At our February meetings we discussed two critiques of environmental education, plus an example of a lesson plan: Beyond Ecophobia, The Failure of Environmental Education (and how we can fix it), and How Watersheds Work. We were fortunate to have several experienced teachers and environmental educators attend book club this month, so we had very well-informed discussions!
In "Beyond Ecophobia", David Sobel argues that emphasizing dire environmental problems in environmental education causes children to disconnect from the natural world rather than connect to it. He also says that environmental education is sometimes plagued with "premature abstraction"--teaching too abstractly, too early. Both have the effect of causing "Ecophobia", a fear of ecological problems and the natural world. Sobel advocates an approach that lets children enjoy and explore nature, and that introduces concepts in accordance with developmental stages.
"The Failure of Environmental Education" by Daniel Blumstein and Charlie Saylan takes a very different approach. The authors start with the assumption that the purpose of environmental education is to get society to change its behavior and become sustainable. This has not been accomplished, they argue. The article recomends seven ways to improve environmental ed, including teaching critical thinking and testing to see if lessons have had an effect on behavior.
Sobel's article was well liked, and people agreed with his approach to environmental education. We discussed the value of teaching in an interactive, hands-on, age-appropriate way, and the harm of introducing huge environmental problems to young kids. We looked at the sample lesson plan, How Watersheds Work, and were amazed at how abstract this K-2 lesson plan was for such young children. We discussed how interactive nature play is sometimes challenging for teachers because of fears and liability--what if a child falls, what if they get a tick??? This turned into discussions of fearfulness in our society. Michael Moore's discussion of fear in the movie Bowling for Columbine was mentioned both nights (Moore was inspired by Barry Glassner's The Culture of Fear).
"The Failure of Environmental Education" provoked more debate. Is the purpose of environmental education to get kids to want to "save the environment" and make sustainable choices? Is it the role of the schools to teach morals? What about morals and ideals that not everyone agrees with, such as environmentalism? Some think it is inappropriate and some think it is essential and urgent. We all agreed with the authors on the importance of teaching critical thinking. We realized that there are several types of teaching that can all come under the umbrella of environmental education, including science, nature play and exploration, conservation and values and that different teachers and programs may emphasize different things.
We always encourage you to leave your own thoughts here! If the comment box is not displayed below, click where it says "0 comments" (or 1 comment, or whatever we have). Below the comment box, there is a drop-down box that says "comment as:" The easiest thing to do is select 'anonymous'--no more info needed. But if you have any of the accounts they list (Google, AIM, etc), select it and enter in the info requested. If you don't have one of the listed accounts, but do have a personal web page such as a profile on Facebook, you can select Name/URL. Type in your name and paste in the URL of your profile page or whatever web page you want to use.
Next month we discuss The Swamp by Michael Grunwald, a book on the history of the Florida Everglades. If you've already picked up the book you'll know it's a fascinating read! See sidebar for schedule.
Happy Reading!
July Lewis
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
The Sense of Wonder by Rachel Carson
This week we discussed a beautiful book by Rachel Carson: The Sense of Wonder. The text was originally written as a magazine article in the 1950's called "Help Your Child to Wonder". It describes the outdoor adventures she shared with her young nephew and speaks of the need for adults to nurture a child's sense of wonder about the natural world. She wanted to expand the article into a lavishly photo-illustrated book, and the project was completed by others after her death. There are at least two editions of the book, each with a different set of nature photographs.
Carson's touching stories of small moments of simple wonder--watching the waves and stars with her nephew, looking through a magnifying glass at nature's amazing complexities--prompted many similar stories in our discussion. We shared tales of being entranced by the stars, the northern lights, a walk in the woods, a thicket of ferns, and fossils found like treasure in a river bed. We talked of the adults who had shared their love of nature with us as children. We also spoke of the children we have shared our own sense of wonder with--sometimes successfully, sometimes not. We wondered if every child is innately fascinated by nature if they have positive experiences with it early on, or if some are just not very attuned to it.
We tried to define the sense of wonder for ourselves, and described a feeling of awe, or peace, or beauty; a spiritual feeling; a re-focusing; a sense that we are very small in a vast and amazing world. In contrast, people described rushing, stress, responsibility, and a task-oriented mindset as tending to steal away the sense of wonder. When someone asked if we ever felt that feeling of wonder from things that are human-made, people mentioned art, architechture, and music. Yet one participant said that even though a bridge is beautiful and amazing, and that she has no idea how such a thing is built, someone knows and she could find out too. For her, that reduces the sense of wonder. There seems to be something important about not knowing or being able to know; about the fact that no one knows how to make a mountain or create the intricate patterns of a turtle's shell, yet here they are. Perhaps in wonder we return to the childlike state where the world unfolds magically before us without our trying.
