The Industrial Revolution marked the birth of a new era in human history, an economic and social transformation driven by technology, manufacturing, and transportation. It sparked an age of innovation and invention and challenged the limits of human imagination. But at the same time, our young industrial society made reckless, self-serving choices without regard to the consequences to the environment.
And now, we have a mess on our hands.
On February 2, 2007, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a body of hundreds of scientists from around the world, announced that climate change is indisputable and poses a great threat to life on earth.
Breaking the Ice on Global Warming
Almost exactly one year after global warming became a universally accepted issue, a chunk of ice seven times the size of Manhattan dislodged from an Antarctic shelf and disintegrated into the ocean.
Because global warming and cooling are linked to industrial economics, the issue is often made into a political tug-of-war that causes more contention than consensus. “We’re in a giant car heading toward a brick wall and everyone’s arguing over where they’re going to sit,” muses Canadian geneticist and environmentalist David Suzuki.
Everyone has a role to play in facing what U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon has called the “defining challenge of our age.” It’s up to educators to spread the word. Is your school teaching climate change? If not, now is the time to start.
Four Ways to Grow Green
1) Avert political gridlock with ethics
Climate change is a human issue (not a political one) that will economically and socially affect people all over the globe.
Good citizens of the 21st century respect nature and have a responsibility to one another to maintain a clean, habitable environment. As denizens of a global village, we also have a duty to be fair when distributing and consuming limited natural resources.
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair summed it up when he said, “The only society that works today is one founded on mutual respect, on a recognition that we have a responsibility collectively and individually to help each other on the basis of each other’s equal worth. A selfish society is a contradiction in terms.
2) Avoid talk of the apocalypse
“We have just ten years to avert a major catastrophe that could send our entire planet into a tail-spin of epic destruction involving extreme weather, floods, droughts, epidemics, and killer heat waves beyond anything we have ever experienced,” warns the documentary An Inconvenient Truth. Most people these days are leery of media hype.
Argue the science behind global warming. Like the saying goes, people fear what they don’t understand. Stick with what we know. Touch on, but don’t dwell on, the hypothetical consequences of climate change. It’s important that people grasp the gravity of the situation, but scaring them won’t reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere.
3) Change the world
Even though scientists predict dire consequences if we continue along the trajectory of industrial “progress,” many are optimistic about the future. Glenn Albrecht, an Australian researcher and professor who studies the effects of climate change on the human psyche, offers this thought: “I’m not willing to give up on encouraging change towards sustainability even in the face of what looks like overwhelming negative forces.”
It’s an exciting time to be alive. We have a responsibility to ourselves and the rest of the world to lead the green movement. Empower yourself by learning ho to live sustainably, promoting eco-awareness, and getting involved in the political process.
4) Take advantage of technology.
Because the U.S. government is just now accepting that human activity has contributed to climate change, it can be difficult
11th Hour Action.com
An extension of the documentary, The 11th Hour, which explores how we live, how we impact the earth’s ecosystems, and what we can do to change our course. The following pages offer specific ways students of all ages can get involved in the green movement:
The Center for Eco Literacy
Dedicated to education for sustainable living.
The Cloud Institute for Sustainable Education
Inspires young people to think about their world, their place in it, and their ability to influence it.
Roots & Shoots
Jane Goodall Institute’s program is a powerful, youth-driven, global network of more than 8,000 groups in almost 100 countries that encourages service-learning projects that promote care and concern for animals, the environment, and the human community. A special segment of the site is dedicated to educators.
The Urban and Environmental Policy Institute
An umbrella group for community-based sustainability initiatives, education, and other programs.
Revolve or Evolve
Fewer than 300 years after the Industrial Revolution, modern civilization has arrived at the brink of its adolescence. Technology won’t disappear, but we have an opportunity to transcend our self-absorbed, industrial youth. Will we mature into a respectful, globally conscious, sustainable citizenry? Or will we continue to rebel against nature? Educators have the power to shape the future. You decide.Get Serious About Sustainability
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