COMMENTARY: We must do more to prepare California students to confront climate change
COMMENTARY: We must do more to prepare California students to confront climate change EdSource
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Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Next Generation
Piedmont seventh graders participate in the global strike for climate change in San Francisco in 2019.
Credit: Andrew Reed/EdSource
In February 2023, an abnormally violent storm hit the coast of California near the Point Reyes National Seashore. The storm brought down a large redwood tree onto two cars parked in a driveway, causing significant damage. This incident served as a reminder of the impact of climate change and the need for action. It also highlighted the responsibility of the older generation to prepare the next generation for the challenges they will face.
Returning What We Borrowed
As a baby boomer, I recognize that my generation has essentially “borrowed” and utilized the planet for our own purposes over the past 50 years. Now, it is our duty to return what we borrowed and pass it on to the next generation. However, the effects of population growth, industrial expansion, carbon burning, and a general lack of care have led to irreversible damage and a state of accelerating decline.
Preparing the Next Generation
While we may not be able to return the earth to them in perfect shape, we can provide the next generation with a powerful education that equips them to survive and make positive changes. Preparing our children for the world they will inherit is not only the right thing to do, but it can also bring renewed purpose and relevance to the California education system.
The Blueprint for Environmental Literacy
In 2015, California published its Blueprint for Environmental Literacy, which highlighted the lack of consistent access to high-quality environmental education for K-12 students. Many students receive limited exposure to environmental content, if any at all. Despite the publication of this blueprint, little has changed in our schools over the past nine years.
The Need for Investment
One reason for the lack of progress is the state’s failure to prioritize environmental and climate change education. Insufficient investment in long-term initiatives to develop the educational system’s capacity for change has hindered progress. The state also does not allocate enough resources for curriculum development, assessments, and professional development related to climate change education.
While California plans to invest about $10 billion per year over the next five years to combat climate change, less than 0.1% of this amount is dedicated to climate change education. This means that for every $100 spent on fighting climate change, less than 1 cent is allocated to educating students about the importance of these efforts.
Considering that California spends over $20,000 per student annually on their school education, it is disheartening to see less than $2 per student devoted to developing climate change literacy.
The Importance of Climate Change Education
The Covid pandemic has demonstrated the consequences of an imbalance between investment in science and education. While vaccines were successfully developed, the lack of public understanding and trust in vaccines hindered their timely adoption and success. The same applies to climate change – without equal emphasis on climate change education, addressing this global issue will be challenging.
California’s Leadership Opportunity
California has been at the forefront of supporting policies and research to fight climate change. It now has the opportunity to do the same with climate change education. The next generation needs to be equipped with knowledge and wisdom to tackle the challenges ahead, and it is our responsibility to provide them with the necessary education and preparation.
We must ask ourselves if we are doing everything we can to prepare the next generation for what is coming. Their demands for better mitigation, adaptation, and education should be met with action and investment in their future.
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Mark St. John is founder of Inverness Research, a nonprofit organization that studies education initiatives, and a consultant to Ten Strands, a nonprofit organization promoting environmental literacy for California students.
The opinions in this commentary are those of the author. If you would like to submit a commentary, please review our guidelines and contact us.
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?
- SDG 4: Quality Education
- SDG 13: Climate Action
The article discusses the need for environmental and climate change education in California schools, which aligns with SDG 4 on Quality Education. It also emphasizes the importance of addressing climate change and investing in climate change education, connecting to SDG 13 on Climate Action.
2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?
- SDG 4.7: By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development.
- SDG 13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising, and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning.
The article highlights the need to provide students with a powerful education that prepares them for a world dominated by climate change, which aligns with SDG 4.7. It also emphasizes the importance of investing in climate change education to improve awareness and understanding, connecting to SDG 13.3.
3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?
- Investment in climate change education as a percentage of total climate change spending.
- Investment in climate change education per student.
The article mentions that California currently invests less than 0.1% of its climate change spending on climate change education. This indicates that the percentage of investment in climate change education can be used as an indicator to measure progress towards SDG 4.7 and SDG 13.3. Additionally, the article states that less than $2 per student annually is devoted to developing the capacity for climate change literacy. This highlights the importance of measuring investment in climate change education per student as another indicator.
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 4: Quality Education | 4.7: By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development. | – Investment in climate change education as a percentage of total climate change spending. – Investment in climate change education per student. |
| SDG 13: Climate Action | 13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising, and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning. | – Investment in climate change education as a percentage of total climate change spending. – Investment in climate change education per student. |
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Fuente: edsource.org
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