You can now listen to Fox News articles! It is important to note that hammering K-12 school children about the dangers of climate change in every class, including math, art, and gym, is tantamount to child abuse. Shockingly, less than one-third of fourth graders in the United States can read or do math at their grade level. Despite this concerning statistic, climate activists are demanding that students learn about global warming in every subject. New Jersey has already made it mandatory, and Connecticut is now following suit as the new school year begins. In New York City, Mayor Eric Adams is requiring that every public school participate in Climate Action Day.
The agenda behind the climate push is clearly political. In New Jersey, it is spearheaded by the governor’s wife, first lady Tammy Murphy, who is a founding member of Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project. Lessons in schools now connect urban heat islands to tree placement inequities, redlining, and racism. In New York City, climate activist Greta Thunberg is hailed as a hero and role model, with students being encouraged to “get involved in the global student climate action movement” and “get to know community leaders and register to vote.” It seems that everything short of pre-enrolling kindergarteners in the Democratic Party is being done. As parents, we should be outraged.
The issue at hand is that climate change has become the left’s religion, and the messaging behind it is as heavy-handed as catechism in a religious school. It is also fear-inducing, as children are bombarded with the message that global warming is causing the extinction of their favorite animals. For example, first-graders at Slackwood Elementary School in New Jersey are taught that transportation, heating, and raising livestock are making the Earth sick.
However, the reality is that these children are too young to understand the trade-offs involved in an immediate transition to zero carbon emissions. A first-grader does not comprehend that their family might not be able to afford an electric vehicle, which has an average price of $53,000. Instead of being overwhelmed with the ethical and economic implications of eliminating fossil fuels, children should be taught about the wonders of nature, such as identifying different animals, plants, and environments. They are not developmentally ready to tackle the complex issues associated with climate change.
Furthermore, first-graders cannot grasp the impact on their family budget when utility bills double to pay for the shift to wind and solar energy, as New Yorkers have been warned. Additionally, it is important to note that the United States has already reduced emissions of the six most common pollutants by 78% since 1970, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. However, explaining this to a first-grader who lacks the concept of percentages and lacks a frame of reference for comparing pollution rates between countries like the U.S., China, and India proves difficult.
These complex issues are more suitable for high school students, and their presentation should include all viewpoints as controversies. Climate education advocates claim they are teaching “facts” that everyone agrees on, but this is not entirely accurate. There is a divide within the scientific community regarding the urgency of eliminating fossil fuels. A poll conducted by Fairleigh Dickinson University found that 41% of geologists, climatologists, meteorologists, and other scientists do not believe global warming will cause significant harm in our lifetimes. Moreover, a majority of scientists disagree with claims made by teachers that we will face a significant increase in severe weather events like hurricanes and tornadoes.
The radical left’s green timetable, which aims to eliminate fossil fuels, comes with significant costs for ordinary people. This includes job loss, increased living costs, and a weakened position for America in the global economy. Yet, climate change educators oppose any discussion of these costs. States like California, New York, and Oregon are considering adopting New Jersey’s “every class is a climate class” curriculum. However, some states are resisting this push.
Again, it is crucial to remember that first-graders simply do not have the capacity to comprehend the complex trade-offs involved in transitioning to zero carbon emissions immediately. They do not understand that their family might not be able to afford an electric vehicle. Texas state education authorities are already urging districts to present both the pros and cons of fossil fuels and to avoid using textbooks that present only one side. This approach is smart considering the number of parents who earn a living in carbon-related industries.
In Ohio, Republican state lawmakers are pushing for publicly funded colleges to present all viewpoints on climate change. They want to encourage students to reach their own conclusions and avoid inculcating any social, political, or religious point of view. While enforcing this on college campuses may be a challenge, it should be a rule in every public school.
Parents, it is crucial that we stand up against indoctrination. Repeatedly feeding our children the same frightening message in every class is brainwashing. We live in America, where diversity of thought should be encouraged. To read more of Betsy McCaughey’s opinion, click here. Betsy McCaughey is a former lieutenant governor of New York and the chairman of the Committee to Reduce Infection Deaths. You can follow her on Twitter @Betsy_McCaughey.
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