Climate as a Career: A New Wave of Impact-Driven Opportunities

A Growing Interest in Climate Change Careers

I recently read an article in the newspaper which talked about how climate change-related university courses and careers are gaining a lot of traction internationally. Apparently, Indians are at the forefront of this increasingly interested population which seeks to combat climate change by studying and contributing to advanced technologies like cloud seeding, carbon capture, and geoengineering.

The Appeal of Climate Change Careers

To my pleasant surprise, these career paths are in fact attracting the best talent, including high-achieving STEM graduates in fields like engineering, physics, and environmental science. Why? Because these individuals are immensely impact-driven, and as the urgency and need to address climate change and its phenomenon rises, climate science is becoming a hugely appealing field for those who want to create positive real-world impact. And as a cherry on top, it's quite a lucrative sector, with promising pay packages at leading companies like Tesla and Apple ranging up to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Why Isn’t Climate Change Discussed More in Schools?

I’ve always wondered why climate change isn’t properly talked about in school. Yes, we hear about it in subjects like Geography and Physics, but that’s all we do: just know that it exists.

The Limitations of Current Curriculum

On the other hand, there are subjects like Environmental Management which I strongly believe are so technical, unbalanced (since the focus is mostly on the chemical and biological elements of ecosystems), and conventional that they end up becoming boring and monotonous for students, who are left memorizing the different types of rocks and fertilizers, and their implications for the environment.

Rethinking Education for a Climate-Driven Future

The rapid upswing in the number of people pursuing climate careers made me think: how can we introduce changes in the education system so it addresses climate change in an effective manner in order to capitalize on this already growing interest?

A Holistic Approach to Climate Change Education

Well, I’m certainly not an expert in this matter, but we can begin by adopting a holistic approach to the entire concept. To expand, this means understanding a bit about everything from how and why the climate crisis emerged, its causes and implications in the past, present, and future, and importantly, measures that can be taken at global, national, and individual levels to counter the climate problem.

Integrating Climate Change with Other Subjects

To add to this, by drawing connections to other subjects like Economics, Global Perspectives, and Political Science, and discussing key topics and events like the COP summits, the climate budget, etc. we, as students, will really be able to understand and appreciate the real-world consequences of the climate change problem, not purely on an environmental basis, but also economically, socially, and politically.

The Future of Climate Change Education

Of course, while this wouldn’t be an easy task, and significant decisions such as how this integration would take place and whether it should be mandated will need to be determined, the study of the climate change landscape in school possesses enormous potential to be a fascinating, thought-provoking, and impact-driven theme among students.