Module 1 - Education for Sustainability

Based on Draft Module by John Fien
and Trials in Japan, Thailand, Hong Kong (China), India,
the Philippines, Brunei, New Zealand and Australia

INTRODUCTION

This module presents a series of activities which introduce the nature and objectives of a new approach to environmental education called education for sustainability. The module shows that this perspective in teaching about local, national and global questions and problems can play a very important role in promoting the knowledge, values and skills that can help create sustainable environments for all people.

Three key themes are introduced in this module:

The fundamental goal of environmental education is the creation of sustainable environments in which people can live and work.

A sustainable environment is one in which the natural environment, economic development and social life are seen as mutually dependent - and the interaction between them contributes to the sustainablility and enhancement of the quality of people's lives and the natural environment.
Environmental education is an across-the-curriculum approach to learning which helps individuals and groups to understand the concept of "a sustainable environment". The ultimate aim of such understanding is to help young people develop caring and committed attitudes and the desire to act responsibly in the environment and towards each other.
Therefore, environment education is concerned not only with teaching conceptual knowledge and skills for monitoring and measuring environmental quality, but also with the development of the values, attitudes and skills which will motivate and empower people to work, both individually and with others, to help promote the sustainability of natural and social environments.

The issues of sustainability, economic development and quality of life in this conception of environmental education pose important questions for the future of human society. They are important issues for every teacher to contemplate - and for teacher educators responsible for the pre-service and continuing professional development of teachers. Orr (1992) argues that educators who wish to "stand aloof from the decisions about how and whether life will be lived in the twenty-first century" run the risk of condemning themselves to irrelevance (p.145). This module has been prepared to assist teacher educators who recognise this urgency.

OBJECTIVES

The objectives of this workshop are:

To develop an understanding of the nature and objectives of environmental education.
To develop an understanding of different approaches to environmental education.
To develop a commitment to the contribution that environmental education can make to education for a sustainable environment.

WORKSHOP OUTLINE

1. Environmental Concerns

This activity is an ice-breaker which enables participants to form into working groups of three in which they will undertake many other activities in the workshop. The activities involve a discussion of the results of an international survey of environmental concern.

2. A Sustainable Environment: The Ultimate Goal of Environmental Education

This activity provides the materials and advice for a mini-lecture and whole group discussion on the concept of "sustainable environment" and the important role of environmental education in the transition to sustainability.

3. What is Environmental Education?

This involves two games, "EC" and "Cooperative Cards", debriefing activities and a mini-lecture.

4. Environmental Education in Practice

This involves individual and group work to develop and evaluate a number of environmental education themes and activities related to participants' interests in teaching.

5. Conclusion

The workshop ends with a review/consolidation of key themes.

NOTES FOR FACILITATORS

This module introduces many of the key themes in this series of professional development modules designed to enhance the interest, knowledge and skills of teachers in environmental education. It is advisable that this module, or at least extracts from it, be presented first as it provides an important introduction to other modules.
The degree of curriculum choice and flexibility for teachers can be very high in certain education systems and countries. However, syllabus and examination requirements can exert a strong influence in other education systems, especially for secondary schools. Workshop facilitators will need to adapt activities and emphasise different aspects of the workshop according to the curriculum contexts and needs of participants.
The depth of treatment and amount of time allocated to each activity will vary according to the background experiences of participants in classroom teaching and in environmental education. The activities may need to be adjusted according to whether participants are experienced environmental educators seeking to update their appreciation of environmental education, experienced teachers who are relatively new to environmental education, or pre-service trainees relatively inexperienced in teaching and environmental education.
Facilitators should analyse all resources and activities for educational and cultural relevance and adapt and/or replace any ideas in this module with local examples.
Facilitators should also review their national and local curriculum guidelines to identify the place of environmental education in them

MATERIALS REQUIRED

A. Provided

Overhead Transparencies

OHT 1 Workshop Overview

OHT 2 The State of the Planet

OHT 3 The Four Systems of the Environment

OHT 4 The Values Underlying a Sustainable Environment

OHT 5 The Role of Environmental Education from "Agenda 21"

