Dr. Marie Curie Jr shares "It’s time to clean up classroom oil spills"

Sharing is SO MUCH APPRECIATED!

By David Suzuki

Growing up involves confronting uncomfortable truths — about history, science and ourselves. In this era of information overload, those who have learned to employ critical thinking skills are not only better prepared to evaluate the credibility and importance of information, they’re also more resilient in the face of the discomfort it may cause.

Ignoring the history of slavery or the consequences of consumer capitalism won’t make them disappear; it will just make us more likely to repeat mistakes.

Ignoring climate change won’t make it go away either. Learning about its causes, implications and solutions is critical to human wellbeing and survival. It should be at the heart of all school curricula, as it affects every aspect of our existence. Young people are disproportionately affected.

Students in Canada are taught about climate disruption. But the origins of some of those “educational” materials may surprise you.

A report from For Our Kids and the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment states, “At least 39 oil and gas companies and 12 industry-tied organizations are using a variety of methods to influence how climate, energy, and environmental education is taught across the country. Their strategies have included: providing branded educational materials to schools; establishing partnerships with government to develop curricula and resources; sponsoring school activities; and funding and supporting third-party environmental education providers. Fossil fuel companies engaged in K–12 education in Canada include Cenovus Energy, Suncor, Imperial Oil, Canadian Natural Resources, ConocoPhillips, Enbridge, TC Energy, Fortis, and many others.”

The report, “Polluting Education: The Influence of Fossil Fuels on Children’s Education in Canada,” states that “industry-supported education materials were found to consistently muddle scientific evidence about the causes of climate change, and failed to address the urgent need to transition away from fossil fuels. They routinely presented climate concerns as a ‘perspective’ alongside pro-industry counterarguments, and emphasized individual actions while ignoring corporate responsibility.”

This isn’t education; it’s propaganda — and it goes back as far as the 1920s, when Imperial Oil produced branded maps for schools. It has no place in learning environments for youth.

The report details the profound effects of climate disruption on young people, from exposure to air, water and food pollution to rising climate anxiety. One survey found 78 per cent of young people in Canada are concerned about climate impacts on their mental health.

Part of the problem — or opportunity if you’re in oil and gas — is that government budget cuts have left a funding gap for climate education, and industry is all too willing to fill it. It’s not just the fossil fuel industry. When my children were in school, they were subjected to materials from forestry, nuclear and pharmaceutical industries about how vital their work was.

The negative consequences go beyond the damage to young people. As the report states, “By maintaining a presence in schools and funding education groups, the industry has long been able to shape the public’s understanding of climate change, using misinformation to position fossil fuels as benign, protect industry interests, and delay climate action.”

Alberta and Saskatchewan’s governments have been especially receptive to industry hype, partnering with companies to produce kindergarten to Grade 12 curricula for decades.

Providing “educational” materials to schools is part of a larger strategy to downplay or deny the impacts of continuing to burn gas, oil and coal. Industry executives don’t seem to care that using their products as intended is seriously harming children and puts us all at risk — as long as they continue to reap obscenely excessive profits.

Industry people knew as early as the 1950s that burning fossil fuels emits greenhouse gases, disrupting carbon cycles and heating the planet to dangerous levels. Their own scientists and research confirmed it. But their enormous wealth and political power has facilitated an ongoing indoctrination campaign, mostly through subservient media and politicians, as well as front or “astroturf” (fake grassroots) organizations, to lie about climate and pollution.

It’s astounding that so many people, from corporate executives to politicians, care so little about the world’s youth and are willing to sacrifice their futures to short-term profit.

It’s time to put an end to fossil fuel industry influence over governments, media and society. But it’s well past time to clean up the massive oil spill polluting our children’s minds!

David Suzuki is a scientist, broadcaster, author and co-founder of the David Suzuki Foundation. Written with David Suzuki Foundation Senior Writer and Editor Ian Hanington.

Learn more at davidsuzuki.org.