This article was written by Gaby Flores, Lauren Khalil, Andres Lopez and Ruby Zumba.
The burden of the climate crisis weighs on the shoulders of a generation that did not cause it.
In recent years, increased concern for the climate in younger generations, like Gen Z, has been prevalent and many in this group are anxious about the current state of the world. The article, “Gen Z and Climate Anxiety: Why the Youngest Generation Feels the Most Impacted by Climate Change,” from GlobeScan notes that the percentage of Gen Z that care about the climate crisis exceeds that of Baby Boomers or Millennials.
The data illustrates that young people are largely concerned about climate change. But the level of action does not match their level of unease. In a fast-paced world, climate change gets lost within the onslaught of the 24/7 media cycle; as such, young people feel pressured to stay informed and try to engage with every major world issue, which is ends up limiting action in the long run.
So how can colleges harness their students’ concern and turn it into measurable progress? The simplest way is to offer the opportunity to participate in being part of the solution by incentivizing involvement.
Plenty of similar programs already exist in universities, though they have different focuses; we can easily take these pre-existing models and shape them to meet our needs and goals.
At Montclair State University, the John Martinson Honors EDGE Program uses a platform called Suitable to track student participation in Honors events. Participation is quantified using a points system, which determine student standing and even access to certain opportunities.
Expanding this program across the entire university and offering more events like campus clean-ups, off-site litter picks, education sessions, film screenings, and open forums would help build the community needed to work towards significant change. This would incorporate deliberation and debate to provide a replicable standard for schools across the country to implement.
The urgency of the climate crisis calls for not only extracurricular and community participation, but the integration of climate education into university curricula. Incorporating education about the climate issues we face today could mark a turning point in securing a safe future for generations to come. The most basic information about this crisis is strikingly missing in the minds of most.
Imagine a required climate change general education course that exists in the same manner as requirements for physical education, writing and art? Or even the incorporation of climate information into those existing courses?
The addition of a course or requirements that cover information on how to be climate-conscious, what actions are feasible, and what the greatest contributors to the crisis are could play a catalytic role in tipping the scales in favor of the planet and our future.