There were many other points and stories and digressions; I wish I could write about them all! Feel free to leave your own thoughts here. If the comment box is not displayed below, click where it says "0 comments" (or 1 comment, or whatever we have). Below the comment box, there is a drop-down box that says "comment as:" The easiest thing to do is select 'anonymous'--no more info needed. But if you have any of the accounts they list (Google, AIM, etc), select it and enter in the info requested. If you don't have one of the listed accounts, but do have a personal web page such as a profile on Facebook, you can select Name/URL. Type in your name and paste in the URL of your profile page or whatever web page you want to use.
That's it! Thanks to all who attended, it was a great discussion. For our February meeting we will discuss critiques of Environmental Education: Beyond Ecophobia by David Sobel, and The Failure of Environmental Education (and how we can fix it) by Daniel T. Blumstein and Charlie Saylan. We also provide a watershed lesson plan we found online as an example to discuss. Our March book is The Swamp by Michael Grunwald. See sidebar for schedule.
Happy reading!
July Lewis
Carson's touching stories of small moments of simple wonder--watching the waves and stars with her nephew, looking through a magnifying glass at nature's amazing complexities--prompted many similar stories in our discussion. We shared tales of being entranced by the stars, the northern lights, a walk in the woods, a thicket of ferns, and fossils found like treasure in a river bed. We talked of the adults who had shared their love of nature with us as children. We also spoke of the children we have shared our own sense of wonder with--sometimes successfully, sometimes not. We wondered if every child is innately fascinated by nature if they have positive experiences with it early on, or if some are just not very attuned to it.
We tried to define the sense of wonder for ourselves, and described a feeling of awe, or peace, or beauty; a spiritual feeling; a re-focusing; a sense that we are very small in a vast and amazing world. In contrast, people described rushing, stress, responsibility, and a task-oriented mindset as tending to steal away the sense of wonder. When someone asked if we ever felt that feeling of wonder from things that are human-made, people mentioned art, architechture, and music. Yet one participant said that even though a bridge is beautiful and amazing, and that she has no idea how such a thing is built, someone knows and she could find out too. For her, that reduces the sense of wonder. There seems to be something important about not knowing or being able to know; about the fact that no one knows how to make a mountain or create the intricate patterns of a turtle's shell, yet here they are. Perhaps in wonder we return to the childlike state where the world unfolds magically before us without our trying.
There were many other points and stories and digressions; I wish I could write about them all! Feel free to leave your own thoughts here. If the comment box is not displayed below, click where it says "0 comments" (or 1 comment, or whatever we have). Below the comment box, there is a drop-down box that says "comment as:" The easiest thing to do is select 'anonymous'--no more info needed. But if you have any of the accounts they list (Google, AIM, etc), select it and enter in the info requested. If you don't have one of the listed accounts, but do have a personal web page such as a profile on Facebook, you can select Name/URL. Type in your name and paste in the URL of your profile page or whatever web page you want to use.
That's it! Thanks to all who attended, it was a great discussion. For our February meeting we will discuss critiques of Environmental Education: Beyond Ecophobia by David Sobel, and The Failure of Environmental Education (and how we can fix it) by Daniel T. Blumstein and Charlie Saylan. We also provide a watershed lesson plan we found online as an example to discuss. Our March book is The Swamp by Michael Grunwald. See sidebar for schedule.
Happy reading!
July Lewis
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Mother Nature's Sum by Matt Jenkins
For our December meetings we discussed "Mother Nature's Sum", a Miller-McCune article by Matt Jenkins. The article describes efforts by scientists to determine the economic value of ecosystem services, including benefits like pollination, carbon sequestration, water filtration, and so on. It also explores the debate over the very idea of "putting a price on nature", which some see as harmful and morally bankrupt.
While the article quotes some vehement critics of the idea, members of our discussion did not express such deep opposition to it. There was some questioning as to whether focusing on the economics of nature would take away from the idea of moral or intrinsic value of nature. Yet many felt having a dollar figure to point to is an important tool in planning and economic discussions. "You need a number," said one member. "If you go to the table without a valuation, you have nothing." It was generally accepted as a good tool to allow economists and environmentalists to communicate.
