Journal of Educational Issues
ISSN 2377-2263
2016, Vol. 2, No. 2
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From Environmental Awareness to Environmental
Responsibility: Towards a Stewardship Curriculum
Ajayi C. Omoogun (Corresponding author)
Department of Environmental Education, Faculty of Education
University of Calabar, Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria
E-mail: omoogun.ajayi@gmail.com
Etuki E. Egbonyi
Department of Environmental Education, Faculty of Education
University of Calabar, Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria
Usang N. Onnoghen
Department of Environmental Education, Faculty of Education
University of Calabar, Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria
Received: April 5, 2016 Accepted: August 5, 2016 Published: August 9, 2016
doi:10.5296/jei.v2i2.9265 URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.5296/jei.v2i2.9265
Abstract
The period of environmentalism heightened environmental concern and subsequently the
emergence of Environmental Education that is anchored on awareness. It is thought that
increase in environmental awareness will reverse the misuse of the environment and its
resources. Four decades after the international call for Environmental Education, Earth’s
degradation is far from abating as it’s pristinity is consistently and irreversibly being eroded
by no less than from anthropocentric activities. Humans have seen themselves as the
dominant species that is apart and not part of the organisms that constitute the environment.
The philosophical value free nature concepts and the theological assumption that human are
the ultimate species together with the rise of capitalism and its surrogates consumerism
together conspire to diminuate environmental health. To protect the environment therefore,
we must refocus EE to change human’s view of the environment and attitude towards the
utilization of its resources. Environmental education can become more effective in creating
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2016, Vol. 2, No. 2
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respect for the environment. This paper examined the failure of efforts at addressing
environmental issues via environmental education. The paper posits that environmental
problems are on the increase due to lack of deliberate responsibility and stewardship, lack of
a unique EE curricula and ineffective pedagogy. We suggest therefore that EE can target
human perception and attitude and direct then towards biocentric stewardship for the
environment. This can be achieved through a deliberate pedagogy of environmental values
that promotes sustainable attitude and respect for the environment. Humans must bear the
burden of responsibility to ensure the wellbeing of the environment. We must replace the
philosophical value free nature concepts that nature is a common commodity and the
theological assumption that humans are the ultimate species. We must also rethink our
consumerism nature and the endless faith in the efficacy of technology to solve reoccurrence
human induced ecological problems. These issues must be embedded in the school
curriculum. Pedagogical approach to EE should essentially be the experiential model. The
school curriculum must be the carrier and doer of these values that are crucial to the
sustainability of the environment. Environmental ethics, environmental code of conduct,
environmental nationalism, nature as manifestation of God, ascetic consumerism are
recommended as key component of environmental curricula and pedagogy.
Keywords: Environmental Education, Environmental awareness, Environmental
responsibility, Environmental ethics, Curriculum
1. Introduction
The desire of human to continue to subsist on the Earth planet and the very fact that humans
have no other planet as habitable and hospitable perhaps led human to start thinking; at first
superficially, and in time deeply about the need to protect the earth. It is now well-known fact
that the planet earth is losing its biological, physical and chemical capabilities; what is
generally referred to as environmental degradation. The period of environmentalism
heightened environmental concern and the emergence of Environmental Education that is
aimed at creating awareness. It is thought that increase in environmental awareness will
reverse the misuse of the environment and its resources. Earth’s degradation is far from
abating and its pristinity is consistently and irreversibly being eroded by no less than
anthropocentric activities. This is evidence from the many environmental problems facing us
daily – pollution, waste, ozone layer depletion, acid rain, species extinction etc. Nature has
also lost it awesomeness and spirituality. As Urey, Colak, and Okur (2009: p. 795) noted,
“environmental problems keep rising in pace with ever-advancing technology and increasing
population and the ecological balance is being disturbed day by day”.
As noted by the United Nations Environment Programmes, “atmospheric, geological,
hydrological, biological and other Earth System processes are being altered by human activity.
The most readily recognized changes include a rise in global temperatures and sea levels, and
ocean acidification, all associated with the increase in emissions of greenhouse gases,
especially carbon dioxide and methane. Other human-induced changes include extensive
deforestation and land clearance for agriculture and urbanization, causing species extinctions
as natural habitats are destroyed. The scale, spread and rate of change of global drivers are
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without precedent. Burgeoning populations and growing economies are pushing
environmental systems to destabilizing limits” (UNEP, 2012: p. 26) This Human expansion
has been accompanied by fundamental changes in the scale, intensity and character of
society’s relationship with the natural world (Steffen et al., 2007; MA, 2005). The Earth is
said to entered a new geological epoch, the Anthropocene (Zalasiewicz et al., 2011, 2010),
migrating from the Holocene, the interglacial era that has provided humanity, over the past
100 decades years, with extraordinarily rich ecoystems that have sustained and enhanced the
development of the modern societies (Folke et al., 2011).
Since the industrial revolution, many economies all the world over have pursued economic
growth vigorously and applying sophisticated technology to exploit earth’s resources and in
many instances modifying the earth in doing so. At first was the assumption that to advance
human welfare, we must apply warfare on earth’s resources that are also thought to be infinite.
Human progress and welfare was hinged on the conquest of the vast wilderness. Increase in
fossil fuels, technological advances, population growth and the humongous accelerated
human consumption have culminated in altering the biogeochemical balance resulting in
pollution and the creation of ecological disorder.
