by Karolina Krakowiak | 21 Apr 2023 | Climate decoders, Educators' Catalog, Environment, Writing's on the Wall
More than half a century ago, the world began devoting one day a year to celebrate the earth. For Kathleen Rogers, that turned into a decades-long mission. Earth Day Network President Kathleen Rogers, right, looks on as actress Gabrielle Union, left, signs her name on...
In celebration of Earth Day (April 2023), we published an interview with Kathleen Rogers, president of Earth Day Network. Rogers emphasizes the importance of climate education and youth participation in ameliorating the climate crisis. Get your students involved in solutions-based actions in service of our planet.
Exercise: After reading the article, assign a climate profile task to students. Their goal: interview someone in their local community who has contributed to fighting climate change. What has this person done to promote sustainable actions? Students will then transcribe the interview and write a brief summary in a written assignment, using the News Decoder article as a model.
by Marcy Burstiner | 11 Apr 2023 | Climate decoders, Writing's on the Wall
Redwood forests have survived only in the Pacific Northwest. But these carbon suckers will grow almost anywhere with a little land and a lot of love. A path meanders through the Arcata Community Forest in Humboldt County, California. (Credit: Marcy Burstiner) This...
by Karolina Krakowiak | 6 Apr 2023 | Ecologues, Environment, News Decoder Updates, Writing's on the Wall
Four experts exchanged perspectives on how to tackle the energy sector and its 40 gigatonnes of CO2 emissions per year. Emi Bartoli, Golnoosh Mir Moghtadaei and Maria Krasinski at the third meeting of Ecologues, 30 March 2023 (Photo: Emilie Biggs, American Library in...
by Jonathan Thatcher | 31 Mar 2023 | Climate decoders, Writing's on the Wall
Billions in international funds have gone to weaning the populous nation off coal. But the country continues to build coal plants despite its pledge to go green. A woman leads her goats as Suralaya coal power plant looms in the background in Cilegon, Indonesia, 8...
by Enrique Shore and Marcy Burstiner | 27 Mar 2023 | Climate decoders, Decoders, Environment, World, Writing's on the Wall
Some 785 million people worldwide lack a basic drinking water supply. Experts came together at the UN to find solutions to our planet’s worsening water crisis. Delegates pose next to a sign set up outside the United Nations headquarters during the UN 2023 Water...
by Maria Krasinski | 23 Mar 2023 | Ecologues, Environment, News Decoder Updates, Writing's on the Wall
With an emphasis on solutions to the environmental crisis, Ecologues creates a much-needed space to debate and educate. Speakers from the first Ecologues meeting with staff members from The American Library in Paris and News Decoder. If you follow the headlines, the...
by Maria Krasinski | 2 Mar 2023 | Ecologues, Environment, News Decoder Updates, Writing's on the Wall
The second of six monthly climate conversations, the event brought together three voices from education, activism and storytelling. Floriane Marié, Marie Cohuet and Maria Krasinski during Ecologues at the American Library in Paris, 23 February 2023. (Credit: American...
by Richard Hubbard | 13 Feb 2023 | Climate decoders, Decoders, Economy, Educators' Catalog, Environment, Writing's on the Wall
The Great Barrier Reef isn’t just an endangered world wonder. Protecting the world’s largest coral reef system is also key to Australia’s economic growth. A diver swims past coral on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, 18 October 2016. More than 90%...
Protecting the environment isn’t just the right thing to do, it can also be the profitable thing to do. Take the Great Barrier Reef, for example, which has an estimated value of $56 billion Australian dollars. Help your students disentangle the complicated world of environmental economics with this article.
Exercise: After reading the article, have students take the WWF Carbon Footprint questionnaire at https://footprint.wwf.org.uk/#/. The questionnaire estimates individuals’ carbon footprint, looking at food, travel, home and consumption habits. After the questionnaire, launch a class discussion on how changes in individual habits may contribute to fighting climate change — and might even be a profitable choice.
by Maria Krasinski | 2 Feb 2023 | Ecologues, Environment, News Decoder Updates, Writing's on the Wall
Three experts discuss solutions to climate issues from the perspective of education, activism and journalism. Ecologues with Matthew Pye, Rahmina Paullete and Alice McCrum at the American Library in Paris in Paris, France, 26 January 2023. What are schools missing in...
by Betty Wong | 5 Jan 2023 | Climate decoders, Economy, Educators' Catalog, Environment, Writing's on the Wall
Turn on the tap, and the world’s most valuable commodity pours out. Maybe it’s time to invest in water — to line our pockets and protect our planet. Clean water pours from a hose. Credit: Cassio Henrique. Getty Images. This article is the seventh in a...
Water is one of the most important commodities in the world. It is also tradable as companies seek to make money by purifying and distributing it. Some organizations that are pushing for climate change action are investing in water companies to pressure private industry to be better stewards of water. These investments in water stocks are proving to be financially profitable.
Exercise: The story identifies a list of companies that provide water or water infrastructure: IDEX Corp., Xylem Inc., Danaher Corp., Ecolab, Roper Industries, Pentair Plc, Ferguson Plc and American Water Works Co. Inc. Divide students into investment teams with $1 million each to invest. Have them first brainstorm ways water and systems for providing water could be improved in their area or elsewhere. Then have them look up the website of one or more of those companies to see if they can tell what the company does to improve water supply or quality. Would their $1 million invested in that company help towards the improvements they identified as needed?
