Climate Age

More than 1.3 trillion dollars are spent each year on public K-16 education. But, amazingly, the amount that goes to educating the next generation on the science of and solutions to climate change is microscopic by comparison. Only about one half of public K-12 schools teach climate education as a subject and most of those schools teach it for just one to two hours per year. Importantly, when it is taught, some 40% of educators treat the subject as though the science is not settled and is being debated. It is not. Climate change is the greatest single threat to the future of the next generation. It will bring hot weather, challenge food availability, generate natural disasters, and force economic chaos and even war. Our young people need a solid foundation of knowledge on the science of climate change and an understanding of the many ways a warming climate can be addressed. They will need to understand how climate change will affect their lives and careers, where they can live, their consumer behavior and their health. The situation in America today is a tragedy and a disgrace being forced onto young people by an older generation that failed to grapple the problem to the ground when they had a chance. We need to fix this. The solution to having enough effective education to equip a generation extends far beyond curricula and periodic projects. It must be systemic, well funded and supported by broad new educational policies. It is Time to get serious about climate education for the next generation.

On this site we will cover policy strategies and developments that show how action, smart new educational policies and increased funding can bring climate education to where it needs to be in America’s public education landscape. The injury dealt to the next generation is sentencing them the enormous climate challenges for their lifetimes. The insult is failing to give them a solid education on how to navigate those challenges. It it time to go to the U.S. Congress, state legislatures, public education agencies, school districts, community college and higher education systems with a policy agenda that will get the job done. Climate change is a multi-generational problem and it needs a strong multi-generational response. Stay tuned.