OHT 6 The 3 A's (Aims) of Environmental Education

OHT 7 Definitions of Environmental Education

OHT 8 Three Approaches to Environmental Education

OHT 9 The Ultimate Goals of Environmental Education

OHT 10 Objectives of Environmental Education

OHT 11 Education for the Environment

OHT 12 Themes in Learning for a Sustainable Environment

Resources

Resource 1 Worldwide Concern about the Environment

Resource 2 The "EC" Game

Resource 3 Windows on Seven Lessons

Reading

Reading 1 Environmental Education for a Sustainable Environment

B. To be obtained

All resources needed for this workshop have been provided. However, facilitators may choose to revise the overhead transparencies and/or workshop resources according to the cultural and educational contexts in which they are located. In particular, facilitators might give consideration to:

OHT 7 Provide a definition of environmental education from local education policy documents.

Resource 2 Replace some of the questions with ones that may be more culturally relevant to participants.

Resource 3 Replace some of the classroom "glimpses' with short case studies that may be more culturally or educationally relevant to participants.

Activity 3B Prepare 5 playing-card size slips of paper/card per participant.

ADDITIONAL READING

Fien, J., ed. (1993) Environmental Education: A Pathway to Sustainability, Deakin University Press, Geelong.

Fien, J. (1993) Education for the Environment: Critical Curriculum Theorising and Environmental Education, Deakin University Press, Geelong.

Fien, J., ed. (1995) Teaching for a Sustainable World, UNESCO - UNEP International Environmental Education Programme, Griffith University, Brisbane.

Gough, N. (1992) Blueprints for Greening Schools. Gould League: Victoria.

Greenall, A. (1986) Searching for a meaning: What is environmental education?, Geographical Education, 5 (2), 12.

Huckle, J. (1988) Environment, in D. Hicks, ed., Education for Peace: Issues, Principles and Practice in the Classroom, Routledge, London, Ch. 9.

Huckle, J. (1990) Environmental education: Teaching for a sustainable future, in B. Dufour, ed., The New Social Curriculum: A Guide to Cross-Curricular Issues, Cambridge University Press, Ch. 10.

Meadows, D. (1989) Harvesting One Hundredfold: Key Concepts and Case Studies in Environmental Education, UNEP, Nairobi.

Orr, D. (1992) Ecological Literacy, State University of New York Press, Albany.

Randle, D. (1989) Teaching Green, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

Sterling, S./EDET Group (1992) Good Earth-Keeping: Education Training and Awareness for a Sustainable Future, Environment Development Education and Training Group, UNEP-UK, London.

UNCED (1992) Promoting education and public awareness and training, Agenda 21, United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, Conches.

UNESCO (1978) The Final Report: International Conference on Environmental Education, UNESCO, Paris.

UNESCO (1980) Environmental Education in the Light of the Tbilisi Conference, UNESCO, Paris.

UNESCO and Australian Association for Environmental Education (1993) Final Report of the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Regional Experts' Meeting on Overcoming the Barriers to Environmental Education through Teacher Education, Griffith University, Brisbane, 5-9 July.

UNESCO-UNEP (1976) The Belgrade Charter, Connect, I (1), 1-2.

UNESCO-UNEP (1978) The Tbilisi Declaration, Connect, III (1), 1-8.

UNESCO-UNEP (1980) Environmental Education in the Light of the Tbilisi Conference, UNESCO, Paris.

UNESCO-UNEP (1988) International Strategy for Action in the Field of Environmental Education and Training for the 1990s, UNESCO, Paris and UNEP, Nairobi.

ACTIVITIES

1. Environmental Concerns

A. Introduction

Introduce the theme of the workshop, "Education for Sustainability", and outline the sequence of activities set out on OHT 1.
Ask participants to introduce themselves to two people near them and to form groups of three who will work together for many activities in the workshop.
Distribute Resource 1 which is a summary of a study of attitudes to the environment in fourteen countries from different parts of the world. Ask the groups to read Resource 1 or, if time is short, present a summary of the results of the survey as a short talk.
Ask the group to discuss three points about the survey:
- In a broad sense, how do the results of the international survey compare with general attitudes to the environment in your country?
- How aware about the state of the planet are young people in your country?
- How could the results of this survey - or a similar recent survey in your country be used to justify the inclusion of environmental education in the school curriculum?

