On February 8, 2022 Creative Life Mapping President and CEO Eugenie Lewis advocated on behalf of the Resolution on Climate literacy to the LAUSD board of education. The resolution was unanimously approved that day. The resolution aims to enact a comprehensive Climate Literacy program for Los Angeles Unified schools in order to help address the escalating climate crisis that is increasingly endangering Southern California, our nation and our planet. We’ve included Eugenie's remarks in today’s newsletter. She discusses the implications of climate change on the next generation of students and leaders as well as possibilities for their further involvement in climate solutions.
My name is Eugenie Lewis, President and CEO Creative Life Mapping. I am speaking in support of the Resolution on Climate Literacy that is before the LAUSD board of education on February 8, 2022. I am a climate activist with the Climate Reality Project Los Angeles and the Sierra Club. As a career and college counselor and mental health professional, my mission is to support student well-being and resilience, and healthy youth development. I care deeply about people, animals and nature. I want to be part of creating a future for our children.
The climate crisis is one of the biggest challenges facing humanity. It will require all of us to address it. All generations, schools, businesses, governments and community members. It is an all-hands-on deck enterprise to achieve our ambitious goal of averting even greater problems than we are already experiencing.
Climate scientists tell us that we need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent every decade between now and 2050 to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Although our younger generation didn’t cause the current situation, they are inheriting it. Sometimes called the “climate generation,” they are facing daunting challenges in our world. My wish for our youth is to develop a healthy identity and find hope for their future in the face of these challenges. I want our youth to feel strong, self-confident, optimistic and have the skills and knowledge needed to address our challenges. Our education system must not ignore the climate crisis but rather actively engage students by presenting achievable climate solutions.
We must support young people in learning about how they can formulate their life plans to make a difference in the world. This includes engaging them in climate solutions, and within them, green career opportunities.
Green Careers benefit the environment, protect people, conserve resources, or make processes more efficient and environmentally friendly. In a sense, all careers are green careers because whatever career we select we can be engaged in making a difference to improve sustainability where we work and volunteer.
I have been inspired by the work of Project Drawdown, which presents climate solutions and provides a great framework for climate education and career development. Project Drawdown advocates for working on all aspects of the climate equation—stopping extraction, reducing emissions and supporting carbon sinks, as well as helping society achieve broader, sustainable transformations. They present over 80 solutions in all sectors of society, including electricity, food, agriculture, land use, industry, transportation, buildings, ecosystems, and education.
Let’s support our younger generation in addressing the climate crisis by integrating climate education throughout school curricula. I wish to express my strong support for the Resolution on Climate Literacy now being presented to the LAUSD school Board. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Eugenie Lewis, LCSW, Global Career Development Facilitator
President and CEO of Creative Life Mapping