Climate Education
What Do Tigers Have to Do with Teachers?
October 23, 2024
You probably don’t know it, but all over the planet people are madly getting ready to attend in person, or virtually, the Conference of the Parties to the Convention of Biological Diversity, affectionately known as COP16, in Cali in Colombia.
It will focus on biodiversity, species and habitats — that’s bees to tigers to forests to wetlands to you and me — with experts and activists coming together to share research and learnings on how we can protect our precious planet and everything that calls it home. There’s never been a better time to do it either as a new WWF report claims there has been a ‘catastrophic 73% decline in the average size of monitored wildlife populations in just 50 years (1970-2020). The cause? Nature loss and climate change. Both caused by human beings.
Which means there has never been a more important time either to discuss two critically important subjects that can both make a REAL difference to this devastating decline in species numbers: backing a rapid transition to renewable energy across the planet, which is the theme for Earth Day 2025 and which we will be discussing at COP 16. As well as supporting the inclusion of climate education in every school curriculum worldwide.
Education is a tool we MUST use to our advantage because without widespread understanding of the interconnectedness between climate change, biodiversity, and renewable energy we cannot expect lasting solutions.
6 Degrees of Separation
The loss of species and biodiversity and climate change are two sides of the same terrible coin. Forests, oceans, wetlands, and other ecosystems are essential to mitigating climate change—because they absorb carbon dioxide, one of the greenhouse gasses our use of fossil fuels produces. The natural world is a giant carbon sink which helps to regulate the climate. Although right now we know that nature is under severe stress and research in 2023 discovered that the land, forests and plants that typically absorb carbon had absorbed almost no carbon at all.
This is doubly worrying as a destabilized climate accelerates biodiversity loss by altering habitats, available resources and triggering extreme weather – all of which are especially threatening to indigenous species.
Human activity is the trigger for all of this and we need solutions that plan for a changing future, and that win hearts, minds, and most importantly trigger planet friendly actions that mitigate climate change. One of these solutions is teaching climate education in all schools so that students can learn honestly about what is happening to our planet and shift their behaviors.
So What do Teachers Have to Do With Tigers?
More than you might think. Climate education, when taught in a cross-curricular and interdisciplinary manner, allows students to understand the science behind biodiversity loss and its relationship to the climate crisis.
This knowledge can spark action — whether it’s students leading sustainability projects in their own homes or schools, or their entire communities. It may trigger them to push for the greening of their school-yard to attract pollinators, or carry out advocacy work calling for stronger environmental policies such as backing renewable energy or it might inspire them to seek a career as a biologist, or a solar panel engineer or a banker who supports loans to planet friendly businesses.
Teachers are on the front lines of all of these efforts. They play a huge role in shaping how young people understand their relationship with the natural world and their responsibility to protect it. Schools, with the right curriculum in place, can cultivate a generation that’s not only informed but also motivated to solve these problems. They can inspire future citizens, policymakers, and innovators who will prioritize sustainable solutions—like promoting the use of clean energy like solar and wine, restoring ecosystems, cutting down greenhouse gas emissions, and thereby protecting wildlife and human health.
Empowering the Next Generation To Save the Planet
We need to continue to grow the spirit of the Earth Day network and empower the movement to ask for more and that ask, starting with universal climate education.
Think about it: today’s students are tomorrow’s decision-makers. Whether they become scientists, lawmakers, or simply conscious consumers, they will be the ones to carry forward the fight for our planet’s future. In a world where climate anxiety is on the mind of so many children and teens, it is important to teach with truthfulness but also with a sense of climate optimism.
For example, letting students know organic farming is showing great progress in storing carbon is key. Letting them know that solar, hydroelectric, geothermal, tidal and wind energy are realities and nations as diverse as Iceland, Denmark, Brazil, Kenya, Great Britain and the U.S are embracing them. Letting them know that there is hope – that we can all make a difference and everyone of them has a voice and a right to be heard. Classrooms are the perfect setting for where we can share this knowledge.
Why Climate Education Needs to be Ever Present at COP16
As world leaders gather for COP16, it is imperative that climate education is recognized as a cornerstone of the BIG solution. Achieving the goals set in the Global Biodiversity Framework requires a global populace that understands and cares about these issues. By integrating climate education into biodiversity strategies as well as including climate education into Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), COP16 can pave the way for a more informed, engaged, and sustainable future. Tell your school district you want to see climate education in the class-room.
If you want to become part of the EARTHDAY.ORG network, and help to protect the world’s biodiversity, please sign the Our Power, Our Planet Renewable Energy Petition, calling on the governments of the world to triple electricity generation from solar, wind, hydro, tidal and geothermal, collectively, by 2030. Spread our articles and social media posts and take the What Renewable Energy Are You Quiz! Make your voice heard and inspire your kids, grandkids, siblings, parents, grandparents, neighbors, friends and TEACHERS – to do the same.
We only have one planet, let’s work to protect it together!
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