B. Local - Global Concerns

Display OHT 2 which is a list of major global environmental issues. Use could be made of audiovisual materials (eg. slides, pictures) and short case studies to illustrate these issues.
Highlight the connection between economic development and the needs of people to have a reliable livelihood, and the need to ensure the long-term sustainability of natural resources upon which development is based.
Explain that all global environmental issues have their local and national manifestations or counterparts. Ask participants to indicate examples of local and/or national examples of the list of global concerns in OHT 2.
Direct attention to the quotation at the bottom of OHT 2. Ask participants in their groups of three to discuss the role that their teaching can play in helping to bring about the changes listed in the quotation.
In debriefing the discussion, ask groups to report briefly. In your comments, highlight the role that environmental education can play in helping to set "new directions for economic and social development".

2. A Sustainable Environment: The Ultimate Goal of Environmental Education

This activity introduces the fundamental goal of environmental education as the creation of sustainable environments in which people can live and work. A sustainable environment is one in which the natural environment, economic development and social life are seen as mutually dependent - and the interactions between them contribute to the sustainability and enhancement of the quality of people's lives and the natural environment.

This section of the activity is a mini-lecture on the concept of a "sustainable environment". Two OHTs are used to illustrate (i) a broad definition of environment; and then (ii) the values that lie behind the concept of a sustainable environment.

Display OHT 3. Focus participants' attention on the circle which represents the "environment" and each of the four systems, in turn:
- The biophysical system which provides the life support systems for all life, human and non-human;
- The social system people living together in social systems;
- The economic system which provides a means of livelihood (jobs and money) for people; and
- The political system through which social power is exercised to make policies and decisions about the way social and economic systems use the biophysical environment.
Ask the group, "Do you think that any of the four systems in the environment can exist without the others - and why?"
Direct participant attention to the arrows on OHT 3 which illustrate the interactions and interdependence between all the systems.
Display OHT 4, explaining that it is an extension of OHT 3. Ask participants to indicate how it is different from OHT 3.
- They will quickly point out that four words or phases- conservation, peace and equity, appropriate development and democracy - have been added and that each one relates to one of the environmental systems.
- They ask participants - perhaps in their groups of three - to indicate what purpose these words serve.
- The "answer" is that conservation, peace and equity, appropriate development and democracy represent the values that underlie the sustainability of the four systems. For example:
- Conservation is needed to ensure that biophysical systems can continue to provide life support systems for all living things.
- Peace and Equity results when people are able to live co-operatively and in harmony with each other and have their basic needs satisfied.
- Appropriate Development is needed for people to be able to support themselves in a long term way.
- Democracy results when people are able to have their say over how biophysical, social and economic systems should be managed.
Remind the group that the arrows in the middle of OHT 4 are important and that they indicate that the four values are also inter-related and are essential as a foundation for a sustainable society, economy and environment.
Conclude the mini-lecture by showing OHT 5. It is a quotation from Agenda 21, the action plan developed by the world leaders who attended the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (The Earth Summit). The quotation emphasises the important role that environmental education has to play in creating sustainable development and a sustainable environment.

3. What is Environmental Education?

Resource 2 provides an overview of the aims, objectives and guiding principles of environmental education, as well as a discussion of three approaches to environmental education: education about, in and for the environment.

Along with other sources in the reading list, this reading may be used as the basis for a lecture or seminar discussion. However, in order to model the processes of environmental education through the pedagogy we practise, it is recommended that the material be covered by using some or all of the following activities:

A. The "EC" Game

"EC" is a game much like Bingo except that squares and lines are completed by participants moving around the room and seeking information from each other. Participants are given a copy of Resource 2 and are asked to fill in as many squares as possible by questioning other group members. Having found someone who can answer one of the questions, the name of the person and a brief answer are written in the appropriate box. That person's name can appear only once on the sheet. Each time a row of boxes (horizontally, vertically or diagonally) is completed, participants call out the letters "EC" - just as in Bingo.

Debriefing:
- After initial comments on personal responses to the game, ask participants to suggest what the letters "EC" might represent.
- Many answers will be given but explain that the one of particular interest in this workshop is "Environmental Citizen".
- Explain that an "Environmental Citizen" lives by the "Three A's" or Aims of Environmental Education" (OHT 6): Awareness and knowledge, Attitudes and personal lifestyle decisions, and Action for a better environment.

