Exit Slip - Sustainability, Climate Change, The Climate Strike, and Teaching
I have decided to take a selection of the words written on the whiteboard and reflect on them in response to what was discussed in this class.
"saved by technology," apocalypse, business as usual.
"Business as usual:"
A criticism that came up throughout discussion today and in the videos is that people continue to act as though everything is alright in the face of a climate crisis. Greta Thunberg phrased it as "playing the social game."
It's a difficult topic to discuss, especially as a teacher, because something like the extinction of the human species challenges us to face very large and complex philosophical notions: what happens if humanity dies out? are humans inherently more valuable than other living species? what is our ideal for life in 50 years, 100 years, or 1000 years, if humans survive that long? These very questions become intertwined with religious and social values. Subconsciously people know what is valuable in their life, whether it is rooted in religious or political ideology. If someone says "I will quit my job to become a climate activist and serve the greater good of humanity" they are opposing liberal values of self-determination and individual success. I am not making an argument for or against this. "Business as usual" is essentially a commitment to our existing values and sense of purpose even in the face of disaster because we can't find value or purpose to replace it (yet).
"Saved by technology:"
This is the idea that was taught to me growing up, about how climate change should be addressed. My parents and early science teachers talked about alternative energy and renewable resources and new hybrid cars like they were expecting some holy grail of technology that not only reduced the impact of humans, but reversed it. That's the sort of optimism I was raised on. I still believe in technological progress for the betterment of society, but I no longer bleive in technological advancement solving the climate issue. I believe that only large scale systemic change can offer the results we need to see.
"Apocalypse:"
Shorter response for this one, for the sake of time space and energy.
Talking about an "apocalypse" is not productive, in my opinion, for the climate change conversation. I say this because the people who would experience the "apocalypse" aren't the ones with power to do anything about it. That is to say, I believe that climate change if unchecked will be apocalyptic to the lower class, but not apocalyptic on a universal scale. Take the flooding of coastal cities for example. The upper class will be able to afford to relocate - it will be terribly inconvenient and expensive, but hardly apocalyptic. The lower class will be left to their own devices. For that reason I don't believe in pushing "the apocalypse" of climate change: the people with money and control have a plan for the apocalypse (subconsciously maybe, but nonetheless a plan), and therefore it's not a great scare tactic.
In summary, these are some of my thoughts that were brought up by the content of today's class and the words written on the board. I have not yet drawn a clear connection to teaching math.
"saved by technology," apocalypse, business as usual.
"Business as usual:"
A criticism that came up throughout discussion today and in the videos is that people continue to act as though everything is alright in the face of a climate crisis. Greta Thunberg phrased it as "playing the social game."
It's a difficult topic to discuss, especially as a teacher, because something like the extinction of the human species challenges us to face very large and complex philosophical notions: what happens if humanity dies out? are humans inherently more valuable than other living species? what is our ideal for life in 50 years, 100 years, or 1000 years, if humans survive that long? These very questions become intertwined with religious and social values. Subconsciously people know what is valuable in their life, whether it is rooted in religious or political ideology. If someone says "I will quit my job to become a climate activist and serve the greater good of humanity" they are opposing liberal values of self-determination and individual success. I am not making an argument for or against this. "Business as usual" is essentially a commitment to our existing values and sense of purpose even in the face of disaster because we can't find value or purpose to replace it (yet).
"Saved by technology:"
This is the idea that was taught to me growing up, about how climate change should be addressed. My parents and early science teachers talked about alternative energy and renewable resources and new hybrid cars like they were expecting some holy grail of technology that not only reduced the impact of humans, but reversed it. That's the sort of optimism I was raised on. I still believe in technological progress for the betterment of society, but I no longer bleive in technological advancement solving the climate issue. I believe that only large scale systemic change can offer the results we need to see.
"Apocalypse:"
Shorter response for this one, for the sake of time space and energy.
Talking about an "apocalypse" is not productive, in my opinion, for the climate change conversation. I say this because the people who would experience the "apocalypse" aren't the ones with power to do anything about it. That is to say, I believe that climate change if unchecked will be apocalyptic to the lower class, but not apocalyptic on a universal scale. Take the flooding of coastal cities for example. The upper class will be able to afford to relocate - it will be terribly inconvenient and expensive, but hardly apocalyptic. The lower class will be left to their own devices. For that reason I don't believe in pushing "the apocalypse" of climate change: the people with money and control have a plan for the apocalypse (subconsciously maybe, but nonetheless a plan), and therefore it's not a great scare tactic.
In summary, these are some of my thoughts that were brought up by the content of today's class and the words written on the board. I have not yet drawn a clear connection to teaching math.
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