There is also the other perspective of human as being apart from other organism. This
anthropocentric view has made human ‘biological imperialist’ of some sort, invading the
earth’ resources at will, including invasion of other organism as well as their habitat. In
addition, the dominant social paradigm orientation (Kilbourne, Beckman, Lewis, & Van Dam,
2001) and techocentricism - assumptions that all problems can and will be solved by some
application of more technology (Winner, 1986; Postman, 1993), in combination have left no
biotic-flora and fauna alike- and abiotic resources escaped human exploitation and
consumerism.
Generally, earth’s degradation is far from abating and it’s pristinity is consistently and
irreversibly being eroded due to continuous As habitats disappeared due to human’s activities,
species began to also vanish and it is currently at an alarming rate, all victims of human
expansion and exploitation. Many approaches at curbing earth’s destruction that are still
practised have been elaborated by Rydings (1998). They include:
The Rural: land use practices for reducing soil erosion improved irrigation practices
optimizing fertilizer applications. Precision in application, soil analysis etc. Proper use of
pesticides – precision application and reduced usage. Management of animal manure into
compost, reducing wildfires in the case of forestry, application of environmentally sound
forestry operations, reseeding, selective felling etc.
Urban: Environmental mapping and planning, Noise abatement, Integrated waste
handling- minimization of waste, Sewage ad urban storm water.
The Energy: Sustainable energy future that does not degrade the earth. New energy
sources – solar, wind etc. Energy planning approaches.
The Transportation: Reduction of motor vehicle exhaust through use of converters; and
developing new electric and hybrid vehicles. Social and infrastructural changes to combat
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noise air pollution – public transportation, emission norms, combined transportation etc.
Legislation: environmental laws, policies, regulations, decrees, etc.
The Scientific and Industrial Response: Environmental quality guidelines, appropriate
technology Environmental auditing Environmental Impact Assessment, Safe chemical
handling and Eco-design of products.
Government Response: The International response: Multilateral environmental
cooperation through conventions. Harmonization of environmental legislation and policies.
Technology transfer and cooperation. Reduction of trans-boundary movements of hazardous
waste. Debt for nature swaps. Research and education, Monitoring and information,
Regulatory instruments, Eco-labelling of products, etc.
Many of these approaches have been applied for decades with little success in protecting the
environment due to lack of commitment to respect the environment and the resources therein.
2. Emergence of Environmental Education
The call for Environmental Education that presumably subsumed environmental awareness is
an effort directed at reducing the effects of anthropocentric activities on the environment. The
intergovernmental conference on Environmental Education convened by UNESCO in
cooperation with United Nation Environmental Programme [UNEP] in Tbilisi, in 1977
recommended the development of school curriculum in Environmental Education. According
to the Tbilisi Conference, the goals of environmental education include:
i. To foster clear awareness of, and concern about, economic social, political and ecological
interdependence in urban and rural areas;
ii. To provide every person with opportunities to acquire the knowledge, values, attitudes,
commitment and skills needed to protect and improve the environment; and
iii. To create new patterns of behaviour of individuals, groups and society as a whole
towards the environment; (UNESCO, 1978: p. 8).
In support of these goals, the following core objectives of environmental education were
proposed:
Awareness: to help social groups and individuals acquire an awareness of and sensitivity
to the total environment and its allied problems.
Knowledge: to help social groups and individuals gain a variety of experience in, and
acquire a basic understanding of the environment and its associate problems.
Attitudes: to help social groups and individuals acquire a set of values and feelings of
concern for the environment, and motivation for actively participating in environmental
improvement and protection.
Skills: to help social groups and individuals acquire the skills for identifying and solving
environmental problems.
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Participation: to provide social groups and individuals with an opportunity to be
actively involved at all levels in working towards resolution of environmental problems
(UNESCO, 1978: pp. 26-27).
Furthermore, the Tbilisi conference endorsed the following guiding principles:
consider the environment in its totality-natural and built, technological and social
(economic, political, technological, cultural-historical, moral aesthetic);
be a continuous lifelong process, beginning at the pre-school level and continuing
through all formal and non-formal stages;
be interdisciplinary in its approach, drawing on the specific content of each discipline in
making possible a holistic and balanced perspective;
examine major environmental issues from local, national, regional and international
points of view so that students receive insights into environmental conditions in other
geographical areas;
promote the value and necessity, of local, national and international co-operation in the
prevention and solution of environmental problems;
explicitly consider environmental aspects in plans for development and growth; enable
learners to have a role in planning their learning experiences and provide an opportunity for
making decisions and accepting their consequences;
relate environmental sensitivity, knowledge, problem-solving skills and values
clarification to every age, but with special emphasis on environmental sensitivity to the
learner’s own community in early years;
help learners discover the symptoms and real causes of environmental problems;
emphasize the complexity of environmental problems and thus the need to develop critical
thinking and problem-solving skills… (UNESCO, 1978: p. 27).
Environmental Education (EE) is concerned with teaching conceptual knowledge and skills, a
process in which individuals gain awareness that will enable them to act and also the
development of the values and attitudes which will motivate and empower individuals and
groups to work and promote the sustainability to solve present and future environmental
problems (GDRC, 2004).
Without any doubt, education is thought to bring the needed changes in human attitude
towards the Environment. An ecological literate citizen would have a comprehensive
understanding of the Environment and how it works; develop interest about the environment
and take actions to protect the environment.
Despite the introduction of EE global ecological decline has shown no sign of abating. To
corrupt a saying ‘the dogs bark, and the Wagon of ecological degradation keep moving’.
Desman (1992) has observed that meetings, declaration may give hope that humanity is
thinking of the environment but one needs more evidence that people are taking these ideas
seriously. Lynton K. Caldwell provided an insight into the perpetuating variable involved in