FAR FROM TREE-HUGGING Environmental Education Sets National Standards

摘要

People have been criticizing environmental education since its inception. Some vilify it as political activism with a sky-is-falling mentality. Some accuse these educators of being biased and emotional rather than basing their information on science.The accusers say that environmental teachers want to persuade their audience to their side of saving the environment rather than building their audience's knowledge and thinking skills. A lack of high quality, national environmental education standards for the profession have likely played a role in keeping this controversy alive at different times. Fortunately, there are many in the environmental education profession who do see the forest despite the trees and strive to use best practices in their work. These educators continue learning themselves in order to stay informed and provide accurate information on environmental issues. They believe "education is not filling a pail but the lighting of a fire," as William Butler Yeats once proenvironmental education would provide the conduit. However, a national certification program does not yet exist for environmental educators.