| Comment | Promote Climate Change Literacy for High School Students
All high school students must know the fundamentals of climate
literacy, including (1) causes of climate change; (2) its potential
for harm; (3) what is required to avoid climate destabilization;
(4) actions needed to ensure a livable future; and (5) the key
people and institutions involved in implementing those actions.
Background:
1. The science is clear, greenhouse gas (GHG) levels in the
atmosphere and ocean must be drastically reduced immediately, in
order to preserve civilization and avoid mass die-offs.
2. The winning political strategies are less clear, but urgent
action now is paramount.
3. It is imperative that students are well prepared for the
political and environmental challenges associated with climate
change, as well as empowered to enact change in their community
today.
4. The California State PTA, in May of 2015, passed a resolution
stating that climate change is a children’s issue, complete with a
set of “therefore be it resolved” bullets that constitute a virtual
work program for school districts.
5. The California Department of Education convened an Environmental
Literacy Task Force which produced an updated Environmental
Literacy curriculum in 2015 for grades K-12 that included climate
change, but it does not have specific curriculum details, which are
left up to local districts to implement.
6. Urgency: Our only hope for the drastic climate action needed is
to inform as many students as soon as possible of the crisis and
provide options for effective action.
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