Sustainable Development Education & Awareness

Global sustainable development action has not progressed as many would have hoped. People frequently recite the word "sustainable" as though saying it often enough will solve our problems. We must recognize the First Law of Sustainability: population growth and/or growth in the rates of consumption of resources cannot be sustained (Bartlett, A.A. 1998. Reflections on sustainability, population growth, and the environment. Renewable Resources Journal 15(4): 6-23). The shift that must occur is one of bringing awareness and understanding to the people who can make the most difference, the average global citizen, in a context that decodes and de-mystifies the science behind potential solutions.

Sustainable development is a multi-dimensional way of thinking about the interdependencies among natural, social, and economic systems in our world. It represents a process in which economics, finance, trade, energy, agriculture, industry, and all other policies are implemented in a way to bring about development that is economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable. Thus, the goal of sustainable development is to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

In our quickly advancing technology and information age, it is becoming imperative that education focus upon encouraging kids to "think outside the traditional box" if they are to fit into the technological society of tomorrow, be successful as adults, and have the ability to achieve a sustainable future through informed and effective decision-making. In order to find solutions to complex, multifaceted problems related to our society living sustainably, today's students must be exposed to techniques of teaching that directly involve them in diverse, interdisciplinary collaboration, the creative process, advanced technology, cross-cultural communication, economic development, and environmental ethics and values, to name a few. Complex economic/environmental problems and the understanding of specific nature-society issues demand the combined teaching talents from various disciplines, capable of effectively crossing disciplinary boundaries. Students must be trained to not only reason in terms of traditional disciplines, but must also be provided the ability to use this training in creative thinking and problem-solving that in most instances tends to merge understanding from a number of different perspectives.

The goal is to teach the real need for continued examination of linkages among economic, social, technological, and environmental issues in achieving a sustainable, global society through the use of science. Students of environmental science should also realize that issues involve moral choices and that information from several disciplines enables them to make more informed decisions. As more of society becomes focused on sustainability and its philosophical foundation, new dimensions are called for in education and community learning/awareness. Check out the links in the left panel above for further discussion on our approaches to sustainability education and public awareness.