The Climate Change Education Act is again in Congress. S. 4117 and H.R. 7946, both introduced on April 11, 2024, would authorize the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to institute a competitive grant program aimed in part at developing and improving educational material and teacher preparation on the topic of climate change.
Among the findings listed in the bill are "[T]he evidence for human-induced climate change is overwhelming and undeniable" and "Only 30 percent of middle school and 45 percent of high school science teachers understand the extent of the scientific consensus on climate change" — a reference to the NCSE/Penn State survey of climate change educators (PDF).
"The Climate Change Education Act addresses a critical need," NCSE Executive Director Amanda L. Townley commented. "Accurate and effective climate education requires high-quality, evidence-based teaching resources with robust support for educators. The act would benefit millions of students across the country by focusing on both of these critical areas of need."
S. 4117 is sponsored by Edward J. Markey (D-Massachusetts) and 20 of his colleagues in the Senate. H.R. 7946 is sponsored by Debbie Dingell (D-Michigan) and nine of her colleagues in the House. Similar bills from previous years include S. 966 in 2021, S. 477 in 2019, S. 2740 in 2018, H.R. 2310 in 2021, H.R. 2349 in 2019, and H.R. 5606 in 2018.
