Since Jan 29, 2017, a colossus emerged degrading the health and well-being of the environment by the take over of the Environmental Protection Agency by unethical, immoral and power driven men.  Their goal is to unravel and put an end to safeguards and laws that were intended to protect the integrity of earth systems of which we are a part.  The air, water and earth have been put at risk by this unlawful effort led by Scott Pruitt, who has since resigned amid dozens of investigations that were under way to uncover the extent of his immoral, illegal and unlawful activities.  

As long as Pruitt’s allies remain in office or in the majority we must be watch dogs to their attempts to continue the denial of climate change and global warming, and their attempts to remove safeguards for the environment.

Environmental activism is more important than it has been since Rachel Carson set the world on a course that called on individuals, groups and governments to fight against the aggressive misuse of nature by corporations, especially chemical and petrochemical industries.  Rachel Carson was a Gentle Subversive, as depicted in Mark Hamilton Lytle’s book, which is described here. 

Environmental activism should be integral to science education for the environment. 

However, much of environmental education in school science is education is either education about the environment or education in the environment. 

Education about the environment reinforces traditional methods of teaching including lectures, reconstructive laboratory activities, and the recall of information. It is based on the older, traditional model of teaching.  Unfortunately, its the model that dominates schooling.

Education in the environment emphases experiential learning, and that experiences in the environment aids personal growth and moral development. Student projects tend to fall into a safe zone such as anti-littering campaigns, and environmental awareness activities.

There is a third model that some schools have embraced and that is education for the environment.  This concept of environmental education  includes environmental protection, and the role of citizen action (individually and collectively) in the solution of environmental problems.   These ideas are based on research by Michel, Rachel (1996). Environmental education: A study of how it is influenced and informed by the concepts of environmentalism. Doctoral Dissertation. La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia

Education for the Environment

Environmental education that is based on the “education for the environment” model embodies some of the principles of Deep Ecology (Devall & Sessions, 1985). Deep Ecology, coined by Arne Naess, is a deeper approach to the study of nature exemplified in the work of Aldo Leopold and Rachel Carson.

In this sense, teachers encourage their students to engage in projects that help them see the link between themselves and nature as well as advocating a holistic approach to looking at environmental topics. Students might investigate the health of a nearby stream not only by making physical, chemical and biological studies, but also exploring the value of the stream to the total ecology of the area, explore further the causes of any pollution found in the stream, and indeed take some action on trying to resolve the problem. Perhaps teachers help students realize Commoner’s major “laws” of ecology which describe a deep ecology perspective (as cited in Devel & Sessions, 1985):

1. Everything is connected to everything else.
2. Everything must go somewhere.
3. Nature knows best.
4. There is no such thing as a free lunch, or everything has to go somewhere.

Education for the environment conceives of students who are not only involved in learning about the environment, but “are provided with the knowledge, values, attitudes and commitment and skills needed to protect and improve the environment (Tibilisi Declaration, 1978, p.3, as cited in Michel, 1996). 

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