; Whereas climate change disproportionately affects students of color and students in poverty, thereby exacerbating existing inequalities and limiting equality of opportunity; Whereas children represent a particularly vulnerable group because greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere will continue to accumulate over the coming decades and cause negative health outcomes; Whereas children are more vulnerable to the effects of criteria air pollutants emitted during the burning of fossil fuels; Whereas Americans must unify behind addressing climate change for the good of this generation and all subsequent generations; Whereas school districts should explore district-wide sustainability initiatives to educate students and reduce their carbon footprint; Whereas teaching climate change in schools will help students understand the human impact of climate change; Whereas teaching climate change in schools will help students understand that life on Earth depends on, is shaped by, and affects our climate; Whereas teaching climate change will help students develop energy literacy and may stimulate interest in STEM careers; Whereas teaching climate change will have consequences for Earth, human lives, and ecosystems around the world; Whereas when students engage in a climate change curriculum, they can develop a greater sense of efficacy with respect to their capacity to address critical social and environmental issues; and Whereas the global impact of climate change and the urgency and magnitude of the challenge of addressing climate change will eventually fall on current students: Now, therefore, be it