by Mark S. McCaffrey, Associate Scientist III, The Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES), Education & Outreach Group, University of Colorado at Boulder

In the past fifty years, as the population of the planet has more than doubled, emissions of carbon into the atmosphere have risen from about two to nine gigatons a year, with 12 gigatons a year projected by 2030. Given the overwhelming body of knowledge that confirms that these emissions and other human activities will fundamentally change life on Earth, probably for the worse, it’s fair to ask educators what they are doing to combat this issue.

Indeed, how well have we as U.S. educators done in recent years to foster a climate literate, energy aware society? As an educator focused on these topics, I believe we have failed in providing our students the necessary background for understanding the basics of climate – which is a prerequisite for understanding anthropogenic climate change – or in helping them appreciate the ecological and social ramifications of a fossil-fuel driven economy.

The National Science Education Standards developed in the mid-1990s don’t include any content standards relating to anthropogenic impacts on the climate system. While state standards are somewhat better, few emphasize solutions. In higher education, in part because faculty themselves lack background and often dictate what is taught, only a few universities or colleges have such requirements. A colleague in one prominent Environmental Studies program admits that even students in their renowned program can skate through to a degree without being required to understand the basics of climate and energy science, in part because policy is emphasized and science is not.

We may ask students and maybe even ourselves to measure their carbon footprint, use carbon calculators, buy carbon offsets, and reduce their carbon emissions. In doing so, we usually assume that the connection between carbon and climate is clear, when in fact it usually isn’t. In recent years we seem to have put all our eggs in the proverbial basket of fighting climate change by simply branding CO2 as something “bad” that needs to be gotten rid of. Were that it were that simple. Anthropogenic climate change is a symptom of, among other things, an educational system that has been unable to foster holistic, whole-systems thinking. To minimize the impacts and adapt to the changes that are already occurring, we need nothing short of an educational revolution. Is it possible to understand (and act on) climate change without a fundamental understanding of climate principles? Perhaps. But being firmly grounded in the basics of climate science including the human dimension (how we are influenced by climate and how, now, we influence climate) will go a long way to fostering effective solutions.

Which is where the Essential Principles of Climate Literacy can come in. Developed by educators, communication experts and climate scientists, reviewed and endorsed by 13 federal agencies involved with the US Climate Change Science Program (now the US Global Change Research Program), the Essential Principles and related resources, such as the Climate Literacy Handbook, and programs, such as teacher workshops and online courses, can help backfill the enormous gaps we as a society have. The seven principles below, which every faculty member should be familiar with and whenever appropriate weave into the fabric of their teaching – are framed by a guiding principle for informed climate decision-making:That humans can take actions to reduce climate change and its impacts.

Following are the seven essential principles with suggested, preliminary solution strategies:

1. The Sun is the primary source of energy for Earth’s climate system (Focus on solar cooking, passive/seasonal solar design, photovoltaics, solar thermal, concentrated solar power)
2. Climate is regulated by complex interactions among components of the Earth system (Compare fossil fuels with nuclear power and renewable energy such as wind, hydro, tidal, geothermal)
3. Life on Earth depends on, is shaped by, and affects climate (Photosynthesis as the core of carbohydrates and the food chain and root of hydrocarbons/fossil fuels, and how biosphere and climate system are closely coupled)
4. Climate varies over space and time through both natural and man-made processes (Examine energy consumption on short (diurnal) to seasonal scales, as well as projected longer term trends and solutions)
5. Our understanding of the climate system is improved through observations, theoretical studies, and modeling (Make use of all STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics—disciplines as well as arts and humanities to enrich and expand climate and energy studies)
6. Human activities are impacting the climate system (Examine energy consumption patterns and systems, as well as social, economic and psychological barriers to changing behavior and transforming activities)
7. Climate change will have consequences for the Earth system and human lives (Focus on not only mitigation of greenhouse gases, but energy and social equity issues, climate adaptation, and emerging opportunities and careers that don’t currently exist)

While the principles are in many respects “no brainers,” the fundamental concepts nested below each principle require unpacking. Many of the concepts don’t specifically relate to human-induced change, but, clearly, understanding basic climate dynamics is imperative to finding effective solutions. Putting a climate action plan together is not trivial, but when all is said and done it’s largely a narrative wrapped around a spreadsheet with various assumptions that run decades into the future when some of our students may still be around but most of us won’t be. Transforming the academy so that graduates will have a full appreciation for the problem, the immensity of the challenge, and the skills to address the known and unknown technical, psychological and organizational issues should be the highest priority of all.

Decarbonizing the global economy, addressing energy equity and justice issues, and building resilient communities will require a fully informed, climate literate, energy aware and, yes, science savvy society. No, we don’t all need to be climatologists or energy experts to make informed choices. But we do need a far more integrated, comprehensive, multi-disciplinary approach than what exists now, with energy policy over here, climate science over there, and sustainability over in that new building on East campus.

---||

Sidebar links:

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Tyndall

2. http://www7.nationalacademies.org/archives/IGYPlanetEarthPosters.html

3. http://www.seed.slb.com/subcontent.aspx?id=4120

4. http://hdr.undp.org/en/reports/global/hdr2007-2008/papers/leiserowitz_anthony.pdf