TOPIC 5: THE ROLE OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION IN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: (GE: 145)

TOPIC 5: THE ROLE OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION IN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT:

•      Definition of sustainable development

•      Definition of sustainable environment

•      Global sustainable development

•      The role of EE in sustainable development

•      Curriculum development

Definition of sustainable development

Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generation to meet their own needs”.

(UN earth summit in Rio de Janeiro, June 1992)

Therefore,  sustainable development is economic development that exclusively relies upon and is firmly rooted in  sustainability of the natural environment.

The sustainable development should ensure that today’ standards of living is maintained in the future but not at the expense of environmental degradation.

•      Sustainable environment

Simply can be defined as the environment that its contents can support the existence and well being of the present and future generations.

The contents of the sustainable environment are the natural resources (Soil, water, plants, animals etc).

If natural  resources are  depleted or irreversibly degraded , the means of wealth creation for social welfare will be seriously jeopardized/at risk.

i.e without environmental sustainability, it is impossible to achieve sustainable development.

•      Global sustainable development

The progress whatever the rich developed countries have made so far has largely been achieved through the relocation of their dirty manufacturing facilities to poor developing countries.

However the relocation of the manufacturing facilities in this way cannot address the growing problem of anthropogenic pollution – it merely changes the jurisdiction/laws of the pollution created from the ‘rich' to the ‘poor' world.

In order to achieve the acceptable level of global environmental sustainability, the citizens must be empowered with essential knowledge and information.

Citizens should be empowered to exert pressure on their elected representatives to develop and implement policies for securing environmental sustainability.

The awareness among the public and industrial generators have to be created and motivated by the updated techniques and incorporating the innovative and implementable solutions to reform our economy.

These can be achieved through environmental education.

•      The roles of EE in sustainable development

Alerting the public about the need to achieve global sustainable development and the likely consequences of failing to do so.

 Focusing the educational curricula for global sustainable development by incorporating the know-how, skills and also the moral imperatives.

•      Curriculum development:

Moral and ethical philosophy is needed in Environmental Education and should be made a mandatory part of it. Why

As future citizens students should feel special responsibility in protecting the nature and the natural environment.

Human beings are rational creatures who have an innate need to rationalize all their actions and thoughts .Moral philosophy provides this rationale, and by doing so gives us our humanity.

•      Criteria for curriculum development

The content should be holistic, covering all essential aspects.

Should also base on science and technology to deal with pollution already produced.

 Low cost technologies which are more practicable for implementation is essential.

Local, national, regional and international environmental issues and problems should be emphasized as they contribute to the global environmental problems.

•      The Rio slogan “ Act locally and think globally’’