8. Environmental Education

Learning Objectives

At the end of this section, the participants will:

 

• Be able to define environmental education
• Be able to discuss the connections between environmental education, social justice, and peace education
• Understand different approaches to environmental education
• Be able to develop lesson plans that focus on environmental education and integrate into existing curricula

Guiding Questions 

Before you read this section, consider the following questions:

• What are the key environmental issues in the area where you live? 
• How has the environment changed since you were a child?

 

 

To cherish what remains of the Earth and to foster its renewal is our only legitimate hope of survival.
- Wendell Berry 

 

Who hears the rippling of rivers will not utterly despair of anything.

- Henry David Thoreau -1817-1862

 

Introduction  

Environmental education is based on ecological thinking and respect for all life on the planet.  Peace education supports a holistic appreciation for the value of life and the interdependence of all living systems.  Additionally, environmental education is part of peace education since peace education recognizes that peace cannot exist without environmental sustainability and respect for the earth.  Some of the many ways in which this relationship can be seen is in wars that are fought over increasingly scarce natural resources, and how pollution disproportionately impacts those with the fewest resources. 

 

The modern environmental education movement, which gained significant momentum in the late 1960s and early 1970s, stems from Nature Study and Conservation Education. The movement comes from the success of Rachel Carson's text, Silent Spring, which focuses on the fear of radiation fallout and general concern for health, both of the planet and its residents.  

 

Much has been written about the theories and applications of environmental education and it is beyond the scope of this section to give a detailed account. Rather, the focus will be on the relation between environmental education, social justice and peace education. Relevant and usable examples will also be offered. 

Definitions

A basic, but nonetheless encompassing, definition of environmental education was offered some 40 years ago by William B. Stapp et al (1969):

 

Environmental Education is aimed at producing a citizenry that is knowledgeable concerning the biophysical environment and its associated problems, aware of how to help solve these problems and motivated to work toward their solution.

 

Later, two more detailed definitions came forth from the Belgrade Working Conference on Environmental Education in 1975 and the Tbilisi Intergovernmental Conference on Environmental Education in 1977 (Stapp, 1997).

 

According to the Belgrade Working Conference (1975),

 

Environmental Education should be an integral part of the educational process, aimed at practical problems of an interdisciplinary character, build a sense of values, and contribute to public well-being. Its focus should reside mainly in the initiative of the learners and their involvement in action and guided by both the immediate and future subjects of concern.

 

According to the Tbilisi Conference (1977),

 

Environmental Education is a process aimed at developing a world population that is aware of and concerned about the total environment and its associated problems and has the attitudes, motivation, knowledge, commitment and skills to work individually and collectively towards solutions of current problems and the prevention of new ones.

 

Often, when people think of environmental education, they think of sciences such as biology and ecology. Environmental education includes, but is not limited to, these elements. For example, environmental issues always have social and political elements, and thus can just as easily be integrated into social studies or civics classes. It is important to note the interdisciplinary nature of environmental education, and that it can be integrated into all subject areas.

Key Declarations

Environmental education has its basis in various international declarations.  Four central documents are the Stockholm Declaration, the Tbilisi Declaration, the Rio Declaration, and the Earth Charter.

The Stockholm Declaration (1972)

This document is key in environmental history as it was the first international document to recognize the right to a healthy environment as a basic right of all people.  This right is the basis for environmental education, which also works from the premise that all people are entitled to a healthy environment. 

 

The Tbilisi Declaration (1977)

This declaration was a result of the first U.N. conference about environmental education.  The declaration notes that environmental education is key for the protection of the world's environmental resources and balanced development.  The Tbilisi Conference endorses goals, objectives, and guiding principles for environmental education.

Goals

According to the Tbilisi Conference, the goals of environmental education are:

• To foster clear awareness of, and concern about, economic, social, political, and ecological interdependence in urban and rural areas;
• To provide every person with opportunities to acquire the knowledge, values, attitudes, commitment, and skills needed to protect and improve the environment; and
• To create new patterns of behavior of individuals, groups, and society as a whole towards the environment.

