All right, so this is my first entry into my creative journal. At first glance, it's a bit barren, I know -- but I'll take this time to explain it.
I decided to delve into the question "What does Environmental Education look like?" At the risk of sounding outrageously pretentious, environmental rights is a topic that I have an extreme amount of feelings towards. So much revolves around the health of the environment, and it frightens me that people don't understand this. Luckily enough, I've had the opportunity to teach Environmental Science 20 already, so I've gotten my feet a little bit wet in the marsh that is high school environmental education, and that is where I got the inspiration for my sketch.
Generally speaking, when someone brings up the topic of the environment, a mental image of some kind of peaceful scene will be birthed in the minds of the listener. You know, the image of a sunrise/set, a beautiful green landscape, some silhouetted birds flying silently across the sky, and trees as far as the eye can see.
I really detest that idea.
This is why "MORE" is written across the sketch. Environmental Education should be more.
There should be more talk about the impact of humans on the environment.
There should be more talk about political impact on the environment.
There should be more talk about the travesties that are happening on a daily basis.
There should be more talk about the complete disregard of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit people in terms of environmental destruction.
There should be more action.
I read this the other day and was pleasantly surprised by your passion for the subject. As such I took a couple of days to think of a few questions for you. Firstly in a society of everything in excess (and very materialistic) are you sure that more rather than better is what is needed? By this I mean that we are saturated with information and stats to the point that new ones no longer make any impact. Is there a better way to get the point across and make everyone (not just the youth) take notice? Secondly the "story" that is often used is a doom and gloom story, is there a way to switch the point of view to one of hope? I wonder if better buy in from the population is possible if they feel less guilty and more hopeful.
ReplyDelete