Mathematics & Climate Change

Climate change is the biggest threat to the future of our world and as educators, we need to do what we can to give the next generation tools. I appreciated what it said about how citizens need to have a level of preparation in order to be able to engage in political debates and activism. Mathematical understanding is crucial in understanding climate change data. I think including projects on climate data in classrooms is a great way to help students connect with how Math is used daily and prompt important discussions about the climate crisis. Math cannot continue to be taught purely instrumentally or detached from real-world application because we need our students to understand how Mathematicians work with others to communicate to the public and come up with solutions regarding climate change. 

I experience anxiety thinking about what I will see in my lifetime and what my students will have to face as a result of the climate crisis. Living in Canada has put me in a position of privilege as the government will likely be able to go to great lengths to manage the impact of climate change but around the world, many people will continue to experience displacement and devastation. I think that makes it all the more important to educate our students; because it is hard to feel emotionally connected to an issue when it is not directly impacting us. As global citizens, we have a responsibility to do our part. Mathematics is about creative problem solving and I want to encourage and equip the next generation to think that way.