Fossil Fuel Misinformation
This looming Polluting Education report is the original reason for the Recall Nicolaides campaign. Claire Kraatz alerted Jenny Yeremiy, a geophysicist, mom and resident of Calgary-Bow, to a study her colleagues at For Our Kids (and the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment) were working on in early 2024. The study analyzed the fossil fuel industry and lobby efforts to shape curriculum in the classroom. It stemmed from a member in British Columbia seeing Fortis BC material in her child’s reading materials. Claire and Jenny recorded two podcasts on the subject, one before the study and this one once the study was released, with one of the author’s Dr. Anne Keary: Season 2, Episode 4: Polluting Canadian Education.
The study outlines “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, including: 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 Energy, Imperial Oil, Canadian Natural Resources Limited, ConocoPhillips, Enbridge, TC
Energy, Fortis, and many others.”
Students deserve material that teaches them how to assess evidence and think critically. Current resources lean heavily toward promoting new and costly fossil fuel projects, often pairing them with limited mitigation measures like carbon capture, which are presented as climate solutions despite their inadequate performance and ongoing concerns about long-term effectiveness. At the same time, the materials minimize the proven contributions of renewable energy and battery storage technologies.
They also omit key information about environmental responsibility. For example, industry tours, including those offered by CNRL in the oil sands, highlight operations but rarely disclose that less than one percent of the required security deposits have been collected for oil sands mines, or that less than one percent of the more than 100,000 hectares of disturbed land has been certified as reclaimed. These omissions matter. Teachers cannot develop students’ critical thinking skills without an honest picture of the industry’s impacts, responsibilities, and the full range of available energy solutions.
The curriculum requires a balanced approach with factual information. Experts like Dr. Ellen Field of Lakehead University who has represented Canada internationally in an effort to “green” the Canadian K-12 curriculum. Here are two resolutions which were presented and passed during the 2024 Alberta School Councils’ Association annual meeting to adopt these changes.
Title of Recommendation: Integrate Climate & Biodiversity Education Throughout the Curriculum from K-12 | |
Describe the issue(s) to be addressed, aspect(s) that need to change or be resolved: A framework for embedding climate & biodiversity education in Alberta schools must be integrated throughout the curriculum from K-12 and should incorporate hands-on learning experiences with a focus on critical thinking, equity, and wellbeing. | |
Background: “When Canada signed the Paris climate agreement, we agreed to Article 12, which within it says that as a signatory, we agree to enhance climate change education,” Dr. Ellen Field said. “To date, ministries of education have not released policy statements that guide climate change education.” (Dr. Ellen Field, Lakehead University; https://www.ellenfield.ca/) Article 12 of the Paris Agreement Parties shall cooperate in taking measures, as appropriate, to enhance climate change education, training, public awareness, public participation and public access to information, recognizing the importance of these steps with respect to enhancing actions under this Agreement. Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) Climate education is still a patchwork in Canada with more work needed according to researchers. ‘With climate change education among the key topics in the spotlight at the annual United Nations climate change conference known as COP28 — education researchers, teachers and students themselves are pushing to highlight what’s needed now.’ https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/unesco-climate-change-ed-1.7048781 Dr. Field’s latest article analyzes climate change education curricula across regional jurisdictions in Canada, and can be accessed here: Climate Change Education Curriculum Analysis. About one-third (31-38%) of educators reported that they encourage, or would encourage, students to debate the likely causes of climate change or to come to their own conclusions. There is strong scientific consensus that climate change is human-caused. This consensus should be taught. Ministries of Education should embed core climate change expectations across subjects and release policy statements guiding climate change education for each regional jurisdiction. https://www.edcan.ca/articles/climate-change-education-canada/
Result of National Survey (Learning for a Sustainable Future): Canadian Perspectives on Climate Change & Education (2022) Canadians’ Perspectives on Climate Change & Education
Canadian’s Perspectives on Climate Change & Education: 2022, research undertaken by Learning for a Sustainable Future, assessed Canadian’s knowledge, understanding and perceptions of climate change and its risks. From that report – a majority of teachers believe that climate change education provides opportunities to discuss social justice and world issues with students (87%), that it should encourage students to think about their own beliefs and values (82%), and that it should focus on developing students’ capacity to be critical thinkers and problem-solvers (83%). Most teachers also showed support for climate change education to focus on behavioural change (76%). These findings suggest that the majority of Canadian teachers’ professional views on climate change education support best practice, focused on critical thinking and action-oriented learning. We must bring emissions down as rapidly as possible in order to avoid the worst impacts of climate change and that means that all organizations, industries, sectors have an obligation to decarbonize at the scale and pace that meets this moment. The education sector is critical to ensuring that these goals are met both from an operations/facilities standpoint but also from an educational standpoint. Young people know that climate change is real and many in our own province have experienced the impacts of climate change first-hand – the Calgary floods (2013), the Fort McMurray Wildfires (2016), the damaging Hailstorm that residents of NE Calgary faced a few years ago, and the devastating wildfire season that many communities across Alberta experienced spring/summer of 2023. Students want to understand the science and the solutions! Teens know climate change is real, they want schools to teach more about it The Alberta Youth Leaders for Environmental Education 2020 Student Recommendations read as follows:
Alberta students want more education on climate change Young people are excited to learn about real-world issues and be part of the change we’re seeing. There are excellent examples of this happening in Alberta and this needs to be scaled up in all schools, at every level. Students can then share their knowledge of the energy transition with their parents, caregivers, and members of their community. They can be change-makers! Calgary schools promote renewable energy
Rural Alberta students built a wind turbine and hydroponics system LSHC is chosen Top 10 in the World for Environmental Education https://school.cbe.ab.ca/school/CTC/teaching-learning/classes-departments/cts/EEI/Pages/default.aspx
Climate and biodiversity loss will have an impact on all of our systems – agricultural, economic, financial, political and social. Students deserve to study and contemplate these systems, how they connect, and how multi-solving is critical at this time. Example of multi-solving. Think of the bicycle as a tool to bring emissions down. Not only does cycling help reduce the amount of heat-trapping pollution in our atmosphere, but there are positive physical and mental health benefits when people choose to bike to their destination. These positive health benefits translate into cost savings for our health system. Research by Lindsay Galway and Ellen Field has produced valuable insights. Their study on climate emotions and anxiety among young people in Canada can be found here: Climate Emotions and Anxiety Study. A global survey conducted in 2021 amongst 10,000 children and young people across ten countries, including the US, found that 59% of respondents were very or extremely worried about the climate crisis. Over 50% reported feeling emotions including sadness, anxiousness, anger, powerlessness and guilt. Seventy-five percent of respondents said that they think the future is frightening. Is Climate Change Hurting Teen Mental Health? Ongoing research by Dr. Gina Martin at Athabasca University: Climate change and Canadian teens The antidote to anxiety is action and collective action at this moment in our history is not only nice but necessary. “Youth need to be engaged in climate change education during schooling and need to see adults acting collectively to tackle the climate crisis.”
“Another world is possible for our kids, if only we CHOOSE to make it so.” From Professor Katharine Hayhoe, renowned Canadian climate scientist, one of the world’s leading climate science communicators, and the author of ‘Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World’:
“Hope has two beautiful daughters; their names are Anger and Courage. Anger at the way things are, and Courage to see that they do not remain as they are.” Ideas for implementation may include (but are not limited to):
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