Ecological Awareness - Essay Example

Running Head: Ecology awareness Economy Awareness Name: Institution: Date of Submission: Introduction The goal of ecological education and awareness is to develop in individuals and society a world that is aware, educated, and concerned about the ecology and problems associated with it. It aims at developing a population who has the knowledge, skills, attributes, attitudes, motivations, and personal commitment to work both as an individual and collectively as a society towards solution of current ecologicalproblems and prevention of new and emerging problems (Holing, 2004). Every level of school system provides the largest and most organized platform for ecological education, awareness, and action for students and eventually the society. School systems offer an effective instrument to students and teaching staff for instilling in them the desirable ecologicalknowledge and ethics to improve their awareness on ecology. Teacher and tutors are among the important factors bound to influence the program of making students aware of ecological issues. Teachers have the responsibility of providing a vital link delivering ecologicalunderstanding, problems associated with ecology and solutions to them (Palamar, 2008). Considering teacher’s responsibility to student understanding of ecology, this paper investigates a need to examine whether importance of education awareness of students because of teacher responsibility. Since youth form a crucial part of the society and have over time proven to be a vital group for taking actions related to addressing ecological issues, an ecological awareness education becomes a critical matter. Youth are also form an important source of passion, creativity, and enthusiasm for any action aimed at addressing ecological issues (Egerton, 2007). Ecological awareness creation Ecological education is an important aspect that should be involved in every school curriculum where at first student become aware of ecology conservation, problems, and remedies to its problems. It is through such effective ecological curriculum that students recognize or review the relationship that exists between humans and nature (Palamar, 2008). It is also important that effective teaching methods employed should enable students toacquire knowledge and skills from teachers in order for them to be able solve the emerging ecological problems. Teachers, as a requirement of their profession should motivate students to develop the necessary attitudes towards ecology and various environmental protection programs aimed at ensuring a sustainable environment in the society (Holing, 2004). Furthermore, teachers and parents should try to instill in students the knowledge about ecology and ensure that they develop a positive and healthy attitude towards ecology right from the beginning of childhood. This will enable students to have the passion and desire to protect and conserve ecology even in adulthood (Holing, 2004). Another notable and important point in creating ecological awareness in students is the essential need to organize and carry out educational programs aimed atfocusing on emerging ecological issues, attitude towards preservation and conservation of ecology, and the problems facing ecology presently (Julien, 2006). Ecological Conservation Over time, ecological conservation attained the misunderstanding by many students as a moratorium on progress. By far, this misconception is not true. Teachers therefore have the responsibility to enlighten students that a sustainable development on ecology is a rather permanent remedy to constant droughts, famines, and the diminishing bio – diversity that is evident on earth. Ecological conservation refers to an attitude and a credible understanding that comes with active involvement on management of the ecological aspects that need conservation (Holing, 2004). More than four decades ago, students and the society had a very little understanding of terms such as conservation and ecology. However, today such words as conservation messages, environment, and ecological awareness are encountered in every daily newspaper, discussed in seminars, and books. Teachers therefore need to play an important role in imparting students with the primary knowledge on ecological awareness and conservation (Palamar, 2008). Knowledge and Educational needs on ecological awareness The main aim and objective of the ecological education and teacher responsibility is to make students and people in the society to be aware and knowledgeable on ecological conservation issues and to inculcate a fair and positive attitude in individual towards protection of environment (Holing, 2004). The education also aims at making students more skilled in solving ecological problems andto enable them to participate in the activities involved in the protection of the ecology. It is very necessary for students to learn about the ecology issueto enable them understand the importance of protecting the environment and the right human activities that help in the conservation process as well as those activities deemed harmful to the ecology (Nieclon, 2007). The last decade saw a global surge of interest in environmental and ecological awareness. Up to date, this surge is no longer a secret that ecological awareness, conservation, and protection is of much importance in combating droughts, famine and at larger extend reducing the general impacts of global warming.According to Julien (2006), it is an acknowledgedfact that the planet keeps increasing in itspopulation and that people produce far too much waste through industrialization and other activities such as farming. With increase in population, land has become scarce and people resort to clearing forests for both