Educating about climate change in apocalyptic terms nullifies the imagination of your students and pushes them to immobility. We have already experienced it, we have been hearing this type of message for many years that finally generate disbelief and even indifference. The constant threat of horrible things that can happen makes us refuse to talk about it and prefer to ignore it. As the scientists Fernando Valladares and Emiliano Bruner say in this interesting article “a decision made out of fear is never wise, never strong and, above all, never free.”
If we want to generate a different impact on the new generation, we have to transmit a positive message affirming that if we act we will already be able to emerge victorious from this battle. Let’s help them build a story in which it makes sense to work together on climate change to create a more sustainable and just world. At the point where we are now, it is much more interesting to appeal to optimism to empower children and youth climate action.
In this link you can find another complete news on this subject where Per Espen Stoken, director of the Green Growth Center of the Norwegian Business School, expands on this message.