Written by Dr. Eyo Eyo, Lecturer in Geotechnical Engineering
Generation-Z are showing remarkable passion and determination to reverse the trend of the negative environmental impacts of climate change. Whether it is Greta Thunberg’s Fridays For Future platform or Oluwaseyi Moejoh U-Recycles Initiative, the members of this generation are really taking the lead in addressing the issues of climate change to ensure a sustainable future for everyone.
Furthermore, the link between Gen-Z and climate change is revealed by their massive social media feeds with #sustainability garnering more than 12M posts on Instagram, videos of #thrifttok trending on TikTok and Depop exchanges on YouTube. Hence, the landscape is really dominated by this generation’s appeal to environmental awareness.
Beyond sharing contents on the media, Gen-Z also holds a culture of accountability though these platforms.
However, records have shown that in the UK and indeed many other parts of the world, there seems to be dwindling numbers of Gen-Z candidates enrolling for earth science programs in the university and colleges.
Geosciences or earth sciences are very key in addressing the challenges of climate change and sustainability for business sectors that are keen on this campaign. Geology for instance, contributes to the UK Government Industrial Strategy, the Clean Growth Strategy, and the 25 Year Environment Plan.
Possible causes of the downward trend
According to reports of analysis carried out by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS), those applying to study geology programmes went down by about 9% between 2018 and 2019 which translated to 1,100 nationally. This trend actually followed a decrease of approximately 11% between 2017 and 2018. In comparison, the number of enrolments about 4-5 years earlier (2014-2015) was 1, 800. The downward trend was partly attributed to low numbers of geology A-level entrants, and a further challenge of universities not being able to attract A-level students who did not previously study geology.
Despite its significance, matters have been made worst by most higher institutions not including some geoscience courses on their admission programmes. There is even a reduction in the number of schools and colleges offering the geology or geotechnics programmes. This seems to be the case of throwing the baby with the bath water – not even offering any kinds of opportunity for study.
Even when included in the higher institutions’ programmes, some geoscience courses do not seem visible in the curriculum. They are either randomly spread across the other sciences or not even taught at all. A subject like geography has generated so much debates as some do not recognise it as a science subject. In fact, UK’s Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) is often threatened by the very nature of some geoscience programmes such that it becomes a struggle to establish where they fit.
Some evidence also suggest that lecturers and teachers do not feel comfortable and in some cases are frustrated with the teaching of some geoscience content. For instance, teachers working in Scotland suggest that it was not particularly just down to the declining interest of students but that those to teach those subjects were unavailable.
There is a perception that was held by many in the recent past that most graduates of earth science do end up in the oil industry. Well, one wonders what those perceptions would be now that most of the oil giants in the UK are either shutting their taps, divesting away from oil, or leaving the UK. This in itself seem to be a big political issue with debates abounding on whether or not to carry forward fracking, a term used to mean the process used in the extraction of natural gas and oil from underground rock formations. Notwithstanding, many of the geoscience skills that are required to be able to source for oil and gas are indeed very much applicable to industries whose aim would be to mitigate climate change. One case in point would be carbon capture and storage which involves pumping CO2 into spent oil wells in sedimentary rock basins. In fact, to meet the Paris Agreement, it is reported that more than 2, 500 carbon capture and storage facilities will be required to store approximately 190 Gt of CO2. These facilities and operations will need trained experts in the geosciences.
Addressing the problem
In addressing the problem, many geoscience experts and practitioners in the industry, education and government can lead the charge by ensuring that the profile of the field is raised. This gesture should also be followed by strategic ways of altering the negative views and perceptions of the public towards the geosciences. This can come through enlightenment programmes, seminar, and campaigns to show that what geoscientist do and their significance in the society. In the same vein, the next generation of geoscience teachers and lecturers should be educated with governments supporting with the funding for this.
In the case of increasing student numbers, one effective solution in the short-term may be to provide access to compulsory first-year earth science courses to those who are admitted to study business, politics, law, and even other STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) programmes. One may even go as far as saying that geosciences should be known and recognised as one of the STEM subjects.
Reforms and re-structuring in the higher institutions are required to ensure the trend of dwindling numbers are reversed. This could come through learning about the severity, urgency, and the scientific basis of the climate emergency and by so doing also inculcating in the students the desire to study geosciences en masse.
Geoscience should be introduced, made attractive and visible on the curriculum in secondary, high schools or pre-tertiary education learning to trigger interest at an early age. Taking up this at A-levels should also be encouraged.