[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 262 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 262
Supporting the teaching of climate change in schools.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 28, 2023
Ms. Lee of California (for herself, Mr. Frost, Mrs. Hayes, Mr.
Blumenauer, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mr. Cleaver, Mr. Davis of Illinois,
Mr. Huffman, Ms. Moore of Wisconsin, Mr. Nadler, Mr. Panetta, Ms.
Schrier, Ms. Sewell, Mr. Tonko, and Ms. Williams of Georgia) submitted
the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on
Education and the Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Supporting the teaching of climate change in schools.
Whereas, to respond meaningfully to our rapidly changing climate, youth must be
educated about the causes, ongoing effects, and current and potential
solutions for the changing climate;
Whereas confronting the challenges of a changing climate requires bipartisan
effort focused on educating and empowering future generations;
Whereas the impacts of climate-related disasters threaten the physical and
mental safety of students by keeping them out of school, damaging
infrastructure, and exacerbating Adverse Childhood Experiences;
Whereas, in 2021, the National Association of School Psychologists passed a
resolution declaring that climate change negatively impacts the mental
health of youth and asserting that climate education is a key factor in
supporting student agency, self-efficacy, and resilience;
Whereas climate change disproportionately affects the fundamental rights of
children to a climate system capable of sustaining human life, and which
is preservative of fundamental rights, including the rights to life,
liberty, property, and education;
Whereas failing to provide climate education to all students in our Nation
worsens an existing education gap and limits career opportunities,
exacerbating the impact of environmental pollution, redlining, and
sacrifice zones;
Whereas K-12 climate education has widespread support, and according to a recent
National Public Radio survey, 84 percent of parents with children under
18 years of age and 86 percent of teachers in the United States support
climate education;
Whereas, according to a 2021 national Yale Climate Communications survey,
teaching about global warming is 1 of 3 most supported climate policy
solutions, with 77 percent of respondents in support;
Whereas research suggests that implementing climate education at a national
scale can reduce emissions at the same magnitude as solar panels and
electric vehicles;
Whereas investments in high school vocational trade and job training programs
are critical in preparing the next generation to quickly engage in the
estimated 9,000,000 renewable energy, clean infrastructure, and
environmental restoration jobs by 2032;
Whereas, according to the Department of Energy 2022 Employment Report Fact
Sheet, ``renewable energy added the most new jobs in the electricity
generation sector from 2020 to 2021'';
Whereas, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2 of the 3 fastest growing
jobs are in the renewable energy sector, and these job openings are
outpacing the number of workers qualified to fill them; and
Whereas, in order to deploy climate solutions at the necessary pace according to
the best available science, the United States must engage the education
sector at the local educational agency, State, and Federal levels: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) supports the integration, funding, and implementation
of interdisciplinary, solution-based climate education
curriculum into K-12 schools in the States, the District of
Columbia, indigenous communities, and territories and
possessions of the United States;
(2) encourages the Department of Education to work
alongside States and local educational agencies to define and
implement comprehensive and interdisciplinary climate education
standards, according to the best available science;
(3) calls on the Department of Education to support
research that measures the impacts of climate education on
student behavior;
(4) affirms that climate education should be compatible
with various learning styles in order to provide equitable
access to all students;
(5) encourages local and regional school boards to
implement place-based, solution-oriented, and developmentally
appropriate climate education in all grade levels and multiple
subject areas;
(6) encourages those who develop climate education
curricula to address climate-induced trauma, acknowledging the
growing impact of climate change on youths' mental health;
(7) commits to taking immediate action to advance climate
education in the United States by providing funding and support
for teacher education, professional development, and the
creation of best practices for national climate education
curricula and teaching standards;
(8) encourages the incorporation of climate change
education as a critical component of the National Climate
Action Plan as a quantifiable means of emissions reduction and
as an essential leverage point for scaling climate solutions
and promoting resilience in local communities;
(9) calls for the formation of an Office of Climate
Literacy and Career Development and a Climate Education Task
Force in the Department of Education in order to support local
educational agencies in implementing climate education and
creating vocational programs to educate and prepare students
for renewable energy, transportation, and regenerative
agricultural careers;
(10) supports the efforts of States and school boards to
require climate education in curricular guidelines and affirms
the rights of parents to advocate for the well-being of their
children and the planet; and
(11) encourages policymakers, States, local educational
agencies, and schools to work with students, teachers, and
climate scientists when developing and implementing climate
education programs to reflect the voices of young people and
educators.
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