Number: 2008-01
WHEREAS, due to global warming, over the next several decades children in America’s schools will be faced with an unprecedented environmental threat not only to wildlife and its habitat, but also to the security, safety and prosperity of people worldwide; and
WHEREAS, global warming education will enable children and their families to learn about the human induced and human controlled causes of global warming, including population increases, carbon emissions caused by outdated building technologies, inefficient transportation, and life styles that demand high energy consumption, and to take action by making informed energy choices; and
WHEREAS, due to global warming, higher average temperatures will cause many of the existing premises of environmental science to be recalculated and rethought, altering current conditions and issues related to ecosystem sustainability, to support healthy habitats and wildlife species; and
WHEREAS, effective education on the science, societal, and economic effects of these changes will be essential for the next generation to comprehend and address them; and
WHEREAS, leading climate scientists have concluded that the world must reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30% of current levels by 2020 and by 80% below 1990 levels by 2050 in order to avert the most serious consequences of global climate change, and to meet these targets our nation must have a well-educated population that is knowledgeable about existing methods for addressing our nation’s energy consumption; and
WHEREAS, nature deficit in children, demonstrated by the fact that children today spend half as much time outside as children did 20 years ago and spend about 6.5 hours per day plugged into electronic media, increases the need to connect children to the natural world around them and for immediate global warming education programs linking outdoor activity in every school to benefit the cognitive abilities of children, fostering an appreciation for their natural world and a sense of stewardship; and
WHEREAS, every American child should have a “Green Hour” every day, a time for unstructured play and interaction with the natural world; and
WHEREAS, community-based conservation organizations play a vital role in engaging children in nature and promoting environmental education; and
WHEREAS, hands on environmental education incorporating outdoor activity reconnects children to the natural world and yields academic benefits including higher math, reading, and language arts scores and also increases children’s critical thinking skills, self-confidence, and academic motivation while addressing the growing problems of childhood diabetes, obesity and attention deficit; and
WHEREAS, National Wildlife Federation’s commitment to creating a new energy future for future generations focuses on providing sound, age-appropriate global warming education for all ages by: training professionals, organizations and individuals to educate the general public, reaching out to future leaders via college campuses, and providing sound education materials and training for school age teachers and students;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation, at its annual meeting assembled May 14-17, 2008, in Keystone, CO, hereby urges Congress and state legislatures to pass legislation that supports comprehensive global warming education in American Schools and ensures that children and families have positive opportunities to connect with the outdoors and nature; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation strongly encourages government at the federal, state and local levels to effectively incorporate global warming education into the existing structure of American education; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation and its affiliates support school students receiving effective, scientifically rigorous education about global warming, its solutions and its long term implications for wildlife, the environment, health and the economy (in accordance with the national guidelines developed by NWF in consultation with the North American Association for Environmental Education).