Classrooms: Where Climate Change Gets Schooled

One of the most interesting and controversial aspects of the climate crisis is the question of the individual's role and responsibility in the battle to save the planet. What can we all do to alleviate climate change? How much will that impact my life, and is it "my" responsibility anyway when we know giant corporations are responsible for the vast majority of carbon emissions?

In the early years of "global warming," we were all taught to calculate our carbon footprint. It turns out that this entire concept of personal accountability was dreamt up by one of the biggest fossil fuel companies in the world, British Petroleum, BP. They hired PR executives at Ogilvy & Mather to promote the concept that climate change is our fault, not theirs. BP even kindly created a "carbon footprint calculator" in 2004 to calculate how we, as individuals, were destroying the planet, and it worked. For those who took responsibility, it led to a personal quest to lower our footprint. For those who didn't care, it provided a way to point a finger, blame others, and avoid serious conversations about solutions.

While the goal of taking action to mitigate climate change at a personal level scheme was developed by big oil corporations and entirely designed to shift the blame from "them" to "us," there actually is still a lot that we can do to make a difference.

But making us all count carbon is not the solution; yes, recycling is good, and saying no to flying private jets - not something I have ever had to do - is positively advantageous for the planet - there's another and far better way to drive collective action. There is one very special community that can meet climate change head-on, and it's one of the strongest communities in the world: classrooms.

Last Earth Day, a large school district invited me to present on climate education at an event for middle and high school students. As a former teacher, I was excited to be back in a classroom talking with young people about something I care about. We discussed the history of Earth Day and the power of collective action. We looked at current trends and possible solutions to the climate crisis. I encouraged young people to think about how they may become part of the solution today as students and tomorrow as a net generation of leaders.

As soon as I ended my presentation on the critical need for climate education in all schools, K - 12, a savvy student shot their hand up and asked me, "Okay, but why should we make room for climate education when there are so many other pressing issues we have to deal with every single day?" It was on point and made me realize how much I miss the directness of student questions.

It was a fair question, so I asked the students what some of these other issues were. Sadly, but unsurprisingly, they produced a laundry list of crises that all needed to be addressed. Economic issues, like poverty and the national debt; social issues, like equality for all groups under the law and the pursuit of peace; and conflicts rage around the world.

Although I didn't want to minimize the importance of any of these critical issues, I did ask them what all of those issues have in common, and with the exception of space trash, and yes, one student did mention space trash, it is that they all occur on this planet. Planet Earth. That became the starting point for another, and I have to be honest, more open and engaging conversation than what I had planned for.

This experience helped me when it was time to write the EARTHDAY.ORG report, Climate Education vs. The Climate Crisis, because it reminded me that taking responsibility and driving collective action is not about shaming individuals or alleviating corporate responsibility. It is about giving the next generation, our students, the tools they need to cope with the mess we have effectively dumped on them.

If students know what is happening to the world, they can better cope with this reality and counter the tide of misinformation that will undoubtedly flow their way.

We know all of this impacts students - there is a lot of research showing climate anxiety is real and that climate education is the best medicine for it. Secondly, preparing our students for a future in which nearly everyone will have to be climate-literate is not just what environmentalists want; it is what, increasingly, businesses are calling for to prepare young people for the green economy. This is supported by the report Choosing Our Future: Education for Climate Action by the World Bank, which outlines the research and data to support these claims, including the astonishing statistic that "80 percent of global business leaders believe that green skills will be the most important driver of the green transition."

The other thing teaching climate education can do effectively, even without trying to, is promote a sense of responsible, planet-friendly behavior in students ages four to eighteen. It builds a Green Muscle Memory that means every decision these students make from now on will have a built-in sense of right and wrong for the planet.

The difference is that, unlike BP's cynical Carbon Footprint, it is not about blame or even about being virtuous. It is about knowing the facts and choosing to make the best choices for your own future; it's not faux altruism or even guilt; it is about adopting a common sense attitude to the world we live in and acting accordingly because it is the right thing to do.

Since writing our first report, we've created a free practical School Guide to Teaching Climate Change, packed with information on how best to teach this subject effectively because climate education in every classroom worldwide is our goal and critical for our planet.

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