Should Climate Science Be Local? YES!!

Abstract

Science learning that is rooted in local climate phenomena is a powerful way to initiate climate change learning that is meaningful and leaves learners feeling more motivated to take climate action. Local climate phenomenon connects youth with community interests, place, diverse people, and actionable solutions. In this article we identify why local climate phenomena are critical for moving climate education forward. This includes introducing the concept of translocal sensemaking, which describes how youth leverage their scientific understanding of local phenomena as a tool to help them unpack and grapple with climate change issues either thousands of miles away or unfolding across a global scale. We also offer numerous examples of how we have taken up local climate phenomena in our own work with teachers and students. These examples of local climate phenomena span intersectional issues of justice and settings, and help frame what constitutes high-quality local climate phenomena.

Graphical Abstract

Key Words:

• Climate change
• phenomenon
• social justice
• local
• local climate phenomena
• translocal sensemaking

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.