EE and The Media Gazette,

FAQs: When EE is Criticized, How Do We Respond?

EE Criticisms and Responses - Point/Counterpoint

Reprinted with permission from The Environmental Education Advocate - Fall 1996

In researching EE criticisms NEEAP has discovered certain points that critics concentrate on.  Jo Kwong, a member of the EE Working group, identified the following 6 points as "unsettling trends" in EE in a report she wrote for the Center for the Study of American Business.  These points, in various guises, are the basis for most arguments critics use against current EE practice.  Below each numbered point NEEAP has compiled possible responses (lettered) that can be used to answer critics.

1.    EE is often based on emotionalism, myths and misinformation.

A.   Some EE materials do have flaws, just as curricula materials in all fields do.  However, there are many excellent EE materials available.  Critics are taking items to attack from selected resources and are only highlighting the flaws.  In fact, the process critics are using is flawed.  They are picking one piece out of the whole, largely textbooks, and ignoring the many other resources educators use to inform their lessons.  They are condemning the whole from a small sample.  Environmental Education is, in fact, needed so, that educators can better recognize misinformation based on emotionalism rather than facts.

2.    EE is often issue-driven rather than information-driven.

B.   Society needs citizens who can process information, critically analyze it, synthesize new ideas, and develop strategies to deal with issues.  While a certain baseline of factual knowledge is needed, education that is simply based on acquiring facts and information is not adequate to meet the needs of citizens.  Real life is about dealing with issues, not simply trading facts.

3.    EE typically fails to teach children about basic economic or decision-making processes, relying instead on mindless slogans.

C.   While economics has not been a major focus of EE to date, more groups are enhancing this component of their EE materials and practice.  Simple economic theory is not enough however, citizens need to make informed environmental decisions based on their interpretation of economic information and understanding of the underlying system.  EE professionals agree that this is an important area to augment.  The development of critical thinking and decision making skills is emphasized and effectively taught in many EE curriculum materials.

4.    EE often fails to take advantage of lessons from nature and instead preaches socially or politically correct lessons. 

D.  Basic studies of sustainability, carrying capacity and bio-diversity come from studying stable natural systems.  Preaching about what to do or think is wrong, but good EE does not preach or tell people what to do.

5.    EE is unabashedly devoted to activism and politics, rather than knowledge and understanding.

E.   EE is all about knowledge and understanding.  Developing knowledgeable, active citizens demands building skills, clarifying values, and teaching the art of good citizenship.  The environment is connected to almost every other issue we face and today students need to learn about environmental issues so they can have reasoned say in the future.

6.    EE teaches an anti-anthropocentric philosophy man is an intrusion on the earth and, at times, an evil.

F.    EE is not anti-human, it is pro-inclusion.  There are many, diverse views in the field of EE, as there are in any other field, and there is no one view that is correct or universally accepted as "correct" for EE.  As our ability to gather information has grown we have a larger understanding of the impacts humans have on the environment.  Pointing out these impacts does not make EE anti-human, it illustrates the fact that people and nature are not separate and that all things depend upon one another.

And for good measure, here are "A Dozen Reasons Our Country Needs Environmental Education," contributed by Judy Braus of the World Wildlife Fund.

•        Builds Better Citizens
•        Builds Better Workers
•        Advances Excellent Education      
•        Develops A Sound Ecological Foundation
•        Promotes Tolerance for Diverse Views
•        Creates A Nation of Critical and Creative Thinkers (Teaches How To Think, Not What To Think)
•        Links Disciplines
•        Helps Learners Resolve Conflicts
•        Doesn't Shy Away from Values Education
•        Links Human Health with Environmental Health
•        Reaches Out To All Audiences/Promotes Social Equity
•        Works For A More Sustainable Future

 

http://www.uwsp.edu/cnr/neeap