Climate Literacy in Education

Confronting Climate Denial with an Intergenerational Conversation/Song

James Damico

Indiana University

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24926/cle.v2i1.6219

Keywords: arts, music, climate change, denial, climate strike

Abstract

On September 19, 2019, millions of people worldwide participated in youth-led climate strikes. This article considers an artistic response to one of these strikes in a small Midwestern community in the United States. The response is a song and video framed as a conversation between youth and adults about climate change denial. Climate justice requires ongoing conversations with adults bearing responsibility for listening intently to the voices of youth advocating for climate justice. Educators can help foster a deeper understanding of our current reality and inspire more timely and comprehensive climate action with arts-based approaches. There is potential for songwriting, as a form of literacy practice, to be more widely applied in K-12 schools and teacher education to further enrich a collective understanding and commitment to addressing climate challenges.