Climate Education
Primary Causes of Climate Change
The scientific consensus is unequivocal: human activity is the dominant cause of observed global warming since the mid-20th century. The primary driver is the increased concentration of greenhouse gases—especially carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O)—resulting from the combustion of fossil fuels, deforestation, and industrial agriculture.
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), over 90% of the observed rise in global average temperatures is attributable to anthropogenic emissions. These gases trap infrared radiation in the Earth’s atmosphere, leading to the amplification of the natural greenhouse effect. Satellite measurements, atmospheric sampling, and climate modeling all converge on this conclusion, offering a robust, multi-disciplinary foundation for our understanding of causality.
Primary Consequences of Climate Change
The impacts of climate change are already widespread and accelerating. Rising global temperatures contribute to more frequent and intense extreme weather events, including heatwaves, droughts, wildfires, and heavy precipitation. Ocean warming and acidification threaten marine ecosystems, while melting ice sheets and glaciers contribute to sea level rise, increasing the risk of coastal inundation.
In Oregon, climate projections suggest increased wildfire smoke exposure, reduced snowpack affecting water supply, and shifts in agricultural viability. Public health impacts, particularly for vulnerable populations, include increased respiratory illness and heat-related morbidity. These interconnected effects underscore the urgency of mitigation and adaptation measures grounded in the best available science.
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Education Blog
From Abstract to Monthly Bills: Understanding the Real Cost of Climate Inaction
From Abstract to Monthly Bills: Understanding the Real Cost of Climate Inaction Daniel Scotton, Executive…
The Cost of Inaction: Why Delaying Climate Investment Is the Most Expensive Choice
The Cost of Inaction: Why Delaying Climate Investment Is the Most Expensive Choice Daniel Scotton,…
Climate Change Breaks Systems – Not Just Records
Climate Change Breaks Systems – Not Just Records Daniel Scotton, Executive Director – March 20th…
The Carbon Mistake
The greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O), for example, contains no carbon. Although the other greenhouse gases contain carbon, the carbon is not equivalent. In reality, using a Kilogram-for-Kilogram or lb-for-lb comparison Methane (CH4), is 86 times worse than CO2 on a 20-year basis, and 34 times worse on a 100-year basis.
Methane Pollution
Methane (Natural Gas) is extracted directly as a gas or as a bi-product of extraction of other fossil fuels. It was named ‘Natural gas’ in a sublime moment that has seemingly labeled it forever as a benign product. As marketed, this fuel contains some 90% methane, and thereby lies the problem.
Ocean Acidification
Over the past 200 years, since the industrial revolution, roughly 30% of the CO2 released into the atmosphere has dissolved into the oceans resulting in a more acidic ocean.
Living With Climate Change
Since 2017, SOCAN has been offering a ten-week course, meeting once a week for three hours, that presents the basics of global warming and its regional climate change consequences and then explores the intersection between climate change and energy and construction, transportation, weather and water issues, agriculture, terrestrial systems, human health population and consumption, and what we can do. This course was formerly entitled, “Master Climate Protector”. Starting in the spring of 2024, through a partnership with the Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Sustainability at Southern Oregon University, MCP has become a collegiate course on campus open to SOU students and community members. ES 131: Living with Climate Change: Rogue Valley is anticipated to be offered during fall term of even years (e.g., 2026, 2028, etc.). During the fall term of odd years (e.g., 2025, 2027, etc.) our plan is to offer Living with Climate Change: Rogue Valley through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at SOU.
Teacher Resources
The Climate Toolbox. A collection of web tools for visualizing past and projected climate and hydrology of the contiguous US.
Sixth Oregon Climate Assessment (Jan 2023) by Oregon Climate Change Research Institute. A biennial evaluation of recent scientific findings relating to the impacts and risks of climate change in Oregon. The Sixth Climate Assessment describes how climate change is affecting Oregon’s environment and natural systems, economy, and communities, and presents projections of future impacts under varying emissions scenarios. The Assessment presents some staggering information about the negative effects of climate change on our state and region. Learn about how the Oregon Department of Energy is working to fight the effects of climate change, and how energy can be both a cause and a potential solution to climate change.
The Teacher-Friendly Guide™ to Climate Change This book includes both the basics of climate change science and perspectives on teaching a subject that has become socially and politically polarized. The focus audience is high school Earth science and environmental science teachers, and it is written with an eye toward the kind of information and graphics that a secondary school teacher might need in the classroom. Print copies are available for purchase here and a PDF version is available as a free download.
How I Talk to My Daughter About Climate Change (April 5, 2018) Michelle Nijhuis, The Atlantic. As a reporter covering the environment, I’m all too aware of what the next 50 years could hold. As a 9-year-old, she’s not—and for now, she wants to stay that way.
Zero Footprint Youth Calculator. iEARN (International Education and Resource Network) – Learn with the world, not just about it.
Ten Climate-Conscious Parents on Talking to Kids about Global Warming
How to Talk to Anxious Children About Climate Change (Sept 15, 2024) by Nina Dietz, Inside Climate News. For years, educators and parents often avoided the subject. But that is starting to change, as therapists urge parents to listen to their kids and help them understand that their fears are normal.
