Curious Climate Schools empower future generation on climate action
Is it too late to reverse climate change? And is there a solution to fixing it? These are some of the questions young people are asking climate experts in classrooms across Tasmania. How teachers can become involved.
Education
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Is it too late to reverse climate change? Is there a solution to fixing climate change?
These are some of the questions young people in classrooms across Tasmania are asking experts in the Curious Climate Schools program.
St Mary’s College year 12 student, Grace Campbell, said it was vital that the impacts and implications of climate change were made known to young people, so they could appreciate what was at stake.
Curious Climate Schools is calling out to teachers to register their classes so students can ask experts anything they want to know about climate change.
St Mary’s College science teacher Karen Walter, who has herself participated in the program said it was essential for young people to learn about it.
“It’s happening in their lifetime,” Ms Walter said.
“It’s so important for students to be aware and feel like their questions are being heard.
“They’re asking things like, ‘is it too late to reverse climate change? What’s the government doing? What are some of the things that we’re doing to solve climate change? What can we change in our everyday lives that will help?’”
University of Tasmania geography and environmental scientist and Curious Climate Schools creator Dr Chloe Lucas said the program is designed to empower and give a voice to young people.
“Young people are struggling with the reality of the climate crisis at the moment and seeing lots of things on the news about fires, storms and floods,” she said.
“Young people are going to experience more extreme weather events in their lives than older people.
“Somebody who’s born in 2020 can expect to experience seven times more extreme weather events than somebody who was born in 1960.”
So far, Curious Climate has engaged about 2000 students from 68 classrooms across 48 schools over the past three years.
This year 80 experts will help answer the questions of students in an engaging two minute video.
Classrooms – including rural classrooms – who register will get a visit from a climate expert to talk to students in person.
“We really try to listen to young people and then respond by helping them think about how they can use each of their own talents to be part of climate action,” Dr Lucas said.
“We don’t just need scientists, we need all different kinds of talents in this so we are talking about how everyone can be involved in climate action.”
Teachers can register online at curiousclimate.org.au/schools by September 22.
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