Reminiscence: Of Environmental Education and Sustainable Thinking

We are all aware what Environmental Education is, but just for an ironically hypothetical initiation Environmental Education –for me- is , unlike formal schooling, a diverse spectrum of Informal, non-formal, and even, Formal education that deals with the mass-consciousness of your own surroundings and permeates within the certainty of awareness, critical thinking and exposure of the dynamics of linking yourself with the environment and vice versa.

The Tbilisi Declaration stated, “A basic aim of EE is to succeed in making individuals and communities (understand) think about the complex nature of 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 participate in a responsible and effective way in anticipating and solving environmental problems, and in management of the quality of environment.”

So that was more of a theoretical part of my blog; Now the question is- When does thinking start? What is the stimulus? How is thinking directly linked to EE, and that to Sustainable Development?

Thinking is an inherent ability to analyze, interpret and at times, innovate the contextual reality; it is by far the best possible ability that could be connected with ingenuity and co-creation. Where does EE stand, then? As a catalyst! Yes, it is; the world around us has its patterns of development; models of growth and architecture of cultures and societies with altered lifestyles, at times conventional , too. But everything vibrates around the awareness- both conscious and unconscious – of EE, since we ourselves are the environment and every single act, every touch, feel, sound, smell , and taste remains part of our environment; thus, all and every consequential reality around us that we are aware of is a direct resultant of the existence of Environmental Education.

Why do farmers actually know when to sow the seeds and the time for harvest? Why do kids as young as the age of seven would know that drinking stagnant-precipitated water is hazardous to health? How did the indigenous all around the globe possess a wealth of wisdom in terms of herbal medicinal usage? Did they learn this at school? At a college, or in a post-graduate program? No, not at all!

This is Environmental Education! It is a stimulus for thinking and connects a society to equity, balance, rationality, and sustainability by the apt provision of pertinent tools- knowledge, lessons, model, wisdom- to ensure continued livelihoods and inter-generational justice.

At this point in time, it would be rational to categorize the objectives for social groups in terms of EE as follows:

• Awareness: to assist them acquire sensitivity to the environment and the issues associated with it;

• Knowledge: to help them gain a variety of experience in, and acquire a basic understanding of, the environment and its associated problems;

• Attitudes: to assist them acquire a concept of thinking for environment, and a motivation for proactive participation in environmental conservation;

• Skills: to assist them acquire the skills for identifying and solving issues that they trace and think of;

• Participation: to provide them with an opportunity to be actively involved at all levels in working towards a resolution of environmental issues at hand.

Fundamentally, in the framework, three primary dimensionalities of EE were identified and developed:

·        Education about the environment: is focused on cognitive aspects, concerned with the acquisition of knowledge and understanding of environmental issues.

·        Education in the environment: refers to the outdoor scenery or environmental setting, both natural and anthropogenic, as the means in which development of knowledge, skills, and feelings is taking place spontaneously through experience, this dimension of EE stimulates interest, recreation and thinking!

·        Education for the Environment: refers to the personal motivation and sense of responsibility which results from the development of a personal environmental ethic.

There is a lot to discover, to know and to think about, and more significantly, to think sustainably.

Undoubtedly, this remains a preface of what is to come; up next in line: Blogs on ESD, Youth Advocacy, Climate Change, Social Security and much more.

(Reference to factual data: Education for Sustainable Development in Biosphere Reserves and other designated areas- A publication 2013
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