UNDERSTANDING CLIMATE CHANGE AND BRINGING ADVOCACY, ART AND INDIGENOUS WISDOM INTO THE CLASSROOM
BY MIKA GANG CLIMATE CHANGE 101
Temperatures are rising globally as a result of human activity, particularly greenhouse gases being emitted into the air. Burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas causes ap- proximately 70-80 per cent of the emissions driving climate change. In 2015, 196 nations signed the Paris Agreement, an overall goal of which is to limit warming to 1.5º C above pre- industrial levels. Today, global temperatures have already risen by an average of 1.1º C. According to the 2022 synthesis report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), with the current level of fossil fuel pro- duction and consumption we see around the world, we are on track to reach 2.7º C warming by the end of this century. To put that in per- spective, even a lower rise of 2º C of warming is projected to result in a 170 per cent increase in flooding globally, widespread hunger and starvation worldwide, an average of four month-long droughts globally and 49,000,000 people displaced. Without immediate action to drastically decrease greenhouse gas emis- sions and transition to renewable resources, the world our students will become adults in is quickly descending into crisis. Te IPCC report concludes by highlight-
ing that there is still a window of time in which we can limit warming to 1.5º C. Te report recommends we reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45 per cent by 2030, but we
20 ETFO VOICE | FALL 2023
need to act fast. It’s important to know that while other countries have begun drastically reducing their carbon emissions, Canada’s emissions actually increased by 21 per cent between 2010-2019. Canada is a significant contributor to the climate crisis and every community, city and province has a role to play in reversing this trend.
HOLDING SPACE FOR STUDENT EXPERIENCES
Tis past June, record-breaking wildfires raged across the country, forcing Toronto stu- dents to stay indoors due to smoky air. It’s no surprise that in a recent study by researchers at Lakehead University, 78 per cent of Canadi- ans aged 16 to 25 reported that climate change was impacting their overall mental health. As teachers, we must acknowledge the climate crisis and hold space for our students and any feelings that may come up because of it.
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