The failure of environmental education (and how we can fix it)

At a time when wild places everywhere are vanishing before our eyes, the authors offer this passionate indictment of environmental education, along with a new vision for the future. They argue that education today has failed to reach its potential in fighting climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation. In this book, they assess the current political climate, including the No Child Left Behind Act, a disaster for environmental education, and discuss how education can stimulate action, including decreasing consumption and demand, developing sustainable food and energy sources, and addressing poverty. Their multidisciplinary perspective encompasses such approaches as school gardens, using school buildings as teaching tools, and the greening of schoolyards. Arguing for a paradigm shift in the way we view education as a whole, this book demonstrates how our education system can create new levels of awareness and work toward a sustainable future. Read more... Content: The problem(s) -- Foundations -- What went wrong -- Accountability and institutional mind set -- The needs of environmentally active citizens -- Between awareness and action -- A political primer -- Consumption, conservation, and change -- An evolving metric -- And how we can fix it -- Appendix : Greening schools for alternative education. Abstract: Offers an indictment of environmental education - along with a vision for the future. This title assesses the political climate, including No Child Left Behind Act, a disaster for environmental education, and discusses how education can stimulate action - including decreasing consumption and demand, developing sustainable food and energy sources. Read more...