Minnesota teacher Sofia Mulholland Cerkvenik went to Dubai for COP28 in December with high hopes of seeing signs of a brighter future. "I was excited, and then disappointed, and then even more determined," says Cerkvenik of the whirlwind experience.
Cerkvenik said that the most surprising part of the conference was the number of indigenous activists that were present and giving speeches. After hearing some Amazonian speakers, Cerkvenik said that it is important for people to understand the ties between “ancient indigenous knowledge and modern technology and how we can marry these two together to create sustainable solutions.”
A frustration that Cerkvenik felt at the conference was the lack of educators present. Cerkvenik believes that educators have a responsibility to relay important worldly information and to prepare students for the future. At the conference, Cerkvenik learned that some governments are spending billions of dollars to create “nine million cutting edge, sustainable jobs.” Cerkvenik believes that educators around the world should share this information with students and help build “green skills” to prepare them for the future work force.
More information about Climate Generation and COP28 can be found online.
You can hear Green Visions at 8:20am every Wednesday on Northland Morning.
