Climate Change Education Act

the evidence for human-induced climate change is overwhelming and undeniable;

the United States is the second highest emitter of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the world;

atmospheric carbon can be significantly reduced through conservation, by shifting to renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, tidal, and geothermal, and by increasing the efficiency of buildings, including domiciles, and transportation;

providing clear information about climate change, in a variety of forms, can remove the fear and the sense of helplessness, and encourage individuals and communities to take action;

implementation of measures that promote energy efficiency, conservation, and renewable energy will greatly reduce human impact on the environment; and

informing people of new technologies and programs as they become available will ensure maximum understanding and maximum impact of those measures.

broaden the understanding of human-induced climate change, possible long-term and short-term consequences, and potential solutions;

apply the latest scientific and technological discoveries to provide formal and informal learning opportunities to people of all ages, including those of diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds;

emphasize actionable information to help people understand and to promote implementation of new technologies, programs, and incentives related to energy conservation, renewable energy, and greenhouse gas reduction; and

inform the public of impacts to human health and safety as a result of climate change.

a national information campaign to disseminate information on and promote implementation of the new technologies, programs, and incentives described in section 4(3); and

the grant program described in section 6.

to support national public education, outreach, and communication programs to engage substantial numbers of the public in understanding climate change while developing educated and empowered consumers, investors, and citizens;

to encourage and support statewide plans and programs for climate change education, including relevant teacher training and professional development, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education, and multidisciplinary studies to ensure that students graduate from high school climate literate, with a particular focus on programs that advance widespread State and local educational agency adoption of climate change education, including funding for State education agencies to—

to improve the quality of and access to higher education in green collar industries and green economy-related fields such as green business, technology, engineering, policy studies, and sustainability science, with a particular focus on programs that address restructuring institutional incentives and reducing institutional barriers to widespread faculty adoption of interdisciplinary teaching of climate change education;

for institutions of higher education to engage teams of faculty and students to develop applied climate research and deliver to local communities direct services on climate mitigation and adaptation issues impacting such communities, with a priority on distressed communities; and

for projects that build capacity for climate adaptation at the State and national level including—