Climate change should be part of the school curriculum
“Inclusion of climate change and energy security in the school programme is a critical step towards inculcating responsible citizenship in young people.”
“Climate change is a rapidly evolving phenomenon that is increasingly affecting every aspect of our lives. It is of paramount importance that the younger generation is informed of climate change impacts at the earliest level.
”Similarly, the issue of energy security has assumed a greater urgency as fears about the stability of the world’s energy resources grow.
”The recent switch-off by Russia of the gas pipeline to Georgia and Western Europe further underlines our country’s vulnerability at Europe’s periphery to energy deprivation.
“I would view the inclusion of climate change and energy security in the school programme as a critical step towards inculcating responsible citizenship among young people.
“Strategies such as calculating carbon footprints, which are designed to lessen the impact of climate change, need to be imparted to children as young as primary school level.
“It is incomprehensible that young people growing up today would not be taught about issues like climate change and energy security. These issues have enormous relevance to their lives.
“Global warming as a consequence of climate change and the urgency of developing renewable energy supplies are issues that must be addressed creatively by present and future generations.
“I would suggest that familiarising school students with these major issues of our age is a sine qua non in the development of long-term sustainability strategies for our planet’s future,” Mr Barrett said.
March 4th, 2009 at 11:34 am
Junior Cert Geography students learn about the Greenhouse Effect. Climate Change features in CSPE classes. Does this politician actually know what happens in classrooms or is he just looking for cheap publicity? No marks for correct answer.
March 5th, 2009 at 2:23 pm
The concept of Stewardship is one of the seven key concepts on the CSPE curriculum. Within this concedpt students explore issues like global warming, climate change, carbon footprints and more importantly what each one of us can do to reduce the impact of daily living on our environment.
April 15th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
I feel that no subject which uses unproven scientific theories on this very important matter should be taught to anyone until such a time as they are proven one way or another. The danger of not doing so is evident in that it is simple misinformation and propaganda directed at the most likely people to accept this information as proven fact when it is far from it. If they are going to ‘teach’ this subject then they should be informing the children that this is not necessarily correct and that it is still being studied. It should not be stated as fact. Alternatively it shold be put forward as a possible explanation for climate change with other reasons, such as the power of the sun also being taken into consideration.