Climate change

STATEMENT ON GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE

Oklahomans for Excellence in Science Education

November 2015

Consistent with the reports of the International Panel on Climate change, OESE affirms that “Warming of the climate system is unequivocal. Each of the last three decades has been successively warmer at the Earth’s surface than any preceding decade since 1850. In the Northe1n Hemisphere, 1983-2012 was likely the warmest 30-year period of the last 1400 years. Atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane, and nitrous oxide have increased to levels unprecedented in at least the last 800,000 years. [Concentrations of CO2] have increased by 40% since pre-industrial times, primarily from fossil fuel emissions and secondarily from net land use change. The largest contribution to [global warming has been] caused by the increase in the atmospheric concentration of CO2 since 1750. Climate change will affect carbon cycle processes in a way that will exacerbate the increase of CO2 in the atmosphere. Most aspects of climate change will persist for many centuries even if emissions of CO2 are stopped. Human influence on the climate system is clear. Limiting climate change will require substantial and sustained reductions of greenhouse gas emissions.” We affirm, along with the Oklahoma Academy of Science, that these changes will have an impact on the ecology and economy of Oklahoma. We affirm the right and responsibility of Oklahoma scientists to speak out, and science educators to teach, about global climate change. We further support the inclusion-of climate change science in educational curricula at all levels.


Recognizing the increased attention climate change education has received in recent years, OESE has added an emphasis on the support of the teaching of climate science in public schools. To that end, we have added links to climate Change and climate change denial sites. Many of the recent bills that have attacked the teaching of evolution in the public schools have also included attacks on climate science. We have also added a section on climate and earth science on our teaching resources page.