It’s do or die for the planet – and education is the answer

We need a shift in the human mindset and it all starts with education. Children are born ‘ecoliterate’ but in the west, our siloed, sausage-machine system of education cranks it out of them. If they care about climate change, they are told to focus on science or geography, when actually it's a much broader issue that affects all of us and all our daily actions.  

The earth – and living in balance with it - needs to be put at the heart of how children and young people learn; and schools, colleges and universities have a critical role to play. 

A powerful blueprint 

Johan Rockström’s Planetary Boundary concept outlines nine boundaries, the lines we cannot cross if the earth is to be a safe place to live. Whether institutions are concerned with engineering, medicine or the arts, every subject needs to be taught in line with those nine boundaries.  

Teaching in a way that crosses those boundaries will send students out into the world to contribute to the planet’s demise.   

Educators have a responsibility to educate themselves too: they could ask what they could do to build a sustainable future within their field of expertise. How could an architect or a civil engineer or a creative writer build a world with a future?   

We need to try to draw maps of a sustainable future. We don't have those maps yet and that's part of the problem; so there’s an opportunity now to start drawing. If every teacher and academic is doing that for their field, the collective outcome will be a powerful blueprint for the future.  

We are not alone 

It’s easy to feel powerless, but just one person heading in the right position can make a huge difference. Now is the time for anybody who cares about the quality of their life, about their own and their family’s future, to stand up and use their voice.  

By connecting with other people who are taking action, things can be done. Whether a professional group, a community of practice or a local community group, it is hugely motivating to see what a difference a combined effort can make.  

There are education organisations doing brilliant work on climate change, such as the Hawkwood College’s Centre for Future Thinking, Schumacher College, Cambridge University's Homerton Changemakers and Cambridge Zero.  

By reaching out and starting to network within their fields of expertise, people will find that they’re not alone. Many people are just waiting for that connection.  

Time for tech to grow up 

Technology is hugely important in spreading education more quickly and accessibly. It can be an extremely powerful tool, but we need to stop using tech for tech's sake and take a more considered approach to what is really needed to tackle this climate emergency. 

Tech has got to grow up and the people designing it must look at the problems we need to solve collectively for the planet, rather than simply developing more tech toys to play with. There are already so many out there and they only fuel the problem.  

The amount of e-waste is staggering. Tech is still at that kid-in-the-candy-store stage, trying to grab everything rather than taking a more grown-up view about how we can use this brilliant resource to solve the major problems within the global community. 

Educate differently 

We live in an information age and young people are seeing and understanding the world very differently compared to previous generations. They're taking that different perspective into their classrooms, into their universities, and they expect to be educated differently, too. If they're not getting the approach they want from their universities, they will go and find it somewhere else.  

Young people do a pretty good job of educating themselves about our planet. So, imagine what would be possible if they were given access to the best possible tools and guidance throughout their school, college and university lives?  

Cindy Forde is an author and founder of Planetari, formerly CEO of Cambridge Science Centre and managing director of the Blue Marine Foundation. She spoke at Jisc’s Digifest 2022 event on 8 March 2022.