Environmental Education and Environmental Policies - Report Example

Environmental Education The Industrial Revolution dramatically increased man's environmental footprint and man has responded by becoming more aware,sensitive, and knowledgeable about the world in which he lives. The concept that the environment is an integral part of our lives goes back 250 years to the dawn of the scientific age of innovation. It has been refined and expanded upon as education has become of critical importance to our understanding of our environment. Government support for Environmental Education has helped maintain it as an important public issue in the US and around the world. Today, an Environmental Education includes not only the technical impact that technology has presented, but also the responsibility that industry and individuals have in their approach to maintaining a sustainable geography that is productive as well as healthy. Modern attitudes towards an Environmental Education have been the result of an evolution in thinking towards the environment that has spanned the last two and a half centuries. Environmental Education traces its roots back to 1762 and the publication of Emile, a novel on educational philosophy that argued that education should focus on the environment (McRea). Wilbur Jackman's 1891 publication of Nature Study for the Common School initiated the Nature Study Movement that was pioneered by the American Nature Study Society headed by the naturalist Liberty Hyde Bailey (McRea). A greater environmental awareness was fostered in the United States by the Romantic Nature Movement and the Progressive Education Movement led by John Dewey (Haskin). In essence, "Environmental education did not spring forth fully formed from any one discipline, but rather as a product of a co-evolutionary process within science, public awareness of environmental issues, and educational ideas" (Haskin). The Dust Bowl of the 1930s was accompanied by an even greater awareness of our environment and the need for conservation and sustainability. The movement towards today's concept of environmental education has been rooted in conservation and student inquiry. This was a project-based approach that called for collaborative thinking and reduced the traditional boundaries that existed between disciplines. The Conservation Movement was spearheaded by Aldo Leopold, a Wisconsin educator that advocated an "an approach to science that merged environmental thinking, science and life practice" (Haskin). This thinking led to the first college degree in conservation at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in 1946 and the coining of the phrase 'environmental education' by Thomas Pritchard, Deputy Directory of the Nature Conservancy, at a meeting of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature in Paris in 1948 (McRea). The next decade would see a greater public awareness of nature and the natural surroundings and a call for increased sensitivity and responsibility in our actions that affect our world's environment. These attitudes were brought into greater focus by the 1962 publication of Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, a critical review of the devastating effects that man and technology can have on the environment (Haskin). The modern environmental movement had been born and the first Earth Day in 1970 can be considered the birth of the modern national policies on Environmental Education, as well as environmental law and policy. Since the 1970s, environmental education has been addressed in the US and around the world based on a few basic principles. 1977 marked the world's first intergovernmental conference on environmental education held at Tbilisi, in the former Soviet republic of Georgia (Archie and McRea). The conference set forth five broad objectives for environmental education that the EPA agreed to and continues to support. These five principles are (1) Awareness and sensitivity to the environment and environmental challenges; (2) Knowledge and understanding of the environment and environmental challenges; (3) Attitudes of concern for the environment and motivation to improve or maintain environmental quality; (4) Skills to identify and help resolve environmental challenges; and (5) Participation in activities that lead to the resolution of environmental challenges (Basic Information). These objectives promote critical thinking to drive the program of Environmental Education rather than advocating a specific viewpoint or stand on an issue. The year 1970 brought the environment to the forefront of public awareness by the passage of the Clean Air Act, the Water Improvement Act, the creation of the Environmental. Protection Agency (EPA), and the passage of the Environmental Education Act of 1970. According to Bearden, the Environmental Education Act of 1970 "established an Office of Environmental Education in the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare to award grants for developing environmental curricula and training teachers" (CRS-1). Federal efforts to transfer the responsibility of education to the states resulted in the expiration of the Act in the 1980s, but it was reenacted through the Environmental Education Act of 1990. At that time, Congress found that "existing federal programs to educate the public about environmental problems and train environmental professionals were inadequate" and mandated the government to renew the "federal role in environmental education and reestablish an office of environmental education within EPA" (Bearden CRS-2). Since 1990 there has been an increased focus on Environmental Education as a separate and specialized discipline, as the EPA has worked with students and educators to heighten the awareness of the multiple facets concerning our knowledge of the environment. While funding authorizations for the program have expired, the Senate has continued to vote for additional funding to maintain the program. The cost of the program is approximately $9 million a year and is used to "work with educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, the private sector, tribal governments, and state and local environmental agencies to educate the public about environmental problems and encourage students to pursue environmental careers" (Bearden CRS-2). The money is allocated to individual projects through the EPA with the goal of increasing "public knowledge about environmental issues and provide the public with the skills necessary to make informed decisions and take responsible actions to protect the environment" (Bearden CRS-2). The awards and grants have been used in all 50 states and US territories for the purpose of "educating elementary and secondary school students, training teachers, purchasing textbooks, developing curricula, and other educational activities" (Bearden CRS-2). There is a $250,000 limit per grant and most awards are small awards of less than $15,000 with the average being approximately $8,000. While the program has been