B. Cooperative Cards Game

This group discussion/game has two objectives. First, it extends the three aims into a range of objectives for environmental education; and second, it models the cooperative processes that underlie the philosophy of environmental education - and the creation of a sustainable social environment.

Sit participants around tables (or on the floor) in groups of 5-6.
Give each participant 5 slips of paper/card (approximately the size of a playing card).
Ask participants to write their initials in a corner of each card.
Then ask participants to use their knowledge of the "Three A's" or aims of environmental education to write 5 more detailed or specific objectives for environmental education - one for each card. (Some groups may need an explanation of the differences between the general nature of "aims" and the more specific nature of "objectives")
When this is completed, all the cards in the group are pooled, shuffled and dealt (as in a game of cards), four to each "player". The remainder are placed face down in the middle.
Explain that no talking or non-verbal communication of any kind is allowed.
Taking turns, players pick up one card and discard one card.
The aim is for all players to have five cards they approve of, none of which they wish to discard.
Players examine their cards to see which ones need to be discarded when it comes to their turn in the game. Cards to be discarded include (a) ones participants wrote themselves as evidenced by their initials , and (b) ones they believe are less important than the objectives they wrote themselves.
The game may come to a standstill when some players have five cards ('full hands') and others are unwilling/unable to retain cards in the middle of the table. Remind participants of the "no communication" rule.

There are no rules to tell participants what to do at these impasses. The silence causes reflection. Usually, one or more players with a 'full hand' will re-enter the game by discarding one and, through this generosity, help everyone in the group obtain a full hand.

Debriefing: After initial comments on personal responses to the game, focus participant attention on the assumptions about the cooperative process in the game and how this links to environmental education and related approaches such as development education, global education, and peace education. Tell participants that the next stage of debriefing will follow a mini-lecture. Ask them to remain in their groups and to keep their cards for the second stage of the debriefing.

C. Mini-lecture

Use the information from Reading 1 to present a 15 minute mini-lecture on the definition, aims and objectives of environmental education. OHTs 7-11 may be used to support this.

4. Environmental Education in Practice

This activity requires participants to apply previous learning to the development and evaluation of several examples of environmental education in practice. There are two parts to this activity: Imagining and Evaluating.

A. Imagining

Ask participants to write a 3-5 sentence description of a "good" environmental education lesson ("good" means addressing some of the objectives just outlined). Ask participants to imagine they are looking into a classroom window (or peering from behind a tree if it is an outside activity). Their task is to describe what they can see going on. This may be a lesson they have seen or taught - or a lesson they would like to see or teach.
Ask participants in groups of three to share their descriptions/stories with each other, explaining the environmental education objectives that are being addressed.
Ask for a selection of descriptions/stories to be read to the whole class, with comments on the environmental education objectives being addressed.

B. Evaluating

Distribute copies of Resource 3. It contains descriptions of 7 sample environmental education lessons/activities. These provide extra ideas for participants on the range of activities possible in environmental education.
Ask groups of three participants to read the 7 lesson descriptions, and to answer the following questions:
- How do the lessons you have imagined and discussed relate to these lessons?
- Which of the 7 lessons would you most like to teach? Why?
- Are any of the 7 lessons not really "good" environmental education? Why?
- How do the lessons contribute to students learning for a sustainable environment?
- Classify the 7 lessons according to how they fit into the categories of education about, in and for the environment.

5. Conclusion

Review the three activities in the workshop, focusing upon:
- the four systems in the environment and their independence
- a definition of a sustainable environment
- a definition of environmental education
- the objectives of education for the environment.
Emphasise the differences between:
- Education about the environment - Chiefly knowledge and some investigation skills.
- Education in the environment - Chiefly attitudes and investigation skills.
- Education for the environment - Involves using the knowledge, skills and attitudes of education about and in the environment as a means to the end goal of promoting a sustainable environment by educating young people to have an environmental ethic and be able to take appropriate lifestyle decisions and community action for a sustainable environment.
Display OHT 11 again. This reinforces the importance of education for the environment.
Finally, if appropriate, provide participants with an overview of the themes of other modules in this manual (OHT 12). This will illustrate the curriculum planning and teaching strategies that are important in educating for a sustainable environment.

