show
Operation Noah Day Puppet Show
By Ruth Jarman
Lilly is eating and drinking snacks very noisily and throwing the packets and paper into the audience
Lilly: Isn’t life great? Don’t you think life’s great? (throwing another piece of litter into the audience)
Poppy enters
Poppy: What are you doing, Lilly? You’re making a real mess?
Lilly: What do you mean? I’m just enjoying the fabulous world that we have been given to enjoy. (chucks another piece of rubbish)
Poppy: But we should look after the world, not just enjoy it.
Lilly: But we don’t have to worry about that, God’s in control of everything. Isn’t that great?
Poppy: Lilly, do you really think it’s God’s job to clear up after you?
Lilly: Well..maybe he’ll get some help from my mum..and, hey, look at all these children here!….they would love to clear up the mess I’ve made, wouldn’t you children?
Poppy: Well, maybe they will just this once – give them a bag to put it in…thank you children.
Lilly: Yeah, thanks kids…
Poppy: But, Lilly, do you think it’s fair that the children have to clear up your mess?
Lilly: Ummmmm…well..uummmmm…let me think..uummmmm….you know, I think you’re right, it’s not God’s job to clear up the mess I’ve made, or even my mum, or these children. Hey, do you know what I’m going to do, Poppy??!! I’ve just had a fabulous idea!! I don’t expect anyone’s every thought of this before! It’s such a fantastic idea I think I should get a Nobel prize! I’m just so excited about my idea! It’s just the greatest. I’m the greatest. I really think I am.
Poppy: Lilly calm down, what is your idea?
Lilly: OK, listen to this…..I….that’s me, myself, Lilly herself. …I.am.going..to…clear..up..my..rubbish..MYSELF!!!!
Poppy: (sarcastically) what an amazing idea, I don’t expect anyone’s thought of that before..
Lilly: Wait, wait, wait..EVEN BETTER ..I …am..going..to put my litter in a bin and. not even make a mess in the first place!!!…don’t you think that’s the most amazing idea ever, kids??!!!
Song – don’t drop litter – put it in the bin, (x2), let’s keep our planet tidy and clean, so don’t drop litter, put it in the bin (to tune of 10 green bottles)
Puppets leave stage and then Lilly comes back
Lilly: Hello again everyone! You know, I’ve had such a fantastic time not leaving rubbish anywhere — I feel much happier too. And I found out the other day that it’s not just our rubbish that we have to stop leaving around, but we need to stop leaving carbon gases around as well and to do that we need to use less energy. We need to turn off lights and walk instead of drive, and eat less meat and things like that.
Poppy enters
Poppy: Hello everyone! Hello Lilly, how are you? Are you still careful not to leave litter everywhere to look after the world, like I have ALWAYS done?
Lilly: Oh yes, and I’ve learnt that looking after the world isn’t just about litter, it’s also important to..
Poppy: Sorry, Lilly, I don’t have time to talk to you now, I’ve got a huge new 4×4 and I am going to drive it just up the street, even though I could have walked, just because I can, because I’m off to a BBQ – there’s going to be SO much lovely thick chunks of meat…better not eat any vegetables so I’ve got room for all the steak and burgers. uuummmm. and then, guess what, then, I’m off to the airport, at top speed in my new 4×4, because I’m going to Barbados for the weekend…
Lilly: WAIT!…..
Poppy: Why?
Lilly: Poppy, have you stopped to think about what you are doing? Don’t you know that all these things you’re doing – driving a big car, eating lots of meat, going on a plane – all these things use loads of energy and means lots of carbon gases go into the air and that will make the earth too hot for polar bears and other animals as well as people.
Poppy: But that’s OK because God’s in control.
Lilly: Poppy, do you really think it’s God’s job to clear up after you? Dumping climate changing gases is just the same as dumping litter. We can’t leave it to God or these children or even our mums to clear it up after us – we have to look after the world – that is what God wants, and what these children want too. Isn’t that right, children?
Poppy: Oh dear, I’ve never thought of it like that before. Maybe you are right, Lilly, maybe I should start to live a bit differently. But where do I start?…what can I do?
Lilly: Just go through this list of things on Christian Ecology Link’s ‘9 Ways to Live Lightly’ leaflet doing one at a time.
Poppy: OK, I’ll start today. Now! And I’ll do one thing at a time and do more and more until I’m living how I should be living. Hey, I’m really excited about this. This is going to be fun!
Lilly: Not as fun as if we do it together and get others to join in too!
Poppy: OK, let’s work together to not make a mess of the world. Are you going to join in too, children? And you grown-ups?
Song – don’t dump carbon – leave it in the ground (x2), let’s keep our planet just as it should be, don’t dump carbon, leave it in the ground
Author: Ruth Jarman, July 2008
The author is happy for people to use this play, modified as they wish, provided that she is credited, and would be pleased to hear where they are being used.
CEL’s ‘9 Ways to Live Lightly’ leaflet can be downloaded from the Leaflets page in the Resources section. Or you can order printed copies from jill-publications@christian-ecology.org.uk
Next: Sketches by Westley Ingram
Previous: Change Greed to Green, a play by Tom Hiscock
Leave a Reply