settlement and agricultural activities (Hamond, 2009). Livestock keeping also results in clearing of vegetation through grazing and other related activities. With this in mind, teachers find themselves at the center stage of being responsible in enlightening students on matters concerning ecological conservation. While at early stages of life, children have the mentally of simply throwing things away, with very little care or concern to where the disposed garbage might go. Now, with images and reports of oceans of landfills taking much concern in educational and institutions and governmental organizations, students need to develop habits that are helpful in conserving the ecology (Delong, 2009). This may seem a challenging matter but through development of good attitude in students, the possibility that students will change their childhood habits and adapt proper measures aimed at ecological conservation. It is with this need that teachers have the responsibility of imparting knowledge on ecology to students. Successful achievement of this goal has seen students becoming concerned about what they consume, the type of packaging used in what they consume, and how they can easily recycle and reuse them. With teachers’ efforts, studentsbecome more aware and knowledgeableon ecological concerns, their responsibility for the planet and its ecological conservation increases, hence more sustainable environment. Student habits also change as towards ensuring a decent and conserved ecology (Nieclon, 2007). Furthermore, with increased ecological awareness, students apply their skills on ecology in the corporate world. This application for knowledge results in new habits such as bringing reusable bags into every store, composting as much as possible, opting for paperless billing statements from every service provider, learning about recycling and becoming diligent about it, using reusable bottles, and no longer buying plastic bottles of water(Kala, 2005). Focus of ecological awareness For teachers to attain their responsibility on ecology to students, they should clearly define the strategies and approaches to use and the teaching methodology. Teachers should enable students understand that human beings use resources presented to them by nature. However, how to use and utilize these resources may cause some adverse impacts on ecology and environment. Students should understand that scientific advances have had a great effect in harnessing these resources of nature for their well-being. Furthermore, students need to understand that in the recent past, humans have been blatantly misusing natural resources and hence their lead to environmental pollution. The fact that current trends indicating that people are consuming natural resources without offering any considerable time for nature to replenish them should be another important point for teachers to ensure student understanding of ecology. In its scope, ecological curriculum should focus on how to develop a positive attitude of ecology among students, ecological trends, issues, problems, and possible solutions to the current ecological problems encountered in the current world. Students need to have a clear understanding on the strategies and techniques deemed helpful in conserving ecology and the entire environment. Curriculum on ecology conservation should be able to inculcate in students the culture of ecological conservation for the betterment of the society and thus managing the effects coming with human activities that result in adverse ecological effects (Ehrenfeld, 2007). A typical example of how to encourage students on ecology is the conservation of water and its importance in ecology. Students need to know that natural resources are important resources for human development and utilization. Students should be encouraged to avoid such activities as leaving taps open for water to run or rather flow without any use, avoid activities such as setting fire on forests, felling down trees without planting new ones, disposing polythene and other non-decomposable materials without concern on ecology effects and finally consider strategies deemed useful in conserving the ecology of earth (Nieclon, 2007). The scope should also understand the importance of ozone layer in protecting human inhabitants of earth from harmful radiation emitted from the sun. Teachers should understand that the ultraviolet rays from the sun can cause skin cancer to human beings and can cause other adverse effects (Nieclon, 2007). With this in mind, students will feel some responsibility towards ecological conservation Conclusion In conclusion, as the human population increases on daily basis, the ecology and natural resources face an ever-increasing pressure from the population. Because of increased population, loss of ecology and bio diversity and major environmental changes become common occurrences and at an accelerating rate. This impact on ecology is as a direct result of human exploitation of natural resources. The increased public concern over ecological issues such as degradation and destruction of coral reefs, natural tropical rain forests, and accelerated loss of Arctic sea ice become some of the most relevant areas of education today (Nieclon, 2007). With youth forming a better part of earth’s population, they ought to understand much about ecological conservation and hence the dire need for teacher’s responsibility in fulfilling this need. Reference List DeLong, E. F. (2009). The microbial ocean from genomes to biomes. Nature, 459(7244), p. 200–206. Ehrenfeld, J. (2007). Would Industrial Ecology Exist without Sustainability in the Background? Journal of Industrial Ecology, 11(1), p. 23-76. Egerton, F. N. (2007). 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