OHT 1

Workshop Overview

Environmental Concerns
A Sustainable Environment
What is Environmental Education?
Environmental Education in Practice

OHT 2

The State of the Planet

Source Lacey, C. (1990) Education for Change, in Greenprints for Action , Option Module 3. National Extension College and NALGO Education: Cambridge and London, p. 13.

The Amazon rainforest took 60 million years to evolve but could all be gone within our lifetime.
Increases in carbon dioxide and other "greenhouse gases" and the destruction of the ozone layer are causing climatic changes on a global scale.
The leakage of PCBs from industrial waste could cause the extinction of marine mammals inside 40 years.
Acid rain is destroying forests, lakes and major historic landmarks in Europe and North America.
14 million children die every year from diseases which are unknown or do not cause child death in First World countries.
Inappropriate economic development in some countries is causing intense pressure on natural ecosystems. Resources such as soil and forests are exploited in order to provide daily necessities as well as export products (to help pay off foreign debt).

Our list could continue but enough has already been described to point to the immediate need for emergency technological change as soon as industry can respond. Beyond this there is the need for substantial social and economic change as we absorb the effects of damage already done and develop new directions for economic and social development.

OHT 3

The Four Systems of the Environment

Source R. O'Donoghue, Natal Parks Board, South Africa

OHT 4

The Values Underlying a Sustainable Environment

Source R. O'Donoghue, Natal Parks Board, South Africa

OHT 5

The Role of Environmental Education from "AGENDA 21"

Source UNCED (1992) Agenda 21, Chapter 36, p. 2.

Education is critical for promoting sustainable development and improving the capacity of the people to address environment and development issues.... It is critical for achieving environmental and ethical awareness, values and attitudes, skills and behaviour consistent with sustainable development and for effective public participation in decision-making.

OHT 6

The 3 A's (Aims) of Environmental Education

AWARENESS, knowledge and understanding
ATTITUDES and personal lifestyle decisions
ACTION for a better environment

OHT 7

Definitions of Environmental Education

Source: Australian Association for Environmental Education membership form; and Meadows, D. (1990) Harvesting One Hundredfold: Key Concepts and Case Studies in Environmental Education, UNEP, Nairobi, p. 5.

Definition 1

Environmental education is an across-the-curriculum approach to learning which helps individuals and groups to understand the environment with the ultimate aim of developing caring and committed attitudes that will foster the desire and ability to act responsibly in the environment. Environmental education is concerned not only with knowledge, but also with feelings, attitudes, skills and social action.

Definition 2

Environmental education is the preparation of people for their lives as members of the biosphere. It is learning to understand, appreciate, work with, and sustain environmental systems in their totality... Environmental education is fundamentally education in problem-solving - but problem-solving from a philosophical basis of holism, sustainability, enhancement, and stewardship... The goal is not just to solve a problem with a narrow focus that makes another problem worse,... (n)ot just to make a correction and restore the status quo, but to make things better.

OHT 8

Three Approaches to Environmental Education

Education about the environment Environmental management

Provides understanding of how natural systems work
Provides understanding of the impact of human activities upon them
Develops environmental investigation and thinking skills

Education in the environment Environmental interpretation

Gives reality, relevance and practical experience to learning through direct contact with the environment
Develops skills for data gathering and analysis
Develops aesthetic appreciation
Fosters environmental awareness and concern

Education for the environment A sustainable environment

Builds on education in and about the environment
Develops concern and responsibility for the environment
Develops an environmental ethic
Develops the motivation and skills to participate in environmental improvement
Promotes a willingness and ability to make lifestyles choices compatible with the wise use of environmental resources

OHT 9

The Ultimate Goals of Environmental Education

Source: Adapted from Sterling, S. (1992) Good Earth-Keeping: Education, Training and Awareness for a Sustainable Future, Development, Education and Training Group, London.

To enable people to understand the interdependence of all life on this planet, and the repercussions that their actions and decisions may have both now and in the future on resources, on the global community as well as their local one, and on the total environment.
To increase people's awareness of the economic, political, social, cultural, technological and environmental forces which foster or impede sustainable development.
To develop people's awareness, competence, attitudes and values, enabling them to be effectively involved in sustainable development at local, national and international level, and helping them to work towards a more equitable and sustainable future.

