118th CONGRESS 1st Session |
Supporting the teaching of climate change in schools.
March 28, 2023
Ms. Lee of California (for herself, Mr. Frost, Mrs. Hayes, Mr. Blumenauer, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mr. Cleaver, Mr. Davis of Illinois, Mr. Huffman, Ms. Moore of Wisconsin, Mr. Nadler, Mr. Panetta, Ms. Schrier, Ms. Sewell, Mr. Tonko, and Ms. Williams of Georgia) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce
Supporting the teaching of climate change in schools.
Whereas, to respond meaningfully to our rapidly changing climate, youth must be educated about the causes, ongoing effects, and current and potential solutions for the changing climate;
Whereas confronting the challenges of a changing climate requires bipartisan effort focused on educating and empowering future generations;
Whereas the impacts of climate-related disasters threaten the physical and mental safety of students by keeping them out of school, damaging infrastructure, and exacerbating Adverse Childhood Experiences;
Whereas, in 2021, the National Association of School Psychologists passed a resolution declaring that climate change negatively impacts the mental health of youth and asserting that climate education is a key factor in supporting student agency, self-efficacy, and resilience;
Whereas climate change disproportionately affects the fundamental rights of children to a climate system capable of sustaining human life, and which is preservative of fundamental rights, including the rights to life, liberty, property, and education;
Whereas failing to provide climate education to all students in our Nation worsens an existing education gap and limits career opportunities, exacerbating the impact of environmental pollution, redlining, and sacrifice zones;
Whereas K–12 climate education has widespread support, and according to a recent National Public Radio survey, 84 percent of parents with children under 18 years of age and 86 percent of teachers in the United States support climate education;
Whereas, according to a 2021 national Yale Climate Communications survey, teaching about global warming is 1 of 3 most supported climate policy solutions, with 77 percent of respondents in support;
Whereas research suggests that implementing climate education at a national scale can reduce emissions at the same magnitude as solar panels and electric vehicles;
Whereas investments in high school vocational trade and job training programs are critical in preparing the next generation to quickly engage in the estimated 9,000,000 renewable energy, clean infrastructure, and environmental restoration jobs by 2032;
Whereas, according to the Department of Energy 2022 Employment Report Fact Sheet, “renewable energy added the most new jobs in the electricity generation sector from 2020 to 2021”;
Whereas, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2 of the 3 fastest growing jobs are in the renewable energy sector, and these job openings are outpacing the number of workers qualified to fill them; and
Whereas, in order to deploy climate solutions at the necessary pace according to the best available science, the United States must engage the education sector at the local educational agency, State, and Federal levels: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved,
(1) supports the integration, funding, and implementation of interdisciplinary, solution-based climate education curriculum into K–12 schools in the States, the District of Columbia, indigenous communities, and territories and possessions of the United States;
(2) encourages the Department of Education to work alongside States and local educational agencies to define and implement comprehensive and interdisciplinary climate education standards, according to the best available science;
(3) calls on the Department of Education to support research that measures the impacts of climate education on student behavior;
(4) affirms that climate education should be compatible with various learning styles in order to provide equitable access to all students;
(5) encourages local and regional school boards to implement place-based, solution-oriented, and developmentally appropriate climate education in all grade levels and multiple subject areas;
(6) encourages those who develop climate education curricula to address climate-induced trauma, acknowledging the growing impact of climate change on youths’ mental health;
(7) commits to taking immediate action to advance climate education in the United States by providing funding and support for teacher education, professional development, and the creation of best practices for national climate education curricula and teaching standards;
(8) encourages the incorporation of climate change education as a critical component of the National Climate Action Plan as a quantifiable means of emissions reduction and as an essential leverage point for scaling climate solutions and promoting resilience in local communities;
(9) calls for the formation of an Office of Climate Literacy and Career Development and a Climate Education Task Force in the Department of Education in order to support local educational agencies in implementing climate education and creating vocational programs to educate and prepare students for renewable energy, transportation, and regenerative agricultural careers;
(10) supports the efforts of States and school boards to require climate education in curricular guidelines and affirms the rights of parents to advocate for the well-being of their children and the planet; and
(11) encourages policymakers, States, local educational agencies, and schools to work with students, teachers, and climate scientists when developing and implementing climate education programs to reflect the voices of young people and educators.