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About Ecoliteracy
Ecoliteracy Web Sites
Ecoliteracy Themes for Curriculum Units
Ecoliteracy – a definition
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"The great challenge of our time is to
build and nurture sustainable communities – communities that
are designed in such a way that their ways of life,
businesses, economies, physical structures, and technologies
do not interfere with nature's inherent ability to sustain
life. The first step in this endeavor is to understand the
principles of organization that ecosystems have developed to
sustain the web of life. This understanding is what we call
ecological literacy.
Teaching this ecological knowledge – which may be called
'principles of ecology,' 'principles of sustainability,'
'principles of community,' or even the 'basic facts of life'
– will be the most important role of education in the next
century. "
by
Fritjof Capra |
I. Earth Mindful
At root, ecological thinking is for
the environment, not just about it. For example, it takes for
granted the conservation of biodiversity as an intrinsic and fundamental
goal. It is at heart about values and proper behavior. Yet 'good
Earth-keeping' requires some grasp of basic laws of energy and matter.
As in the case of, say, hygiene, there is a need for a basic level of
understanding, though it is not necessary to know the intricacies of
relevant scientific theories.
First and foremost in the rudiments of what
might be called ecoliteracy is the awareness of the Earth as our
life-support system. In turn this requires a basic understanding of how
the system works, e.g. energy flows & major cycles. Ecologically aware
citizens would understand, for example, the ecological insight of that
famous Biblical statement that 'all flesh is grass'. They would look at
the environment with new eyes. Wetlands, for example, would not be
viewed, as is dominantly the case, as wastelands but as nature's
'kidneys'.
They would have a general appreciation of
the diversity of resources on which we depend, their current status,
ownership and the uses to which they are put. They would understand the
basic principles of sustainability: minimized inputs, maximized
recycling, chemicals compatible with chemistry of life etc. so that
society can work with the Earth's capacities, rhythms & tolerances.
An ecologically based concept of
sustainability means that human exploitation of the environment must
stay within certain limits. It is, of course, impossible to define
precise boundaries. It is more a matter of danger zones in which the
costs begin to outweigh the benefits of continued attempts to maintain
further expansion or in which society can no longer expect salvation
from methods that got round previously encountered limits (for example,
mass emigrations and technological innovations).
Earth Mindful was excerpted from The Real World
Resources Guide, 1.13 formerly located online at
http://eco.gn.apc.org/resguide/1_13.html.
It is no longer available online.
II. Environment & Society
The
environment has become one of the most important issues of our time and
will continue to be well into the future. The challenge is to find
approaches to environmental management that give people the quality of
life they seek while protecting the environmental systems that are also
the foundations of our well being. In order to face these challenges,
students today will need more than superficial knowledge or awareness of
disconnected environmental issues.
A
multidisciplinary approach to learning can build upon the strengths of a
wide range of fields of study, providing a deeper understanding of the
technological, political, and social options and strategies for both
studying and managing the relationship between our society and the
environment.
The Environmental Literacy Council,
http://www.enviroliteracy.org/, lists the following topics/links.
Each has a fantastic list of topics within that area, with links to
information and resources. The following list would be excellent for
Expert Groups:
Air
and Climate
Land
Water
Ecosystems
Energy
Food
Environment & Society
III. Environmental Action begins with
Environmental Literacy
From
San Diego Earth Times article:
The term "environmental literacy" (EL) is used to
describe an individual's capacity to perceive and interpret the relative
health of environmental systems and to take appropriate action to
maintain, restore or improve the health of those systems. An
individual who is environmentally literate possesses the following
characteristics:
1)
Environmental knowledge;
2)
Environmental attitude and sensitivity;
3)
Problem solving, planning and collaborative/facilitative skills,
action strategies and
4)
The ability to take action to improve the environment.
An ongoing involvement with nature combined with knowledge was the
strongest contributing factor to the development of EL.
Common conditions that exist among those considered environmentally
literate:
- Frequency of interaction with nature (outdoors);
- Significant role model, generally and most frequently an
educator and then a parent;
- Knowledge and the practice of community service on behalf of the
environment.
Ecological Web Sites:
Education for a Sustainable Future
River
Network
Environment Theme:
"Environment" as a theme can mean many different things:
- Environment of the Planet Earth
- Local physical environment of our community
- Rain forests - Temperate, Tropical and Fossil
- Political Environments
- Social Environments
- Within various career fields
- Our multicultural world
- Ecosystems
- Biomes
Resources for Biomes
Rain Forest
Unit
Rain Forest
Books
Exploring
the Rainforest - an Intermediate Webquest
Mission:
Biomes
Biomes of the World
WorldBiomes
The
World's Biomes
Introduction to Biomes
Habitats
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Ecoliteracy