Resources for the Climate Crisis. Welcome to the Existential Toolkit – A Growing Hub of Resources for Climate Justice Educators. With feelings of climate anxiety and eco-grief on the rise, educators across disciplines need resources to help students develop the emotional resilience to stay engaged in the work of climate justice. This toolkit helps educators and students navigate the long emergency ahead without becoming overwhelmed by despair. The resources in this project have been crowdsourced from an international community of scholars, educators, and climate justice leaders focused on addressing the emotional impact of climate disruption. The project was initially launched by eco-emotion researchers Jennifer Atkinson, Elin Kelsey and Sarah Jaquette Ray.
Next Generation Science Standards
A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas (2012).
Guide to Implementing the Next Generation Science Standards (2015).
NSTA (National Science Teachers’ Association) – Climate Change Resources. A scientific consensus indicates that Earth’s climate is changing, largely due to human-induced increases in the concentrations of heat-absorbing gases. Climate change mitigation and resilience strategies exist that human societies may choose to adopt.
Tables of Global and Hemispheric Monthly Means and Zonal Annual Means from the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS). Scroll down to this Heading and select ‘Global-mean monthly, seasonal, and annual means’ The CSV option comes in as an Excel file.
University of East Anglia Climate Research Unit Data in collaboration with the British Meteorological Office Hadley Climate Center. Data sets have to be parsed when downloaded.
NOAA Mauna Loa Atmospheric Carbon dioxide data Trends in CO2, CH4, N2O, SF6. Data set started in 1958.
CoCoRaHS – Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network CoCoRaHas, the citizen science weather collection program.United States Geological Survey Climate Change Viewer This site provides climate trends and projections as modeled data and time series graphs for every mainland U.S. county from 1950 to 2100 for max and min temperatures, precipitation, run-off, snowfall (as snow water equivalent), soil moisture storage, evaporation deficit. A downloadable tutorial is available, but the site is reasonably intuitive, entering users just have to accept the terms (not complex or arduous).
How the Environment Leaders Programme cultivates climate action in schools. The Optimist Daily (Nov 25, 2024) The climate crisis can feel like an overwhelming storm—literally and figuratively, but young people across the UK are eager to be part of the solution. A recent survey of 1,500 students aged 7-17 revealed something inspiring: the next generation doesn’t just care about the planet—they’re ready to roll up their sleeves and take action. The problem? Many feel their schools aren’t giving them the tools to do so. Environment Leaders Programme, Leadership Skills Foundation
Subject to Climate. We are on a mission to make climate change teaching and learning accessible to all. By enabling educators from all subjects and grade levels to teach about climate change, we believe that the next generation will be inspired to take climate action.
Climate.Gov (NOAA)
- Source for data and climate change maps. Easy interface on the Global Climate Dashboard
- Climate Literacy: The Essential Principles of Climate Science book is available on the website in English and Spanish.
- Teacher resources include visuals, videos, demos and experiments, and interactive tools. Resources searchable to grade level, topic, resource type, or climate literacy principle.
Energy.gov US Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
- Energy Literacy video series
- Background info on energy for teachers, K-12 lesson plans, and videos
Climate Change Live Distance learning resources for students and teachers
- US Forest Service and 26 other public and non-profit organizations
- Curated list of web information and lesson plans
- Background information on climate science for teachers
Action for the Climate Emergency 25 U.S. states engaged in campaigns to build local support for clean energy – Engaging millions of people in rural communities.
- Trains young people to be climate educators and activists
- Brings climate assemblies aligned with NGSS to high schools with teacher resources for before and after the assembly
- “Our Climate Our Future” video aligned with NGSS for use in high school classrooms with accompanying resources
CLEAN—Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network Committed to Climate and Energy Education
- The CLEAN Collection is a high-quality and rigorously reviewed collection of climate and energy educational resources and lesson plans aligned with Energy Literacy frameworks and the Next Generation Science Standards. Through peer-review, scientists and educators ensure scientific accuracy, pedagogic effectiveness, and classroom readiness for each resource.
- Teaching about Climate and Energy? Our team of educators and scientists has reviewed and organized the best free teaching resources for K-12 through college.
National Geographic: Climate Change Coverate
- Stories and pictures with information about climate change impacts
- Lesson plans from National Geographic
- California Air Resources Board, State Government
- Curriculum materials and links to other resources
Windows to the Universe: Our Changing Planet
- National Earth Science Teachers’ Association, Education Non-Profit
- Videos on the effects of climate change with accompanying lesson plans
- Data, images, information on climate change science, effects of climate change, and careers in climate science
- Climate Kids Great resource for elementary age kids with info, videos, activities on climate science, effects, and solutions.
California Academy of Sciences
- Lesson plans on climate science searchable by area of science or by grade level
Years of Living Dangerously (YEARS) education website. Climate smart educational resources and learning opportunities that correspond to the science and issues presented in the series.
Long-form Articles
Communication
Yale Climate Connections
Yale Climate Connections is a nonpartisan, multimedia service providing daily broadcast radio programming and original web-based reporting, commentary, and analysis on the issue of climate change, one of the greatest challenges and stories confronting modern society.
https://yaleclimateconnections.org/
Yale Climate Opinion Maps
https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/visualizations-data/ycom-us/
The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy pamphlet “Let’s Talk Climate: How-to Guide”
Explaining climate change science & rebutting global warming misinformation
https://skepticalscience.com/
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