The oil industry has its eyes on the youth - the way the fox eyes down little red riding hood.

According to a recent NPR article, 14,000 teachers in the state of Oklahoma are already adopting a lesson plan created by the Oklahoma Energy Resources Board (OERB). The lessons include case studies in fracking and oil plants to explain scientific concepts such as pressure and density of oil.

In order to better illustrate the status here is an excerpt from an actual book in the educational materials sponsored by the big oil:

"Having no petroleum is like a nightmare,? says Pete as he wakes up from a terrible dream where he had no toothbrush, comb or other everyday items because there's no oil in his dream.

Many argue that this is a deceptive scheme to advertise and advocate for the oil industry that capitalizes on the educational system of Oklahoma. A valid point, but with the prevalence of the oil industry in the state, no one really bother to question the motive of the OERB. On the other hand, supporters of the program attest that there is nothing with teaching kids about oil. Third parties who have examined the materials do agree that all the information are factual and representative of the truth. However, they also claim that the major drawbacks of oil are ignored and are unmentioned in the books.

This is something really worrying. The mere fact that schools allow oil companies to distribute teaching materials highlights the apathy of American culture, at least in Oklahoma, with regards to the environment. However, it can also be noted that most of the public schools in this region are tight and budget and thus taking the deal from OERB seems to be a win-win scenario for them.

Nonetheless, what I hope to point out is that the groups of all sorts are already seeing the benefits of capitalizing in the youth. Gone are the days where the youth are automatically connected with ideas such as conservation, environmentalism and sustainability. The battle over the environment is now being fought in the classrooms. And with that in mind, I strongly urge everyone to double up on their efforts in advocating for the environment.