Education in the Anthropocene: Assessing planetary health science standards in the US

Abstract

The environmental crises defining the Anthropocene demand ubiquitous mitigation efforts, met with collective support. Yet, disengagement and disbelief surrounding planetary health threats are pervasive, especially in the United States (US). This skepticism may be influenced by inadequate education addressing the scope and urgency of the planetary health crisis. We analyzed current K-12 science standards related to planetary health throughout the US, assessing their quality and potential predictors of variation. While planetary health education varies widely across the US with respect to the presence and depth of terms, most science standards neglected to convey these concepts with a sense of urgency. Furthermore, state/territory political affiliation and primary GDP contributor were each predictive of the quality of planetary health education. We propose that a nation-wide science standard could fully address the urgency of the planetary health crisis and prevent political bias from influencing the breadth and depth of concepts covered