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Environmental and
Sustainable Education
Pillars of life-long
learning
In
1996, an international commission report to
UNESCO proposed four pillars as the foundations
of education:
1) Learning to live together
2) Learning to know
3) Learning to do 4) Learning to be
Sustainable Development Key Concepts
1)
Interdependence - of society, economy and the
natural environment, from local to global
2) Citizenship and stewardship--rights and
responsibilities, participation, and
co-operation
3) Needs and rights of future generations
4) Diversity -- cultural, social, economic and
biological
5) Quality of life, equity and justice
6) Sustainable change -- development and
carrying capacity
7) Uncertainty, and precaution in action
Key Characteristics of Education for Sustainable
Development
Mechanistic View and Ecological View of
Education
An
Ecological Paradigm for Education- a table by
Stephen Sterling in Sustainable Education
Components of Ecoliteracy
(The Center for Ecoliteracy in California)
- Understanding
the principles of ecology, experiencing them in
nature, and thereby acquiring a sense of place.
These principles are: networks, nested systems,
cycles, flows, development/co-evolution, and
dynamic balance;
- Incorporating the insights from the new
understanding of learning, which emphasizes the
student's search for patterns and meaning;
- Implementing the principles of ecology to
nurture the learning community, facilitating
emergence, and sharing leadership;
- Integrating the curriculum through
environmental project-based learning.
Four Habits of Sustainability Thought
Sara Parkin, Positive Deviant:
Sustainability Leadership in a Perverse World
Resilience –
Am I enhancing the capacity of any ecological or
social system to stay strong or become stronger
so as to absorb large shocks yet remain
fundamentally unchanged?
Relationships- Am I creating and
protecting the good and many relationships that
underpin resilience in individuals and in
systems?
Reflection-
Am I taking time to think about
things so as to learn from experience and apply
the lessons to the future?
Reverence-
Am I demonstrating a ‘respectful
awe’ for the power of the natural world and the
intimacy of our biological relationship with it?
(I have unknowns I know about. I have unknowns I
don’t know about)
Sustainable Development - Definition
Sustainable Development is development
that meets the needs of the present generation
without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their needs. (Brundtland
Commission 1987)
Sustainable Development is a dynamic
process which enables all people to realize
their potential and to improve their quality of
life in ways which simultaneously protect and
enhance the Earth’s life support system. (Sara
Parkin, Forum for the Future)
Sustainability-literate Leadership
-A leader imagines a better future and persuades
people to follow
-Leadership for a greater good that embraces ALL
LIFE on Earth, including all humanity and future
generations. (boundary-less)
-Recognizes that sustainability leadership is
about the continuing participation of our
species in evolution.
-Get it wrong and we (our species) are fossils.
Ecological Consciousness
From Ecological Consciousness
by Christopher Uhl (Page 249)
Respect life and natural processes –
Sustainability commits us to explicit
consideration of the effects of our decisions
and actions on the health and well –being of the
entire community of life.
Living within limits-Sustainability involves
an awareness that the natural resources upon
which all life depends –forests, fertile soils,
fisheries, pure water and clean air – are finite
endowments to be used with care and prudence, at
a rate consonant with their capacity for
regeneration.
Valuing the local-Sustainability commits us
to show respect for the natural components of
our neighborhoods and bioregions, to
preservation, restoration, and use of local
knowledge; and to creation of strong,
self-reliant local economies.
Accounting for full costs- Sustainability
requires that we become aware of the costs
generated by our products –from ‘Source to sink:
-- to the environment and society. Product
prices must reflect this awareness.
Sharing Power.Sustainability demands we
recognize that we are all interconnected—people,
biota, and physical elements. Problems are
solved by each individual assuming a share of
the responsibility.
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