 

Objectives
According to the Tbilisi Conference, the objectives of environmental education are:

• Awareness – to help social groups and individuals acquire an awareness of and sensitivity to the total environment and its allied problems.
• Knowledge – to help social groups and individuals gain a variety of experiences in, and acquire a basic understanding of, the environment and its associated problems.
• Attitudes – to help social groups and individuals acquire a set of values and feelings of concern for the environment and the motivation for actively participating in environmental improvement and protection.
• Skills – to help social groups and individuals acquire the skills for identifying and solving environmental problems.
• Participation – to provide social groups and individuals with an opportunity to be actively involved at all levels in working toward resolution of environmental problems.

Guiding principles

According to the Tbilisi Declaration, environmental education should:

• Consider the environment in its totality—natural and built, technological and social (economic, political, cultural-historical, ethical, esthetic);
• Be a continuous lifelong process, beginning at the preschool level and continuing through all formal and nonformal stages;
• Be interdisciplinary in its approach, drawing on the specific content of each discipline in making possible a holistic and balanced perspective;
• Examine major environmental issues from local, national, regional, and international points of view so that students receive insights into environmental conditions in other geographical areas;
• Focus on current and potential environmental situations while taking into account the historical perspective;
• Promote the value and necessity of local, national, and international cooperation in the prevention and solution of environmental problems;
• Explicitly consider environmental aspects in plans for development and growth;
• Enable learners to have a role in planning their learning experiences and provide an opportunity for making decisions and accepting their consequences;
• Relate environmental sensitivity, knowledge, problem-solving skills, and values clarification to every age, but with special emphasis on environmental sensitivity to the learner's own community in early years;
• Help learners discover the symptoms and real causes of environmental problems;
• Emphasize the complexity of environmental problems and thus the need to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills;
• Utilize diverse learning environments and a broad array of educational approaches to teaching, learning about and from the environment with due stress on practical activities and first-hand experience. 

The Rio Declaration (1992) 

In June 1992, The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and produced the Rio Declaration.  The Rio Declaration provided an important opportunity for youth activism and education relating to the environment, including a Children's Hearing, which was conducted by The Voice of Children International Campaign, a Norwegian youth organization.  The Children's Hearing provided youth with the opportunity to question and appeal to world leaders regarding issues of the environment and development. 

The Earth Charter (1997)

The ideas behind the Earth Charter were being discussed around the time of the Rio Summit, but it was not until the Rio+5 Summit that the charter was formally drafted, and not until 2002 at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg that the Earth Charter was formally recognized. The Earth Charter is an approach to a culture of peace that centers on environmental sustainability.

 

The Earth Charter consists of 16 principles that are outlined under the following categories:

1. Respect and care for the community of life;
2. Ecological integrity;
3. Social and economic justice;
4. Democracy, nonviolence and peace.

 

The Earth Charter demonstrates the interconnectedness between environmental issues, social justice, peace and democracy. The Charter can serve as an excellent educational tool in the classroom.

Environmental Education and Social Justice

Environmental education, in its general goal of environmental justice, has in many ways been falsely separated from, and even pitted against, social justice movements. Many have contested that environmentalists fail to acknowledge the importance of social needs and inversely, that social justice advocates fail to recognize the importance of environmental justice, with particular emphasis on the disregard of the value of preserving the environment simply in its own right, apart from its utilitarian value. However, more recently (and historically for many indigenous communities) there has been increasing awareness that this polarization and duality is an inaccurate representation of our interconnected reality. In truth, environmental and social justice are intrinsically linked and mutually beneficial. Moreover, environmental education and social justice education are supportive of the same goals put forth by peace education.

 

To further elucidate this relationship, we must consider that the health of the natural world and human communities are never separate. Additionally, access to and control over natural resources is a leading cause of conflict, violence, and warfare (Amster, 2009). Michael Klare (2002) observes in his book Resource Wars: “Conflict over valuable resources – and the power and wealth they confer – has become an increasingly prominent feature of the global landscape [and] has posed a significant and growing threat to peace” (p. ix). Oppressed communities are in general disproportionately affected by environmental degradation/injustice, which, in turn, tend to sustain climates of poverty and violence. Environmental injustice, social injustice and violence are thus cyclical phenomena.

