Education and the Climate Crisis

August 24, 2021 Chelsea Asare

No, it’s not just you -- it does seem to be hotter than usual lately. The temperatures are rising, and soon cool summer days will be a thing of the past. It’s no secret that global temperatures have been on the rise, and the rate of increase only seems to be growing even bigger. For context, global temperatures have been observed to rise about 0.17 degrees Fahrenheit per decade since 1901; however, the average rate of increase since the 1980s has now increased to almost double that rate. With this, the planet seems to be speeding towards dangerously high temperatures, bringing about a planet that may not be able to sustain life as we know it.

This temperature increase is a part of what has come to be known as the climate crisis, an umbrella term that describes global warming, climate change, and the consequences that will arise from the long term effects of these two phenomena. Some of these long term effects can be seen in action already from the increased frequency of natural disasters and extreme weather events to the melting sea caps and the rising sea levels.

With all of this information, the outlook looks bleak. While climate change is a naturally occurring phenomenon, the rate at which it is occurring now is abnormal. However, not all hope is lost -- the key to understanding the climate crisis and developing countermeasures to reduce its effects lies in education.

Currently, climate change is not a mandatory part of school curriculums within the United States. According to surveys, up to 80 percent of teachers and parents believe that climate change should be required teaching within schools, an overwhelming majority. Despite this resounding agreement the percentage of teachers able to incorporate climate change within their classrooms is less than half, with instructors citing issues with how to approach the complex topic in a way that would be suitable for the classroom. Although it is true that the science behind climate change can be complicated and is ever changing, it is important to drive the key points home -- human activities such as pollution are releasing large amounts of carbon dioxide, contributing to changes in the composition of the air and the rising temperatures recorded.

In other parts of the world, climate change even has an impact on education. According to the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, an exposure to heavy rainfall and extreme temperatures in the earlier stages of life have been linked to fewer years of schooling in later childhood. With an increase in temperatures resulting in heavy flooding, torrential rains, and other types of severe weather, children’s access to schools becomes severely limited, if at all accessible for long periods of time. In addition to impacts on education, climate change can also affect it indirectly, with adverse conditions that can shape child birth outcomes and the amount of nutrition a child can take in.

With this knowledge, it is important for us to take action and ensure a brighter future for not only ourselves, but for future generations. Holding larger corporations and companies responsible for their contributions towards global pollution is a first major step, in addition to shifting towards renewable energy as sources of power for buildings, transportation and more. As with most things, having an understanding of why conditions are the way they are allows for solutions and countermeasures to be set in place. Understanding climate change and how it affects not only the environment but those living in it and their education is critical in our journey towards saving the planet.

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