Climate change is affected by both natural processes of the Earth and man-made occurrences. Therefore, in order to stop climate change, we would need to find a way to stop or replace the natural processes that contribute heavily to climate change. It’s much more realistic to focus on the man-made contributions to climate change rather than attempting to create a solution to stop the occurrence of natural events. As students, being enlightened and spreading awareness are major steps in the fight against this phenomenon. Encouraging newer generations to pursue careers in geological sciences for the sake of the Earth’s future can potentially be one of the few solutions in the slowing of or even solving climate change.
As students, we should take into consideration the changes that are bound to happen due to climate change. Many of us are familiar with the topic of climate change, solely because it’s mentioned a lot in politics or shows, but not its subtopics and long-term effects. We may be aware of climate change but not the disasters that are bound to happen because of it. Therefore, I believe that more awareness and education need to be spread among schools to enlighten students. As a student, the first approach I would make in furthering this cause is to further educate myself on this subject so that I can be able to also educate my peers along the way. The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization had this to say, “Education is an essential element of the global response to climate change. It helps people understand and address the impact of global warming, increases “climate literacy” among young people, encourages changes in their attitudes and behavior, and helps them adapt to climate change related trends.” Knowledge is the key in the fight against climate change; if we as students can learn the causes and effects of this phenomenon, we can join the cause and be advocates.
I would advocate for more classes, seminars, and activities to be held that involve climate change. My first encounter with this topic in college was in the course Physics of Natural Disasters during my final semester. This single class has completely changed my perspective of matters involving climate change and has inspired me to do more in the fight against it. More classes that bring awareness to this topic should not only be recommended for students but required in this era. In a New York Times blog, Amy Harmon, an environmental science teacher wrote, “I incorporate climate change in my lessons as a way to teach domestic and foreign issues. We have several places in our state that are sinking and as future voters and tax payers, our students need to have an awareness of an issue/problem they can hopefully solve.” Measures of this sort must be taken in order to bring awareness and stress the importance of climate change to the newer generation.
To conclude, I believe that the first step in fighting climate change is educating and spreading awareness on this topic. As students, we need to be well equipped with this knowledge in order to effectively advocate for bettering the Earth. Schools should provide and mandate more geological science classes which bring awareness to climate change for students. With more awareness and education on this subject, students will be better equipped in the fight to save the Earth.
References
ABC News, ABC News Network, abcnews.go.com/Politics/students-world-skip-school-demand-action-climate-change/story?id=61694312
“Climate Change Education and Awareness.” UNESCO, 10 Dec. 2018, en.unesco.org/themes/addressing-climate-change/climate-change-education-and-awareness
Harmon, Amy. “A Sense of Duty to Teach Climate Change.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 28 June 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/06/28/us/teaching-students-about-climate-change.html.
