AB 285
AB 285
How Do We Know Climate Change is Real?
“There is unequivocal evidence that Earth is warming at an unprecedented rate. Human activity is the principal cause.
Human activities are driving the global warming trend observed since the mid-20th century.
The effects of human-caused global warming are happening now, are irreversible for people alive today, and will worsen as long as humans add greenhouse gases to the atmosphere.”
What is California AB 285?
This bill, with respect to both of the above-referenced adopted courses of study, would require the science area of study to include an emphasis on the causes and effects of climate change and methods to mitigate and adapt to climate change. The bill would require that appropriate coursework including this material be offered to pupils as soon as possible, commencing no later than the 2024-25 school year.
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What Are the Four Components of Understanding Climate Change That Are Referenced in AB 285? In order to be climate literate, AB 285 calls out four components that students need to understand about climate change (the long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns):
Causes of Climate Change: Some of the human-enhanced causes include burning fossil fuels, cutting down forests, and farming livestock
Effect: Some of the effects of climate change include increased temperatures, sea level rise, and increased severe storms
Mitigation: Preventing or reducing the emission of greenhouse gasses (GHG) into the atmosphere to make the impacts of climate change less severe
Adaptation: The process of adjusting to moderate the expected or actual consequences of climate change
(CAELI)
AB 285 & NGSS Standards
“The Environmental Principles and Concepts Support Climate Literacy: AB 285 is also supported through the intentional implementation of the California Environmental Principles and Concepts (EP&Cs). The EP&Cs are embedded in multiple California State Frameworks: Arts, Health, Mathematics, Science, History-Social Science, and World Languages, and they have expanded through SB720 (2018) to add climate change and environmental justice.
Following are the five principles in the EP&Cs:
1. People depend on natural systems.
2. People impact natural systems.
3. Natural systems have cycles that people benefit from and can influence.
4. Matter, including pollution, flows between systems. (There is no “away.”)
5. Decisions affecting resources and natural systems are complex.
For science, the Matrix of Environmental Principles and Concepts in CA NGSS shows topics that are addressed in the standards at each grade band and how they connect with the EP&Cs. Appendix 2 of the California Science Framework also maps connections between each performance expectation and related EP&Cs.”
(CAELI)