Infusing Climate and Energy Literacy Throughout the Curriculum

摘要

Energy and climate are inextricably linked, as local energy choices directly influence global climate change. Due to this powerful relationship, there is an emerging need for a scientifically literate citizenry that understands the significance of its energy choices on climate and on the other components of the Earth system in order to minimize impacts. Climate and energy literacy is lacking in the United States both for adults and children. Though a majority of the American public recognizes that the climate is changing, a 2012 Pew survey found just 42 % of Americans believe the change is mostly due to human activity (Pew Research Center 2012). Students are not any more scientifically literate about climate and energy science than their parents, with less than 15 % of American teens reporting that they feel very well informed about how the climate system works or about the causes of climate change. Auspiciously, however, 70 % of those same teens said they would like to know more (Leiserowitz et al. 2011).