 

By the same token, environmental justice, social justice and peace are also cyclically connected. Perhaps in the consideration of political and peace topics, it is useful to consider Aldo Leopold’s (1949) land ethic ideas: “A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise” (p. 240). Humanity’s shared destiny in relation to the health of the environment may very well create opportunities for peace building as Carius (2006) illustrates:

 

As a mechanism for peace, the environment has some useful, perhaps even unique qualities that are well suited for peacebuilding and conflict resolution. Environmental problems ignore political borders. They require a long-term perspective, encourage participation by local and non-governmental organizations, help build administrative, economic and social capacities for action and facilitate the creation of commonalities that transcend the polarization caused by economic relations.  As environmental cooperation develops and societal and political stakeholders are systematically integrated in negotiation processes to protect natural goods, a simultaneous thrust is given to building trust, initiating cooperative action and encouraging the creation of a common regional identity emerging from sharing resources. (p. 11)

Examples of Environmental Social Justice Movements

The synthesis of environmental and social justice can be seen in a variety of movements including the Zapatista movement in Mexico, the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE) and Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai’s Green Belt Movement. The Zapatistas have connected their fight for autonomy and justice with the fight against land degradation caused by neo-liberalism. CONAIE demands various cultural rights, such as bilingual education and culturally appropriate healthcare, while also seeing these rights as closely tied to land rights and the preservation of biodiversity. CONAIE supports and has helped establish the idea of the “rights of nature” wherein no productive activity can threaten the cycles and structures of nature (Denvir & Riofrancos, 2008). The Green Belt Movement planted tens of millions of trees across Africa to slow down deforestation, carried out projects to preserve biodiversity, educated people about their environment, and promoted the rights of women and girls. Maathai clearly saw the connection between local environmental degradation (specifically deforestation), poverty, and gender inequality. She stated, “The environment is very important in the aspects of peace because when we destroy our resources and our resources become scarce, we fight over that” (BBC News, 2004).

 

These are only representative examples of movements that have connected environmental justice, social justice, and peace. Another excellent example of this connection is illustrated by the various situations and movements that surround the issues of access to water and of water scarcity around the world. 

Case Study: Water 

All life is interconnected by water. Water cannot be confined to a particular environmental, social, or economic category. Issues surrounding water are inherently interdisciplinary. Here is only a brief list of the environmental and social justice topics that can relate to water: water-borne disease; water treatment; health impacts of synthetic contaminants in water; water as a human right; public/private ownership; environmental and social impacts of bottled water industry; scarcity and over-consumption; dams; water conservation; pollution; species loss; our collective and individual relationship with water and the Earth.

 

In our contemporary world, a central question in the water crisis that is connected to both environmental and social justice is whether water is to be treated as a commodity or a basic right. This is a crucial question because the ownership, management, and treatment of water are intricately connected to who and what gets to live. Therefore, issues related to water are of primary importance to peace and justice.

Sample Lesson

 

The documentary FLOW: For the Love of Water, has an accompanying curriculum that can be used for environmental education. If you are unable to obtain a copy of the movie, you can still use this lesson, with some modifications. What follows are several examples from the FLOW curriculum, developed by Rachel Ellis.

From Reflection To Action

Ages

9-12

Approximate Time

1.5 hrs.

Essential Questions

 What do I love about water? What does a friendship with nature look like? How can we create and implement a local action project?

Student Objectives

1.  
2.  
3.  

Anticipatory Set

 “What do we love about water? Let’s brainstorm all the ways we love and enjoy water. (ex. love drinking water, taking a bath, swimming, the rain, the snow, going to a lake or river, the feeling of water, etc.)” Create a class brainstorm list.

Learning Activity (1)

Input/Guided Practice

 “While there are many things that we may love about water, water is in danger in many ways. In many parts of the world it is polluted, drying up, unsafe to drink, and/or being ‘bought’ by companies who sell it and (sometimes) take it away from people. I want us to consider, to think about, how we treat our water here. Does anyone know about water in this area? Is some of it polluted, scarce and/or owned by a private company?” Brief class discussion.

