Leonardo DiCaprio Instagram – Repost from @nowthisearth • Connecticut will become the second state in the U.S. to require teachers to educate students about the climate crisis once a new law goes into effect in July. Connecticut’s new law will make it mandatory for grade 5-12 education and will protect the initiative from potential budget cuts by climate-denying politicians. New Jersey became the first state to require climate crisis education in grades K-12 in 2020. Connecticut State Rep. Christine Palm (D) told the Guardian, ‘The conservative turn in our country … often starts at a very hyper-local level of local town boards of education. There is this push towards anti-intellectualism, anti-science … anti-reason, and I didn’t want local boards of education to have the power to overturn the curriculum and say, ‘Climate change is too political.’’ As the climate crisis worsens, and anxiety along with it, educators are finding it more important to teach the science and give students the chance to innovate solutions. A survey of 10,000 young people conducted in December 2021 found that 59% reported being very or extremely worried about the climate crisis, with 50% reporting negative related emotions such as sadness, anxiousness, anger, and guilt. 75% of respondents said they felt frightened about the future. #climatecrisis #schoolcurriculum #climatelessons