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Governor Phil Murphy

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Climate Change Education

K-12 Climate Change Education

In New Jersey, we’ve already begun to experience the effects of climate change, with disappearing shorelines, blazing hot summers, harmful algal blooms, and super storms happening more frequently and with greater intensity. First Lady Tammy Murphy is actively helping Governor Murphy put New Jersey on a path to 100% clean energy by 2050. As a charter member for former Vice President Al Gore’s Climate Reality Action Fund, the First Lady has long sought to galvanize support to fight climate change.

On June 3rd, 2020, New Jersey became the first – and so far only – state in the nation to incorporate climate change education across its K-12 learning standards. First Lady Tammy Murphy met with over 130 educators from across the state who were charged with reviewing and revising the existing student learning standards, and visited elementary, middle, and high schools across New Jersey that already implemented strong climate change education and sustainability initiatives.

With these standards, New Jersey will create a generation a climate literate policy makers, data analysts, entrepreneurs, urban planners, researchers, anthropologists, economists, artists, and more. We know our obligation to future generations extends far beyond leaving them a clean, healthy planet – to preparing them to take up the mantle and continue to fight the climate crisis and lead the green economy.

With this adoption, climate change education will be incorporated across seven content areas – 21st Century Life and Careers, Comprehensive Health and Physical Education, Science, Social Studies, Technology, Visual and Performing Arts, and World Languages. Climate change standards have also been added to the appendices of the Mathematics and English Language Arts guidelines, which are up for review in 2022.

Now, New Jersey’s children will be better equipped to combat the climate crisis, thrive in the future green economy, and become the leaders who will accelerate New Jersey to 100% clean energy by 2050.

 
 

Council on the Green Economy

In February 2021, the First Lady was named Honorary Chair of the New Jersey Council on the Green Economy. The Council will help expand the Administration’s clean energy and climate goals, and develop a blueprint for expanding the green economy.

#GoGreenNJ

In partnership with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, First Lady Tammy Murphy launched #GoGreenNJ, a social media campaign to promote simple tips that New Jerseyans can do to help protect the environment and reduce the impacts of climate change. Environmental tips focus on conserving water, saving energy, and recycling to encourage others to preserve our natural resources.

Fighting climate change can seem daunting, but by breaking it down into simple, everyday tips, everyone can do their part!