The Origin Of Environmental Education Education Essay

The Origin Of environmental procreation pedagogy EssayThe environment encompasses all the living and non-living things that occur on Earth. The slew of the environment is entwined with that of every disembodied spirit that inhabits the planet including that of homophile beings. The industrialization era brought virtually devastating impacts on the environment and at the end of the nineteenth century, large number started to lift up the susceptibleness of the environment and the gravity of the implications if the environment was not taken care of. Nations gathered and issues about the environment were starting to take priority, hoping to obtain and contract a better future for our planet. environsal genteelness is not a contemporary subject matter. It can be dated back to as archeozoic as the 18th century with the treatise of Jean-Jacques Rousseau who stressed the value of an command that revolved on the environment. Some years later, the Swiss-born indispensableist, Lou is Agassiz, echoed Rousseaus philosophy. It was these two influential scholars who l assistant the ground for a concrete environmental education program, known as the Nature Study, which occurred in the midst of the late 19th century and early 20th century.Following the effortful turn over of many a(prenominal) other naturalists, April 22nd of the year 1970 was declared as the first Earth Day a national t all(prenominal)-in c at oncerning environmental issues. This memorable event pave the way for the current environmental education movement. In the latter months, President Nixon passed the National environmental Education Act, which intended to incorporate environmental education into K-12 schools. In the following year, the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE), gradationerly known as the National Association for Environmental Education, was instituted to ameliorate the environmental literacy by supplying resources to teachers and promote environmenta l education programs. The following year was then declared by the European Council as the Year of the Environment.Environmental education was globally ac knowledged when the UN Conference on the tender-hearted Environment held in 1972, in Stockholm, Sweden, affirmed that environmental education must be utilized as the mark to address environmental issues all around the world. The United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) generated three major(ip) declarations that bear guided the course of environmental education. These were namely the Stockholm declaration, the Belgrade charter and the capital of Georgia declaration.The Stockholm declaration The Declaration of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment took localize amidst June 5th and June 16th of the year 1972. The document, consisting of 7 proclamations and 26 principles, was created in order to inspire and guide the people of the wo rld in the preservation and enhancement of the human environment.The Belgrade charter was held in October of 1975. This agreement was the product of the International Workshop on Environmental Education which was held in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. The foundation of the Belgrade charter was the Stockholm Declaration which was improved upon by goals, objectives and guiding principles of environmental education programs which included the general public.The Tbilisi declaration of October 1977, noted the substantial accord in the important role of environmental education in the preservation and improvement of the worlds environment, as head as in the sound and equilibrize instruction of the worlds communities. (Tbilisi, 1977). The Tbilisi declaration not only rationalized and elucidated the Stockholm declaration and the Belgrade charter tho in addition included tonic aims and objectives as well as guiding principles of environmental education. Later that year, the Intergovernmental Co nference on Environmental Education in Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia accentuated the responsibility of Environmental Education in the conservation and development of the environment as a whole on a worldwide level.The importance of sustainable development was established in the year 1987, when the World Commission on Environment and Development published the Brundtland Report. This report, also known as Our Common Future, enlightened the concept of sustainable development in which the protection of the environment and the economic harvest-festival were regarded as interdependent notions as well as the concept of social equity. According to the Brundtland Report, sustainable development implies clashing the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (Brundtland, 1987).In 1992, the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development which took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, supported and embellished the goal of obtaining sustainability. This was achieved by means of international agreements made on climate variation, woodland and biodiversity. One of the most significant aspects of the Rio Earth Summit, was Chapter 36 of Agenda 21 the fulcrum of our current environmental sustainable development. Agenda 21 focused on reorienting education towards sustainable development increasing public sensation and promoting training. (Chapter 36, Agenda 21). Agenda 21 discards the cipher of the environment as a detached system and stresses the perspective of the environment as a holistic hail incorporating our surroundings as well as our existence, making use of nature and its resources.Another authoritative step forward in sustainable development was