A Review of “ <i>A Forest Child Adventure: Conquering Carbon Chaos</i> ” - M.J. Allen (2022). A Forest Child Adventure: Conquering Carbon Chaos.

Every child has the right to thrive and live as part of a healthy planet.However, as human-driven climate change, extreme weather events and disaster impacts continue to escalate (Ripple et al., 2024), and fossil fuel extraction, use and emissions keep increasing (Guterres, 2024), the wellbeing of our planet and children's futures decline.Climate change does not discriminate against any age group, and according to Watts et al. ( 2019) "children are the worst affected by climate change" (p.1836).From this perspective, climate change can be seen as an issue of intergenerational justice, as children will carry the legacy of the impacts experienced today throughout their lives.A heavy reliance on fossil fuels (Armaroli & Balzani, 2011) and limited development of climate change curricula characterised the twentieth century.During this period, our fossil-fuelled neoliberal society, politics and economies were supported by a capitalist marketplace through the ideology of perpetual economic growth, global migration, trade, travel and consumer consumption (Wilson et al., 2017).The petrocultures narrative limited climate change education discourse by dismissing and downplaying climate science, the socio-ecological impacts of fossil fuel extraction and the urgency of transitioning to renewable energy sources (Dahl et al., 2023).Fossil fuel hegemony has continued into the twenty-first century, hindering society's ability to decarbonise the planet and transition to net zero by 2050 (Wright et al., 2022).In Australia, this has been accentuated by political indecision and constant lowering of climate actionoriented goals.Contemporary climate change education must challenge and resist the neoliberal commodification of education (Gardner-McTaggart, 2025) to equip young Australians with the tools, knowledge and skills to transition to and flourish in a decarbonised society (Eaton & Day, 2020).Climate change education should be regarded as a fundamental right (Gibbons, 2014) and an essential part of the school curriculum, integrated through multidisciplinary frameworks (Rousell & Cutter-Mackenzie-Knowles, 2022) and holistic, regenerative pedagogical approaches that include the perspectives of First Nations and Indigenous Peoples (Wooltorton et al., 2025).Incorporating students' voices, perspectives, experiences and imaginings (Gameau, 2025; Rousell & Cutter-Mackenzie-Knowles, 2022) into curricula would position students at the centre of the climate emergency, empowering them with agency.Through this approach, students learn about climate truths and can critically engage with societal aspects of climate change, including social