Environmental Literacy

ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY

With the intrusion of environmental problems in every walk of life, it has been become the most common and fashionable topic to talk about for everyone. Therefore, environmental study no more remains the domain of only environmentalists, environmental scientists, environmental engineers, environmental geographers and bio-geographers rather it became the general knowledge for all people, irrespective of their race, age, and professions. Moreover, the growing environmental problems in day-to-day life in the form of global warming, ozone depletion, sea level change, environmental pollutions, etc., lead towards man-made environmental hazards. All these things not only threat people’s lives but also develop many uncurable and chronic diseases. Hence, it is very necessary to disseminate environmental education through master plan.

However, it is quite difficult to define the term environmental literacy because it incorporates many disciplines in itself. Nevertheless, David Orr in his book “Ecological Literacy” defines – “the crisis of sustainability and the problems of education are in large measure a crisis of knowledge. But is the problem as is commonly believed, that we do not know enough? Or, that we know too much? Or, that we do not know enough about some things and too much about other things? Or, is it that our scientific methods are in some ways flawed? Is it that we have forgotten things we need to remember? Or, is it that we have forgotten other ways of knowing that lie in the realm of vision, intuition, revelation, empathy, or even common sense? Such questions are not asked often enough…”

Why necessary?

• Our natural environment due to over exploitations and negligence lost its ecological balance




• Disappearance and about to disappear many flora and fauna which were/are key elements of ecosystem




• Disappearance of ecosystem which has been fasten the process of desertification, salinization etc.




• Due to this, the remaining ecosystems are constantly changing, either rapidly or slowly and it has been affecting the life cycles and alters the relationships among the species




• It is mainly humans who have changed the earth’s ecosystems and disrupted ecological balance and ultimately affected global climate

How to literate:

    Environmental study also nexus with other disciplines very frequently and hence demands the incorporation of other disciplines such as ecology, bio-geography, ethics, law etc. Though, due to this interdisciplinary nature, environmental study becomes a challenging task. But the growing complexities of environmental problems insinuate us to acquire the basics of environmental knowledge. Environmental problems are disseminated in this fashion that it could not be solved by simple plan made and partly implemented by government. It is no more only the problems of public at large, but every individual concerns with it. Therefore, now every individual need to literate with environmental literacy whereas he/she could take care of this dying environment, because this is one of the best solutions to overcome the situation from the root level.

There are following methods to diffuse the environmental literacy viz…..

• Incorporate it with the stream line syllabus right from the first class




• Run various programmes such as drama, documentary, advertisement through radio, television, newspaper, magazine etc., specifically for remote and illiterate people




• Promote social and agro-forestry




• Promote to use natural and bio-degradable things and avoid the artificial and non-biodegradable things such as polythene, plastics etc



• Make it an obligatory duty for everyone to keep his/her environment clean

    Above discussion of course, suggests us to acquire environmental literacy and also to teach others and make understandable the environmental problems in order to analyze, synthesis, and evaluate the situation properly which will ultimately protect the environment. Environmentally literate people will have the knowledge with sensitivity to address the environmental problems comprehensibly. Therefore, environmental literacy is the sound knowledge of practices, activities, and feelings familiarity with the environment. Subsequently, it engenders not only the underlying scientific principles but also infuses value systems, spiritual, aesthetic, ethical, and emotional responsibilities which eventually help people to interpret and act ideally to the environmental problems.