held in 2002 by the United Nations Commission the Johannesburg Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa. This summit brought together tens of thousands of participants to focus the worlds attention and direct action towardconserving our natural resources in a world that id growing in population, with ever-increasing demands for food, water, shelter, sanitation, energy, health services and economic security. (Johannesburg Summit, 2002).In 2005 the National Environmental Education and Training Foundation held the first National Environmental Education Week between the10th and 16th of April. Later that year, the Centre for Environment Education held the Education for a Sustainable Future Conference in Ahmedabad in India. Over 800 learners, thinkers and practitioners from over 40 countries attended and established the Ahmedabad Declaration on education for sustainable development.Environmental Education has long been considered as a crucial aspect of our existence. It is an international concern which has brought and has yet to bring all the nations together striving to reach one important goal, one which gives the interdependency of the environment and that of organisms, including ourselves, the major precedence they deserve.1.2 Philosophy of En vironmental EducationEnvironmental education comprises several unique philosophies where each has its own objectives. However, the disciplines overlap in purpose and philosophy of environmental education. The two main disciplines of environmental education are that of outdoor education and that of experiential education. out-of-door education refers to learning in, for and about the outdoors. It is a means of course extension and enrichment by outdoor experiences (Hammerman, 1980, p. 33). Through outdoors experiences, environmental education may be taught or enhanced. Experiential education is a process through which an person assembles knowledge, skill and value from direct experiences.Learning about the environment, being an outdoor or experiential education, is a way of teaching a psyche to love the Earth. Through this means, a person enhances his awareness and appreciation of the natural environment as well as learns skills in order to improve his life in the outdoors and le arns sex actships among the inhabitants. Moreover, the person has learned how to learn and can thus make his own decisions on how to care for the land. This great achievement is called environmental literacy. Thus, education becomes empowerment, where the individual can master complex skills and important decision making which are not affected by todays changing society.1.3 Roles, Objectives and Principles of Environmental EducationThe Tbilisi Declaration, held in 1977, was the worlds first intergovernmental conference on environmental education. It was organized by the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in cooperation with the U.N. Environment Programme (UNEP)The declaration accentuated the important role of environmental education in the conservation and development of the worlds environment, as well as the sound and reasonable improvement of the worlds communities.The Roles, Objectives and Characteristics of Environmental Education as laid ou t during the Tbilisi Declaration as well as the two recommendations of the Conference areThe Conference recommends the adoption of certain criteria which impart help to guide efforts to develop environmental education at the national, regional, and global levelsWhereas it is a fact that biological and physical features constitute the natural basis of the human environment, its ethical, social, cultural, and economic dimensions also play their part in determining the lines of approach and the instruments whereby people may understand and make better use of natural resources in satisfying their needs.Environmental education is the result of the reorientation and dovetailing of different disciplines and educational experiences which facilitate an integrated perception of the problems of the environment, enabling more rational actions capable of coming upon social needs to be taken.A basic aim of environmental education is to succeed in making individuals and communities understand th e complex nature of the natural and the built environments resulting from the interaction of their biological, physical, social, economic, and cultural aspects, and acquire the knowledge, values, attitudes, and practical skills to enroll in a responsible and effective way in anticipating and solving environmental problems, and in the management of the character reference of the environment.A further basic aim of environmental education is clearly to show the economic, political, and bionomic interdependence of the modern world, in which decisions and actions by different countries can have international repercussions. Environmental education should, in this regard, help to develop a sense of responsibility and solidarity among countries and regions as the foundation for a new international order which go out guarantee the conservation and improvement of the environment.Special attention should be paid to understanding the complex relations between socio-economic development and t he improvement of the environment.For this purpose, environmental education should provide the necessary knowledge for interpretation of the complex phenomena that shape the environment, back up those ethical, economic, and esthetic values which, constituting the basis of self-discipline, allow for further the development of conduct compatible with the preservation and improvement of the environment. It should also provide a wide range of practical skills required in the create