 

“We’re going to watch two clips from a film about water. We’ll talk as a class after each one.” Show Ch. 18. “Let’s think about what this clip meant. Let’s answer some of its questions (Discuss each question): ‘How can you buy or sell the sky? The warmth of the land?’ ‘Can you own the freshness of the air and the sparkle of the water?’ ‘What does it mean for the Earth to be sacred?’ ‘Do we think that we are part of the Earth and it is part of us?’ ‘How is the Earth treated like an enemy instead of a brother?’ ‘How can the Earth be kidnapped from children?’ ‘Should anyone own water?’ ‘Is owning water different than other things, like owning a cup or a bag or a pen?’

 

Show Ch. 22. “Let’s think about this quote from this clip: ‘How much are we taking from the nature? Today we are taking, taking everything from the nature. But we are not giving to the nature. So this is the relationship, your life, your lifestyle, can survive with the friendship with nature.’ (Singh) Let’s discuss these questions: What does it mean to be friends with nature? What examples can we think of where we are friends with nature?”

 

“With both of the clips we’ve discussed today, let’s go back to what we talked about what we love about water. (Refer back to brainstorm from beginning) Now let’s brainstorm ways or actions we can take that are ways of treating water like a brother, treating the Earth as sacred and having a friendship with nature. We can think about it this way too: What sort of actions can we take to show that we love water and want to have it around so that we can enjoy it?” Create a class brainstorm list.

Modeling

Take part in the discussion with students and model introspective thought and discussion

Closure

“What actions from our list can each of us do? Better yet, what action can we take on as a class project?” Begin formulating an action project plan.

Assessment

Discussion contributions; Brainstorm contributions

Materials

 pens/pencils; paper for brainstorm list

Next

Formulate a plan and start a local action project.

 

Is Water a Human Right?

Ages

9-12

Approximate Time

1 hr.

Essential Questions

What is a universal human right? Why are they important? Should water be a universal human right?

Student Objectives

1.  
2.  
3.  

Anticipatory Set

“What are the common things, for every human being that we need to survive?” Brainstorm as a class. (Food, water, shelter…)

Learning Activity (1)

Input/Guided Practice

“Has anyone ever heard of ‘The Declaration of Human Rights’? Does anyone know what it is? What do you think it might be? What exactly is a ‘right’?” (Short share out) “The Declaration of Human Rights was created about 60 years ago. It was the first set of universal rights – which means it was created for all human beings – that was adopted at the global level. This means that many nations throughout the world agreed on it. Why do you think this might be an important thing?” (Share out) “The Declaration encompasses many, many things. We’re going to focus on the parts that talk about those basic needs we just discussed. Let’s look at this part of it (have handouts or large enough text so students can read along): ‘Article 25 – (1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.’ What does this mean?” (from: http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/ ) (Break it down and discuss)

“Now, this touched on a few of those basic needs we talked about, like food and housing. Did it mention water? (No) There is actually nowhere in the Declaration of Human Rights that specifically mentions water. But we all need water to survive right? Did you know that we are about 70% water? It’s one of those common things for all human beings and actually for all life forms. So let’s start to think—should water be in there? Think about that as we watch this chapter from a film about water.” Show Ch. 10        

 

Check for Understanding/Guided Practice

“Can a few people summarize the information from this chapter?” (Share out then address/discuss some or all of the following in order to clarify further): “I’m wondering, do you think about where your water comes from? Water is scarce, we’re running out. We’re mistreating it. Can we see any of this here in this area? So this is kind of stupid because we need water for survival. Then, here’s probably a new piece of information: private companies know that we’re running out and think that water should be bought in order for it to be used more efficiently. (Plus they can likely make money off of it.) Water is a $400 billion global industry. That’s a lot! Has anyone ever thought about whether their water came from a private company or a public company? What’s the difference? Should someone be able to make money from selling you water? The movie compares water and air. Do we charge for air? No. Should we charge for water?”

 

“So more importantly, I want to direct us back to the idea of a human right. The movie addressed a lot of things, but in general, it showed that water is scarce and that there are certain companies that want to control peoples’ access to water. They want water to be a ‘need’ instead of a ‘right.’ If water is a ‘need’ it can be sold and owned like any other good. Like your pencil. If it’s a ‘right’ it’s more protected as something that should be available to everyone, even if they can’t pay for it. Do you want it to be a need or a right? What would you do if you couldn’t get clean drinking water? (Or how have you felt when you couldn’t?) Do you think that this is something that should be in the Declaration of Human Rights? Why?” Discuss as a class.           

