Understanding Climate Change is about Education by Julie Peller Ph.D.

Green Junction

                How often do adults speak and act on climate change on behalf of children/youth? The actions to address climate change have been slow, which has prompted young people to take on the adult role. In the state of Montana, younger people have been fighting for new laws and new lifestyles – changes to what we do today – to have a viable future. The recent court ruling in Montana, initiated by its youth, “was the first ruling in the United States to effectively establish constitutional rights to a stable climate,” according to Patrick Parenteau, senior fellow for climate policy at Vermont Law and Graduate School.

                For years, young voices (i.e., Greta Thunberg) have been asking governments, businesses, industries, and individuals to re-evaluate fossil-fuel-based energy, materials, and systems, given our knowledge of the detrimental consequences of climate change. In the meantime, the effects of a changing climate have emerged. June 2024 was the 13th record-setting month in a row for global air temperatures, along with a 15-month streak of record heat in the oceans. According to climate reporter Chris Hatch, “Almost five billion people — over 60 per cent of the world’s population — suffered through extreme heat in the last two weeks of June.”

                There are numerous ways we can care for our youth and their future and address the rising carbon dioxide in the atmosphere (measured at 427 ppm this past May, compared to a July 1960 value of 319 ppm). We can set the AC at a slightly higher temperature or the furnace at a slightly lower temperature. We can combine our errands into one trip in the car, take shorter trips, and use public transportation when available. We can cut down on meat and dairy and purchase locally. We can use fewer electronics, reduce electricity use, and reduce water use. We can purchase less stuff, consider investing in renewable energies, and divest from fossil fuels.

                One very critical requirement for the future health of the earth is the election of public officials who truly care about the lives of children and the earth (Our Common Home). Policies matter and are required to address climate change. According to recent data, while over 70% of Americans view climate change as serious, only about 25% list it as a top priority. Lyrics from the song: “Bless the beasts and the children, for in this world they have no voice, they have no choice. Bless the beasts and the children, for the world can never be, the world they see. Light their way when the darkness surrounds them; give them love, let it shine all around them.”

Julie Peller, Ph.D., is an environmental chemist (Professor of Chemistry at Valparaiso University ). She has been writing a weekly column called The Green Junction for the past seven years and is helping to move the call of Laudato Si to action forward. Her Research Interests are advanced oxidation for aqueous solutions, water quality analyses, emerging contaminants, air quality analyses, Lake Michigan shoreline challenges (Cladophora, water, and sediment contaminants), and student and citizen participation in environmental work.