On talking to kids about climate change

The Global Footprint Network’s Ecological Footprint Calculator

I often think about climate change, energy and resource use and how we talk to young people about it. A few weeks ago I heard the author Jonathon Safran Foer on CBC radio, talking about his new book, We Are The Weather and his four point plan to fight climate change. The interview has been on repeat in my mind because his plan is so very human, and by that, please infer that it really comes up short. I expect much more solid recommendations from someone who is putting themselves out there as a thought leader. 

There is a balance to strike when explaining to young people that the earth has a finite carrying capacity and that scientists believe we have already surpassed its tipping point. It is my belief that we must present this information carefully, and weigh it against the mental health effects of committing a generation of young people to waking up everyday to a very grim portrait of the future. It is absolutely imperative that young people have quality information about the climate crisis, issues surrounding energy and resource use, and how their lives are connected and affected by that. Enter, the Ecological Footprint Calculator. Using the Global Footprint Network’s online calculator students can enter information about themselves and get a sense of the impact that their families’ lifestyle choices have on the planet. The calculator uses the concept of “if everyone on the planet lived like you, it would take X number of earths to live on.”

This tool offers a rich focus for a lesson on Conservation of Energy and Resources, or could easily tie a unit together. I might begin by having students collect data about their living situation from their parents/guardians for homework. In class students would calculate their footprint with the online tool using the data they collected. There aren’t too many questions and they aren’t too technical; so this should be achievable. For students who were unable to collect the necessary information, they could take a guess or use a character profile available from the Global Footprint Network’s website. Students receive a footprint score (the number of planets it takes to sustain their lifestyle, and as a class we can plot our footprints on a graph and discuss variation in the data as it relates to lifestyle choices. This activity has strong pedagogical value: it’s requires a high level of engagement, makes academic concepts personal, and shows the real life application of data. 

There are great opportunities to discuss the divergence of resource use globally, personal choices, environmental justice, and solutions from individuals and at the government level. This is a flexible tool that offers many opportunities for extension and integration with math. A whole other lesson could look at how footprint calculators are made and who uses them. 

Available from https://www.footprintcalculator.org