Challenging the “Gloom and Doom” Narrative Begins in the Classroom

“What’s the point? We’re screwed.” This was a statement made by one of my brightest 15-year-old students at the end of a classwide discussion on the impacts of climate change in the spring of 2008. While hearing apathetic comments from teenage boys is nothing new, this particular statement was different. No sooner had the words left his mouth, the bell sounded, and the 29 learners quietly dispersed. The tension in the air was palpable. His statement seemed to have touched a collective nerve, and it lingered with me for the rest of the day.