OHT 10

Objectives of Environmental Education

Source: Adapted from UNESCO-UNEP (1978) The Tbilisi Declaration, Connect, III (1), p. 3; and UNESCO and Australian Association for Environmental Education (1993) Final Report of UNESCO Asia-Pacific Region on Overcoming the Barriers to Environmental Education through Teacher Education, Griffith University, 5-9 July, p. 34.

Awareness To help social groups and individuals acquire an awareness and sensitivity to the total environment and issues, questions and problems related to environment and development.

Knowledge To help individuals, groups and societies gain a variety of experience in, and acquire a basic understanding of what is required to create and maintain a sustainable environment.

Attitudes To help individuals, groups and societies acquire a set of values and feelings of concern for the environment, and motivation for actively participating in environmental improvement and protection.

Skills To help individuals, groups and societies acquire the skills for identifying, anticipating, preventing and solving environmental problems.

Participation To provide individuals, groups and societies with an opportunity and the motivation to be actively involved at all levels in working toward creating a sustainable environment.

OHT 11

Education for the Environment

Source: Huckle, J. (1983) Environmental education, in J. Huckle, Geographical Education: Reflection and Action, Oxford University Press, Oxford, p. 100.

Only education for the environment offers teachers the theory and practice with which to make a genuine contribution to environmental well-being, and this requires an acknowledgment of the links between environmental, moral and political education.

OHT 12

Themes in "Learning for a Sustainable Environment"

Education for Sustainability
A Whole-School Approach to Environmental Education
Experiential Learning for the Environment
Storytelling for the Environment
Indigenous Knowledge for the Environment
Values Education for the Environment
Enquiry Learning for the Environment
Learning Outside the Classroom
Community Problem Solving
Appropriate Assessment for Environmental Education

Resource 1

Worldwide Concern about the Environment

Source: Our Planet, 1 (2/3), 1990, pp. 14-15.

The first worldwide survey on the environment shows that developed and developing countries alike have high levels of concern about the quality of their environment and skepticism of their leaders' ability to improve or control it.

The survey, conducted for the United Nations Environmental Programmer (UNEP), by Louis Harris and Associates, measures public opinion and leadership attitudes in 14 nations on four continents and is by far the most comprehensive study ever of environmental attitudes.

The poll found that most people and most leaders in the 14 nations surveyed are pessimistic about both the five-year and 50-year outlook for the environment. But, they believe the trend could be reversed if protecting the environment became a major national and international priority.

Very large majorities between 75 and 100 percent of both the public and the leaders in all 14 countries agreed on the need for stronger action by their governments, stronger action by international organizations such as the United Nations, and stronger laws to contain industrial pollution.

The countries included in the survey were Argentina, China, Hungary, India, Jamacia, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, West Germany and Zimbabwe. Interviews for the survey were conducted between February and June 1988.

"At the United Nations Environment Programme we are very encouraged to see the strength and the depth of support for both national and multinational environment programmes," said Dr Mostafa Tolba, UNEP's Executive Director. "We have a clear mandate for our work. I hope the survey will be seen as a call to action".

Rich and Poor Alike

"What is remarkable about the survey", said Louis Harris, Chairman of Louis Harris and Associates, "is that the alarm about deterioration of the environment and support for much tougher environmental programmes are not confined to the western countries, but they are found in the East and West, in the South and the North, and in the rich and the poor countries of the world".

The survey found that most people in 13 of the 14 nations surveyed rated their environment as only 'fair' or 'poor'. Only in Saudi Arabia did a majority of the public describe their environment as 'excellent' or 'pretty good'. Leaders in 11 of the 14 countries rated their environment as fair or poor. Those in Zimbabwe, Saudi Arabia, and Norway rated their environments as excellent or pretty good.

'Leaders', for the purposes of the survey, comprised elected and appointed government officials, civil servants, news media, religious, trade union, and professional medical individuals.

In each nation, surveys were conducted with a cross-section of between 300 and 1,000 persons aged 16 and above and a separate sample of 50 'leaders'. The same questionnaire, translated into local languages, was used for each nation and for both the public and leader samples.