mentally and application of effective solutions to environmental problems.To carry out these tasks, environmental education should bring about a closer link between educational processes and rattling life, make its activities around the environmental problems that are faced by particular communities and focusing analysis on these by means of an interdisciplinary, comprehensive approach which will permit a proper understanding of environmental problems.Environmental education should cater to all ages and socio-professional groups in the population. It should be addressed to (a) the general nonspecialist public of unripened people and adults whose daily conduct has a decisive influence on the preservation and improvement of the environment (b) to particular social groups whose professional activities affect the quality of the environment and to scientists and technicians whose specialized research and work will lay the foundations of knowledge on which education, training, and efficient management of the environment should be based.To achieve the effective development of environmental education, full favor must be taken of all public and private facilities available to society for the education of the population the formal education system, different forms of nonformal education, and the mass media.To make an effective contribution towards improving the environment, educational action must be linked with legislation, policies, measures of control, and the decisions that government s may adopt in relation to the human environment.The Conference endorses the following goals, objectives and guiding principles for environmental educationThe Goals of Environmental Education areTo foster clear awareness of and concern about, economic, social, political and ecological interdependence in urban and rural areasTo provide every person with opportunities to acquire the knowledge, values, attitudes, commitment and skills needed to protect and improve the environmentTo create new patterns of behavior of individuals, groups and society as a whole towards the environment.The Categories of Environmental Education Objectives areAwareness to help social groups and individuals acquire an awareness and sensitivity to the contribute environment and its allied problems.Knowledge to help social groups and individuals gain a variety of experience in, and acquire a basic understanding of, the environment and its associated problems. This is of last(a) importance as the more people l earn about their surroundings, the more they will tend to care about it. (Kriesberg, 1996).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. Reinforcing this category, the attitudes of children are a major focus of many environmental education programmes. (Eagles and Demare, 1999).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. Education needs to go beyond information and awareness to include behavioural change. (Niedermeyer, 1992). Moreover, all solemn environmental education aims to motivate individuals to take responsible action. (Bogner, 1998).Guiding Principles Environmental Education shoul dConsider the environment in its totality-natural and built, technological and social (economic, political, cultural- diachronic, ethical, esthetic)Be a continuous lifelong process, beginning at the preschool level and continuing through all formal and nonformal stagesBe interdisciplinary in its approach, drawing on the particularised content of each discipline in making possible a holistic and balanced perspectiveExamine major environmental issues from local, national, regional, and international points of view so that students receive insights into environmental conditions in other geographical areasFocus on current and potential environmental situations while taking into account the historical perspectivePromote the value and necessity of local, national, and international cooperation in the prevention and solution of environmental problemsExplicitly consider environmental aspects in plans for development and growthEnable learners to have a role in planning their learning experi ences and provide an opportunity for making decisions and accepting their consequencesRelate environmental sensitivity, knowledge, problem-solving skills, and values illumination to every age, but with special emphasis on environmental sensitivity to the learners own community in early yearsHelp learners discover the symptoms and unfeigned causes of environmental problemsEmphasize the complexity of environmental problems and thus the need to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skillsUtilize diverse learning environments and a broad set up of educational approaches to teaching, learning about and from the environment with due stress on practical activities and first-hand experience.Approaches to Environmental EducationThe ultimate aim of environmental education is to aid society in becoming environmentally knowledgeable moreover, it endows people with the necessary skills and dedication for working, both individually and collectively, towards achieving and/or maintaining a dynamic equilibrium between the caliber of life and that of the environment.There are several approaches towards environmental education, especially when dealing with young children, all enclosing the same aim. However the basis of each approach to environmental education encompasses education about, through and for the environment.Education About the EnvironmentThe concept of education about the environment simply entails unveiling and divulging knowledge about our surroundings. The more a person becomes aware of his environment the more he can grow to appreciate it and thus make use of its