Trend influencing education in New Zealand or internationally

Climate Change and Sustainability

Reading the facts presented in "Global Trends Paradox of Progress" (2017) was a sobering experience. This led me to consider how to engage our learners in the issues of climate change and sustainability, and how we can educate them to actively care about the impact of this on their planet.

My school is becoming a Silver Enviro School. With this distinction comes an increased commitment from the wider school to foster a higher degree of sustainable habits. As one example, we have introduced a four bin rubbish system in each community. Students are educated to use grey for paper; orange for mixed recycling; red for general rubbish and another for fruit and vegetable scraps for our worm farm and my pig!

Analysing the Trend

"Our natural world is at risk. Projected average temperature increases of just a few degrees would lead to water shortages for billions of people, reduce agricultural yields, and increase malnutrition related deaths by millions and lead to the extinction of a large part of the animal species." (OECD, 2016). 

A report by the National Intelligence Council (2017) identified the following issues:

1. According to the UN, half of the world's population will face water shortages by 2035. Rising populations are leading to increased consumption and expanding agricultural production which will exceed current water supplies.
2. Over time, ice melt in Antarctica and the Arctic will accelerate the rise in sea levels.
3. Over a third of the world's soil, which produces 95% of the food supply, is losing its productivity. This is predicted to increase as the world's population grows. It is already taking place at a rate 40 times faster than the formation of new soil. 
4. Climate change will intensify the loss and degradation of habitats, pollution, overexploitation and invasive foreign species. This will harm forests, fisheries, wetlands, with ocean ecosystems facing critical risks from acidifying and warming waters. Climate change will cause more extreme weather events resulting in crop failures, wildfires, power failures and infrastructure breakdown.
5. By 2035, air pollution is forecast to be the main cause of environmentally related deaths internationally. According to the World Health Organisation, more than 80% of people who live in cities are already being exposed to air pollution in excess of safe limits. Just over fifty percent of the global population currently reside in cities, this is predicted to rise to two-thirds by 2050.

Climate change will become fundamental in how we view our world. Over time the impact of global warming will disrupt societies and alter how and where people live as sea levels rise, precipitation patterns change, air pollution becomes a critical health issue and our natural resources become more depleted. 

Classroom Implications

The question is asked in OECD (2016) report "How well do young people develop an awareness of the connections between their daily decisions and possible long-term consequences, not just for themselves as individuals but for society as a whole." 

It is our responsibility to educate our learners about our impact on our planet, to encourage them to think beyond themselves, and to develop programmes that demonstrate the positive difference their actions can make. 

The nationwide adoption of a programme such as Enviro School's to educate and encourage an active role in sustainable practices would increase student awareness, as would scientific inquiries into the effects of climate change through investigating innovative practices, for example, in sustainability planting native species to support biodiversity and reducing greenhouse emissions through renewable energies. Continuing to encourage collaborative practices amongst our future leaders as co-operation on a global scale is required to ensure a significant impact is realised on these issues.

References

OECD. (2016) Trends Shaping Education 2016, OECD Publishing, Paris.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/trends_edu-2016-en

National Intelligence Council. (2017). Global trends: The Paradox of Progress. National Intelligence Council: US. Retrieved from https://www.dni.gov/files/images/globalTrends/documents/GT-Main-Report.pdf