It is certainly no secret, now more than ever, that the environmental crisis remains a hot button issue among scientists, activists, and everyday citizens alike.
There are many individuals that feel they are simply helpless when it comes to aiding the fight for a greener earth as they may feel that they lack experience or resources to truly make a difference.
However, this simply is not the case. The first step towards progress is acknowledging the problem at hand. If individuals are unaware of the problem, then progress cannot blossom.
This is where climate education comes into effect.
In America alone, there are millions of individuals who are simply not being equipped with the proper knowledge about climate change. This is partially due to the intense political battleground that dominates the media and spreads misinformation surrounding the issue.
In addition to reaching adults, it is also critical that children are made aware of the environmental endeavors that will become even more prevalent in their futures. School curriculum should be adjusted in order to accommodate these new needs.
This would not be the first time in which the curriculum has been adjusted to include modern issues with the goal to inform and educate students for the prospect of improvement regarding the issue. Critical Race Theory is an example of one such adjustment that has been adopted by various universities.
Though some of these programs have faced significant pushback, these efforts are still more than worthwhile, especially if they could be brought closer to the realm of public education. The same can be said in regards to a similar effort being made for climate education.
If children and adults alike become more educated, they will be aware of the danger that is growing increasingly nearer to them: global warming. The hope is that this will begin to mobilize more individuals.
More people will begin to dedicate resources towards combating climate change if it is presented as a current issue rather than something that is a problem only for the distant future to be concerned with.
If climate education is not pursued, then there may no longer be a group of individuals to combat global warming and present its devastating effects, due to species extinction and decreased air quality. These issues will only become more prevalent if they are ignored.
The one true goal of climate education is to bring everyone one step closer towards ending misinformation and leading individuals to put aside their differences to finally begin healing earth.