effective at meeting some of its objectives, a significant portion of the grants that are requested are denied due to a lack of funding. The grants are utilized by a broad spectrum of individuals and organizations working in a multitude of disciplines. The largest recipients of grant money since 1992 have been non-profit organizations that have received almost 50 percent of the funding, with colleges, universities, and government agencies also getting a significant portion (EE Grants Awarded). The grants have addressed such issues as water, pesticides, solid waste, ecosystems, and environmental literacy. A typical program is the Students and Teachers Restoring a Watershed (STRAW) Project operated by the Bay Institute in Novato California. Their $92 thousand grant is used to teach K-12 students "environmental issues specific to the San Francisco Bay region. Participants gain knowledge, skills, and experience in environmental science and place-based learning methodologies that ultimately improve community environmental stewardship" (US Environmental Protection Agency 4). School district #299 in the Chicago public school system received $86 thousand to study and preserve vital green spaces, ecosystems, and waterways throughout the city of Chicago. The students receive education relevant to "threats to the environment, including invasive species, development, pollution, and neglect. They also consider strategies for developing responses to restoring and conserving natural areas in the city" (US Environmental Protection Agency 4). Additionally, many schools and agencies are awarded grants of less than $3 thousand to study and correct a specific local issue. The environment is an issue that impacts everyone and is of critical importance in today's world of technology, globalization, and scientific discoveries. There is general agreement from the public and legislators that there is vital need for "improved understanding of complex environmental issues affecting human health, sustainability of natural resources, biological diversity, and other societal objectives" (Bearden CRS-2). Still, the issue has been politicized as the current administration has called for the elimination of the program since 2003. However, the Congress has continued to override the administration's request and has voted to continue the funding at the current levels. In addition, many legislators, educators, and concerned citizens have called for an expanded role of the federal government in the implementation of Environmental Education. Bearden reports that two bills recently introduced "would authorize $100 million annually from FY2008 through FY2012 for the Department of Education to award grants that would promote environmental education in elementary and secondary schools" (CRS-6). The bills call for a more active role on the part of the states in the development and promotion of 'environmental literacy' programs as a condition of obtaining this funding. The environment is a sensitive political issue and has resulted in an emotionally charged debate on what and how to teach students concerning the important issues pertaining to the environment. Results of the program are difficult to measure and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) had repeatedly rated the program "Results not Demonstrated" (Bearden CRS-3). Critics further contend that, "certain textbooks and curricula misinform students by advocating specific measures to address environmental problems, or by presenting unbalanced or scientifically inaccurate data" (Bearden CRS-6). Advocates point to the program's success such as "During the 2007 National Environmental Education Week, 1,453 environmental education partners taught more than 3.5 million students about the importance of caring for the environment through a full range of activities in K-12 classrooms, zoos, nature centers, museums, and aquariums" (Chepesiuk A497). While a field trip to the zoo may not be controversial, the presentation of global warming, it cause and cure, is deeply rooted in our social, political, and cultural values. Advocates of Environmental Education argue that public health is contingent on a healthy environment and that the two are intricately connected. To gain public support for a healthy environment it must be shown to have a significant impact on peoples' health. Yet, in the US the subjects of health and the environment are separated as two distinct and exclusive disciplines. According to Chepesiuk, "Two literacy movements-health literacy and environmental literacy- work parallel to each other, and the twain has not necessarily met" (A498). This has limited the ability of engaging the public in Environmental Education and "Health care professionals and educators have limited understanding of the broader environment because it's not incorporated into their education" (Chepesiuk A498). These are the obstacles that face Environmental Education and create a reluctance to increase funding for the program. In conclusion, the importance of Environmental Education has increased with technology and our understanding of our role in the environment. However, government support has failed to keep pace with our scientific advancements. Most grants are limited in size and go to educating elementary and high school students in an effort to prepare them for the environmental challenges we face in the 21st century. However, the Environmental Education program administered under the EPA has been limited in funding due to political infighting. Only when the public can realize the direct impact that the environment has on our health, will public pressure demand a more liberal approach to Environmental Education. Works Cited Archie, Michele, and Ed McRea. "Environmental Education in the United States: Definition and Direction.". Murray State University. 5 Dec. 2008 . "Basic Information." Environmental Education (EE). 3 June 2008. Environmental Protection Agency. 5 Dec. 2008 < http://www.epa.gov/enviroed/basic.html>. Bearden, David M. National Environmental Education Act of 1990: Overview, Implementation, and Issues for Congress. Washington, DC: Congressional Research Service, 2007. Chepesiuk, Ron. "Environmental Literacy: Knowledge for a Healthier Public." Environmental Health Perspectives 115.10 (2007): A494-99. "EE Grants Awarded." Environmental Education (EE). 3 June 2008. Environmental Protection Agency. 5 Dec. 2008 . Haskin, John. "Environmental Education in the United States: Teaching in the Present, Preparing Students for the Future." Paper presented at the International Symposium on Environmental Education, February 19, 1999. Tokyo, Japan: New Horizons for Learning, 2003. 5 Dec 2008 McRea, Edward J. The Roots of Environmental Education: How the Past Supports the Future. Washington, DC: North American Association For Environmental Education, 2006. US Environmental Protection Agency. Environmental Education Grants Program: Grants Awarded 1992 - 2007. Washington, DC: Environmental Protection Agency, 2008. Read More