A Letter to Teachers

Letter to Teachers

Dear Educator: This curriculum was developed in partnership with The Rhode Island Energy Efficiency and Resource Management Council, The Rhode Island Department of Health Climate Change Program, and The NEED Project. This multidisciplinary unit is designed to help students become aware of the relationships between energy consumption and the health of the climate and people around them. We hope students will also develop an awareness of environmental justice and inequities that can have influences on one’s local environment and personal health outcomes. Much of our health is determined by where we live, work, go to school, and engage our communities. Systemic social, economic, and environmental inequities may have a great influence on our health outcomes. Energy consumption is strongly interwoven into this discussion. Climate change is a major concern for Rhode Island today. As we address our energy consumption in relation to climate and environment health, it is also important to address the health of our communities in Rhode Island and how energy consumption and climate solutions can have adverse effects on the health of some communities and minimal effects on others.

We hope that this curriculum will help you and your students become educated energy consumers, as they explore how we produce, consume and save energy, and how this can affect our homes, communities, and our health. Happy learning!

The Rhode Island Energy Efficiency and Resource Management Council serves Rhode Islanders in their homes and businesses by providing feedback about energy decisions. The Council’s goal is to ensure Rhode Islanders are getting the least expensive and most environmentally healthy energy supply through energy efficiency, conservation, and resource management. For more information, visit https://rieermc.ri.gov/ The Rhode Island Department of Health Climate Change Program works closely with community members to prepare for the human health effects of climate change and to create a healthy, sustainable, and resilient future for all Rhode Islanders. For more info, visit https://health.ri.gov/healthrisks/climatechange/