resources in a sustainable way.As Dr. Ken Gilbertson clearly stated, Environmental Education is a means to teach a person to love the Earth. It is not proselytizing but providing a basis for comprehending complex social and natural/physical connections. (Dr. William Fleischman, 2010). Learning about the environment leads to a progression from awareness to action, a progression reverberate in the objectives set forth by the Tbilisi Declaration, to maintain responsible environmental behavior and a sustainable future. (Dr. Julie Ernst, 2010).Education Through the EnvironmentEducation through the environment implies utilizing the surrounding ambient itself as a resource for the educational purpose. The environment itself is the most effective and readily available tool for environmental education. Activities which take place outdoors are of utmost importance especially with the younger generation which tends to learn more through direct observation and experience. handle of our surroundings is not something that could be learnt merely in a classroom, but requires an investment of time spent in the presence of nature, energy and reflection (Miles, 1991 p.6).Outdoor activities are also beneficial for ones peace of mind as nature itself has the power to instill serenity upon ones being, leading to a greater appreciation of the environment. In addition, outdoor ecology progra ms may influence a childs attitude and behaviour towards a more positive direction, provided that it takes place for an adequate amount of time. (Bogner, 1998).As Rachel Carson once said, If a child is to keep alive his/her sense of wonder, he/she needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him or her the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in. Environmental education encourages us to constantly rediscover that sense of wonder and bonds people and communities with the natural world.When learning about the environment, one must take into consideration all its aspects, including that of the built environment. Equilibrium should be achieved between the natural and social world in order to pause real life situations and real issues and concerns, providing the opportunity to analyze the local environment as well as introduce the idea of environmental responsibility.1.4.3 Education For the EnvironmentEducation for the environment encomp asses the growth of a knowledgeable person into a motivated, responsible, caring individual, who seeks to take accountable action in order to maintain and call forth a sustainable environment. Environmental education endeavors to improve upon environmental ethics which would result in the advancement of the caliber of life on Earth.Knowledge is of underlying significance if one is to develop a sense of understanding and appreciation about his or her surroundings. However knowledge is only the first step and should of all time be followed by deed. Actively involving people, especially children, in their communities and in finding solutions to local environmental problems, encourages ones heart to become more active at a global level. As Hewitt precisely stated in 1997, Knowledge alone cannot influence the protection of the environment. It is mostly through hands on experience that an individual is able to fully comprehend the value of our environment and develop a sense of compassi on towards it.By directly involving young people in environmental activities, they are being encouraged to evaluate their own individual impact on the well being of their surroundings as well as apprehend that along with others, we all affect the environment and thus let it be in a constructive comportment.1.1.4 Games in Environmental EducationAny form of education should always incorporate an enjoyable aspect, one in which the attention of the individuals involve is captured and maintained, making the learning experience more effective.Environmental education could also be taught in a pleasurable manner. This could be done by the use of many games and activities which not only challenge the participants but also encourage the children to act on the knowledge they have obtained and become actively involved in the care and maintenance of the environment as a whole.Playing games was popular opinion of as a fundamental part of learning by many learning theorists including Piaget who s trongly believed that games are an indispensable aspect of an individuals development of intelligence.The additional advantage of playing games is that children become central to their own learning and a deviation from the normal teaching methods would ensure that every child is given the opportunity to participate and expand his or her skills in the concerned area.1.4.5 Environmental ProblemsWhen a child is presented with a relatively intricate quandary at an early stage in his or her life, and is asked to propose some sort of solution to the predicament which he/she might encounter, the child starts developing cognitive skills which are beneficial for life.Children should be unfastened to environmental tribulations that occur in real life situations and should be guided to an appropriate and efficient solution. This was also one of the recommendations of the Tbilisi Intergovernmental Conference on Environmental Education in the following statementenvironmental education should br ing about a closer link between educational processes and real life, building its activities around the environmental problems that are faced by particular communities and focusing analysis on these by means of an interdisciplinary, comprehensive approach which will permit a proper understanding of environmental problems (UNESCO-UNEP 1978, Recommendation No. 1).