In most developing countries the sample of the public was limited to major metropolitan areas and urban centres because of the impracticality of surveying rural populations there. In Saudi Arabia the sample was limited to men, reflecting the different status of women in that nation and their inability to vote.

Other Findings

Among the survey's other findings:

Majorities or pluralities of the public and leaders in all of the countries surveyed except Saudi Arabia, believed their environments had become worse in the past ten years.
Large majorities of both the public and leaders in all nations believed there was a direct link between the quality of the environment and public health.
Younger people showed more concern for the environment - and the link with public health - than older people, and younger people and women expressed more concern about the future that older people or men.
Very high levels of anxiety and concern were expressed almost everywhere about the pollution of drinking water, of rivers and lakes, of the air and of the land.
Sizable majorities in almost all countries also expressed grave concern about the loss of agricultural land, the cutting down of trees and forests, radioactivity, desertification toxic wastes and acid rain.
But, there was less awareness of - and less concern about - climatic change such as that attributable to the greenhouse effect, or the shrinking ozone layer.

Only tiny minorities in any nation surveyed believed their environmental laws were too strict. And majorities of the public in all the countries surveyed, except Nigeria - and of leaders everywhere, except in Nigeria and Zimbabwe - said they would choose a situation with a lower standard of living and less risks to health over one with a higher standard of living with more health risks.

'Somewhat Higher Taxes'

Majorities of both the public and leaders in all countries said they would be willing to pay somewhat higher taxes to the government if they knew the money would be spent to protect the environment. In most countries these majorities were two-to-one or three-to-one.

Japan was the only nation where less than a majority of the public said they would be willing to spend two hours a week working on environmental projects or help by contributing money. But 77 percent of the nation's leaders said they would be willing to do that.

The urgency of the overall global environmental problem was perhaps best shown by the majorities of the public in 13 of the 14 nations agreeing with the statement that: "Unless something urgent is done about controlling the environment in the world, the land will become desert, the oceans will flood over on to the land and the earth will hardly be fit for human life".

Similar Finding in the US

A shorter version of the Harris poll conducted for UNRP earlier this year in the US showed the American public not only believes its environment is in bad shape, but that it is also getting worse. Almost 97 percent of Americans surveyed think their country should be doing more "to protect the environment and curb pollution". A majority are also willing to pay more for a cleaner environment.

Those most exposed to industrial pollution, particularly East and West coast residents, are most pessimistic about the state of the environment. Older Americans, who can remember the nation before the onslaught of superhighways, acid rain and contaminated water, take a much dimmer view than the younger generation which has never known such times.

The level of concern about safe drinking water among the American public is higher than the concern expressed by others in industrial nations. Despite all the recent media coverage of the 'greenhouse effect', global climate change placed last on the list, suggesting how relatively remote the danger from this less tangible problem seems to the public.

Other Surveys

High levels of public concern about environmental protection have been reported by other surveys in North America and the European Community. These include the 1896 European Omnibus Survey published by the Commission of the European Communities; the October 1988 Gallup poll in the UK for The Daily Telegraph; surveys in the US by Louis Harris in April 1986 and February 1989, and by Cambridge Reports in 1989; and polls conducted in Canada last year by Environics Research Group and Angus Reid Associates.

The major concern of the public both in Europe and North America were air and water pollution and waste disposal, followed by extinction of species and depletion of natural resources. Majorities did not believe that the authorities were doing enough to protect the environment, and most of those polled would favour increased government regulation and spending, even if it meant higher taxes or prices, to control environmental degradation. In the UK and Canada, a majority said preservation of the environment should take precedence over economic growth, and sizable proportions of the public in the European Community and the US were already engages in various actions to protect the environment.

