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Some things just seem too momentous to keep in mind. One is the planet were living on. Were on the third rock from the sun twenty-four hours a day, but [...]

Climate change, which is evident in the Arctic more than anywhere else, is an issue that affects all generations. Choices made by today's adults, according to a broad and deep body of research, are likely to influence the nature of nature for today's young people and their successors for a very long time to come. The author contends that communicating environmental issues to young people simply raises the odds that information about the environment and humanity's role in shaping it gets to where it is most likely to be put to good use. Lynne Cherry, the environmental author, illustrator, and now filmmaker, echoed this thought when the author called her to get her views on the merits and challenges of informing children about these issues. This is a reality that is not necessarily absorbed in the classroom these days given the emphasis on teaching the basics to drive up test scores. Another environmental reality that is important to get across to young people is that old ways of thinking about environmental problems will be less useful in this century.