Climate Action Campaign’s Extreme Weather Back to School Guide
For Immediate Release
DATE: September 4, 2024
CONTACT: Gabrielle Levy, Glevy@cacampaign.org, 562-673-6974
With school back in session, the American Federation of Teachers and National Education Association join Climate Action Campaign to Relaunch the “Extreme Absence” Website – With A Twist
WASHINGTON–As climate change continues to intensify, the impact on our children’s education is becoming increasingly apparent. In response to the growing number of school closures due to extreme weather, the Climate Action Campaign (CAC) is launching its updated “Extreme Absence: Missed School Days Due to Climate Change” website for 2024. The updated Extreme Absence Tracker highlights the increasing frequency and severity of extreme weather events that are forcing schools to close their doors more often, disrupting students’ ability to learn.
With the relaunch, the campaign is also introducing a sobering addition: an Extreme Weather Back to School Checklist for the 2024-2025 back-to-school season, designed to help families prepare for the harsh new realities our children face in the classroom. Traditional supplies like pencils and erasers are joined by items such as portable AC units, emergency meals ready to eat (MREs), and detailed evacuation maps. These are the new essentials students may need in a world where extreme heat waves, wildfires, floods, and hurricanes are becoming the norm. To bring attention to this critical issue, CAC has launched a TikTok campaign featuring a back-to-school video that contrasts the reality of today’s school year with the nostalgic images of the past.
“Extreme weather is not just an inconvenience – it’s a crisis fueled by climate pollution,” said Margie Alt, director of the Climate Action Campaign. “Climate change is directly disrupting children’s education: Students can’t learn when their classrooms are dangerously hot or school is canceled because of a flood. We cannot afford to treat this as business as usual. Even as parents must prepare their kids for these dangers, we must act now to address the climate pollution that threatens all our futures.”
Moms Clean Air Force director & co-founder Dominique Browning added, “As a mom, you try to prepare your children for everything. That’s getting harder to do. These days, that includes making sure that they – and their school staff – have all the tools they need to stay safe when extreme weather hits. But the biggest lesson: we must address the sources of extreme weather by demanding serious climate action now. Too many children suffer when temperatures soar, flooding strikes, or wildfires burn. Longstanding environmental, economic, and racial injustices make matters worse. We must cut carbon and methane pollution now. Climate can’t wait—and neither can our kids.”
The updated Extreme Absence Tracker and the Extreme Weather School Supplies List are now available on the CAC website. The Extreme Absence Tracker provides a comprehensive view of school closures across the country, directly linking them to the climate-related events that caused them. The Extreme Weather School Supplies List is an essential resource for parents, educators, and policymakers to understand the new challenges facing students.
For more information and to view the Extreme Absence Tracker and the Extreme Weather School Supplies List, visit www.actonclimate.com/extreme-absence.
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About the Climate Action Campaign
Climate Action Campaign (CAC) is a vibrant coalition of advocacy organizations working together to drive ambitious, durable federal action to cut carbon pollution, address the climate crisis, advance environmental justice, and accelerate the transition to clean energy. Our goal is to reduce carbon pollution and accelerate the transition to clean energy through policies focused on climate, justice, and jobs and expanding opportunity for all.
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