Resource 2

The 'EC' Game

Find someone who:

A. .... has visited a National Park in the last month. Which one?

B. .... knows the name of the national Minister for the Environment. Who?

C. .... is a member of an activist environmental group. Which one?

D. .... works as a volunteer for an environmental group. Which one?

E. .... knows the title of the 1987 report on environment and development. Title?

F. .... has participated in a pro-environment rally or march. When?

G. .... walks to work/school or travels in a car pool or by public transport. Since when?

H. .... has a garden of mainly native species. What plants?

I. .... does not allow chemical poisons to be used on his/her property. Since when?

J. .... recycles two of the following: paper, cans and bottles. Which two?

K. .... has written a letter to the editor on a environmental issue that affects him/her directly. Which one?

L. .... knows the source of some air or water pollution in his/her local area. Where?

M. .... can name a local environmental issue that affects him/her directly. Which one?

N. .... practises energy conservation in their home. How?

O. .... has a favourite place to go when he/she needs 'regenerating'. Where?

P. .... can name a global environmental problem that affects him/her directly. Which one?

Name:

Which one?

Name:

Who?

Name:

Which one?

Name:

Which one?

Name:

Title?

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Resource 3

Windows on Seven Lessons

Source: Adapted from Fien, J. (1988) Australian Environment, Bicentennial Australian Studies Schools Project, Bulletin 6, Curriculum Development Centre, Canberra, pp. 14-15.

Instructions

Read the descriptions of the 7 environmental education lessons that follow.
How do the lessons you have imagined and discussed relate to these lessons?
Which of the 7 lessons would you most like to teach? Why?
Are any of the 7 lessons not really "good" environmental education? Why?
How do the lessons contribute to students learning for a sustainable environment?
Classify the 7 lessons according to how they fit into the categories of education about, in and for the environment.

1 The students in this class have just finished watching a video on the archaeological and biological heritage of the forests not too far from their school which are the centre of a dispute. The students have already analysed a selection of newspaper cuttings which have outlined: the desire of woodchip companies to log the area, the government's position, the views of indigenous people who live in the forest, and The Conservation Society's proposals. The students are preparing for a visit in their next double lesson by a representative of these four groups who will present their views and be questioned by students. The students are preparing the questions that they are going to ask.

2 This classroom is empty because the class is away on a camp. It is now night and we find the participants in a long line walking along a bush trail with torches on an animal spotting expedition. That afternoon their teacher led them through a discussion of whether it was right or wrong to spotlight small animals in the interest of "science". Never having been in the forest at night and expecting adventure, most of the class decided to go on the expedition despite some reservations. However three participants have decided to stay back at the camp with one of the parent-helpers to make a hot drink for the class on its return.

3 This classroom is very noisy. Participants are at the end of a four week study of industrial pollution and are presenting their findings in the form of a simulated Senate Inquiry. The teacher has just announced the "news" that the government has decided to enforce heavy fines on air and water polluters. The noise is from a group of "concerned local residents" who are in uproar about the lost job opportunities for their economically depressed area if some factories have to close.

4 In this classroom, students are reading a Department of Agriculture booklet on soil conservation. Their teacher has asked them to make a list of five methods farmers can use to reduce soil losses, but in one back corner of the room, a small group of students has become diverted from the main task. They are fascinated by a diagram on page three of the booklet which shows that every 680 gram loaf of bread they buy costs 7 kilograms of soil lost through soil erosion. One of them has decided to find out if any other food items she eats are so environmentally costly, but does not know where to start.

5 This classroom is empty. Having learnt something of the historical growth of their town, participants are turning their attention to the future planning of their area. They have gone in groups to the public library, the town hall, and the offices of Acme Pty Ltd. Another group is surveying community attitudes at a shopping centre. The class is divided in opinion about Acme's plans to redevelop 40 hectares of recently purchased local farmland into an industrial estate. So, the class is researching the issue with the purpose of submitting letters to the planning department and Acme Pty Ltd stating their views supported by the results of their surveys.

6 This classroom is a science laboratory. The class has "harvested a metre square quadrat of grass cover from a special study plot by the river near the school and are now preparing to dry and weigh the last six month's growth. This is the summer growth and they will be comparing their results with the data they obtained when they harvested the spring growth. The aim of their research is to evaluate the success or otherwise of the riverbank restoration and revegetation project that the school has been working on for the last three years with the support of the local council.

7 There is mess everywhere in the last classroom with leaves, grass clippings, stones, a few drink cans, scraps of plastic, chart paper and glue pots on every desk - and all over the floor. It is an art room and the participants know that they have to clean up before they go to lunch. Their task today is to create a collage from materials available in the school grounds to express their views about the way people treat the environment.