Closure

“With the information we learned about human rights and water, I want you to create a poem, story, song, or drawing about the human rights we covered today, why you think they are important and whether or not you think water should be added.”

Assessment

Class discussion responses; individual poem, story, etc. about human rights

Materials

pens/pencils; paper; colored pencils/crayons

Next

Get involved with Article 31: Check out Extra Features-Call to Resistance-Steven Starr: Article 31; sign Article 31; further research on the Declaration of Human Rights; further research on rights guaranteed by your nation; potential action project: create a class poster project on human rights; educate your community/school about human rights and/or the right to water.

Check out these resources: http://www.article31.org/ ; http://blip.tv/file/1583990

Questions for Comprehension and Reflection

1. What are they key principles of environmental education?
2. What is the relationship between environmental education and social justice?
3. Choose an environmental issue from your local or regional context (for example, water pollution, desertification, etc.). Examine the social justice issues that are related to this issue. Why should your students be given opportunities to discuss this in the classroom?
4. Using the same issue, develop a peace education lesson plan that would work well in the context of the subject/curriculum you are teaching.

References 

Amster, R. (2009). Pax Gaia: The ecology of war, peace, and how to get from here to there. In E. Ndura-Ouédraogo & R. Amster (Eds.), Building cultures of peace: Transdisciplinary voices of hope and action. UK:Cambridge Scholars Publishing. p. 242-57.

 

Carius, A. (2006). Environmental cooperation as an instrument of crisis prevention and peacebuilding: Conditions for success and constraints. Report commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, January.

 

Denvir, D. & Riofrancos, T. (2008). Ecuador: CONAIE indigenous movement condemns president Correa. Retrieved on June 1, 2010 from       http://upsidedownworld.org/main/ecuador-archives-49/1288-ecuador-conaie-indigenous-movement-condemns-president-correa

 

No author. (Oct. 8, 2004). Kenyan ecologist wins Nobel prize. Retrieved May 31, 2010 from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3726024.stm

 

Klare, M.T. (2002). Resource wars: The new landscape of global conflict. New York: Owl Books.

 

Leopold, A. (1949). A sand county almanac. New York: Oxford University Press.

 

Stapp, B. (1997). Epilogue for the concept of environmental education. Retrieved on May 29, 2010 from http://www.cnr.uidaho.edu/css487/The_Concept_of_EE.pdf

 

Stapp, W.B., et al. (1969). The concept of environmental education. The Journal of Environmental Education, Vol. 1, No. 1, 30-31. 

 

The Earth Charter. (1997). Retrieved from http://www.earthcharterinaction.org/content/pages/Read-the-Charter.html

Additional Resources 

 

Books

The Challenge for Africa- (New York: Pantheon, 2009) - written by Wangari Maathai

Unbowed: A Memoir - (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2006) - In Unbowed, Wangari Maathai offers an inspiriting message of hope and prosperity through self-sufficiency.  (Lessons could be written to use when reading this book.)

Videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Se12y9hSOM0&feature=player_embedded – on bottled water

http://www.storyofstuff.com/ - on consumerism; teacher's curriculum coming soon

Internet Resources

Facing the Future 

http://www.facingthefuture.org/- many free downloads that address global issues including environmental issues which can be used alone or in conjunction with purchased textbook - does require permission to use for commercial purposes - may need to get their permission to use materials not accessible on the internet

Environmental Protection Agency

http://www.epa.gov/teachers/ - extensive resources for teachers (also contains links to other environmental programs)

The Globe Program

http://www.globe.gov/about_globe/globe_program - global environmental studies approach

Global Footprint Network

 http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN - great site for building awareness of personal and national impact on the environment

FLOW: For the Love of Water

http://www.scribd.com/doc/5561012/Flow-Press-Kit - documentary Flow - info on global issue of water availability.

http://www.flowthefilm.com/about - additional information on documentary Flow

Green Belt Movement

http://www.greenbeltmovement.org/- website of Wangari Maathai and her green belt movement.  Useful for students to explore what is being done in Kenya to promote peace through environmental stewardship. 

 

Article on what is the Green Belt Movement - http://greenbeltmovement.org/a.php?id=178

Wangari Maathai has written many books and articles that could be used in the classroom.