But the article also discussed the policy implications for valuing economic services, and focused a lot on the idea of payments for ecosystem services--essentially paying landowners NOT to do destructive things to their land. A few current examples were given, such as programs in the U.S. and other countries that pay farmers not to farm poor, erodible land or important wetlands. The article also mentioned the idea of coming up with some kind of cap and trade system for ecosystem services. This seemed a little muddier. How would that work and who would pay? We wondered why the author didn't talk more about taxes and fines based on ecosystems values, rather than just payments, which could easily be abused. We discussed when it might be appropriate policy to use payments, and when to use taxes and when to simply outlaw environmentally damaging behavior.
The article and the research it explored was interesting and provided a lot of food for thought. For follow-up reading, check out the Gund Institute for Ecological Economics headed by Robert Costanza, which was referred to in the article. I tried in vain to find a website for Mark Sagoff, one of environmental economics' strongest critics, but here's a sneak peek at one of his books: Price, Principle, and the Environment. Maybe we'll put this one on the list! Finally, for a local example of pricing the environment, check out the website for the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a cooperative carbon cap-and-trade program of which Rhode Island is a participant.
We hope you will join us in January to discuss the book The Sense of Wonder by Rachel Carson. See sidebar for schedule. Enjoy the holidays, and have a wonderful New Year!
Yours,
July Lewis
While the article quotes some vehement critics of the idea, members of our discussion did not express such deep opposition to it. There was some questioning as to whether focusing on the economics of nature would take away from the idea of moral or intrinsic value of nature. Yet many felt having a dollar figure to point to is an important tool in planning and economic discussions. "You need a number," said one member. "If you go to the table without a valuation, you have nothing." It was generally accepted as a good tool to allow economists and environmentalists to communicate.
But the article also discussed the policy implications for valuing economic services, and focused a lot on the idea of payments for ecosystem services--essentially paying landowners NOT to do destructive things to their land. A few current examples were given, such as programs in the U.S. and other countries that pay farmers not to farm poor, erodible land or important wetlands. The article also mentioned the idea of coming up with some kind of cap and trade system for ecosystem services. This seemed a little muddier. How would that work and who would pay? We wondered why the author didn't talk more about taxes and fines based on ecosystems values, rather than just payments, which could easily be abused. We discussed when it might be appropriate policy to use payments, and when to use taxes and when to simply outlaw environmentally damaging behavior.
The article and the research it explored was interesting and provided a lot of food for thought. For follow-up reading, check out the Gund Institute for Ecological Economics headed by Robert Costanza, which was referred to in the article. I tried in vain to find a website for Mark Sagoff, one of environmental economics' strongest critics, but here's a sneak peek at one of his books: Price, Principle, and the Environment. Maybe we'll put this one on the list! Finally, for a local example of pricing the environment, check out the website for the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a cooperative carbon cap-and-trade program of which Rhode Island is a participant.
We hope you will join us in January to discuss the book The Sense of Wonder by Rachel Carson. See sidebar for schedule. Enjoy the holidays, and have a wonderful New Year!
Yours,
July Lewis
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Consuming Desires
July Lewis was unable to attend book club this month, so Eugenia Marks wrote the summary. Thanks Eugenia!
At this month's book club we discussed Consuming Desires , edited by Roger Rosenblatt. The book is a collection of essays on consumerism and just why people in Western cultures buy so much stuff.
“It is not our responsibility to cut back so that other people can have our lifestyle. We led them into consumption,” contributed one reader. Upon discussion, the assertion was not changed. We talked about “led them into” meaning “showed them the way;” we pointed out one essay identifying human nature as wanting things better as a precursor to consumerism; we talked about the role of advertising. Group was divided as to whether advertising or human nature was the major factor in consumerism.
We talked about whether virtue of savings was a legacy of the Victorian era or came from the Depression. We noted that the virtue currently valued is not savings but a high credit rating, which ironically requires creating debt (and paying it off) to acquire a loan; an excellent record of savings and buying on savings is worthless in applying for a loan.
The notion of disposable income and disposable goods led to a discussion of loss of sense of purpose in our activities. Participants complained that lack of perspective and desire for immediate gratification, combined with velocity of acquisitions and brief communications, characterized those under 40. Some were concerned that TV and electronics are distancing or detaching young people from families. However, electronics permits awareness of each other, if not substantive communication, among family members.
Images of life as action-oriented presented by television was contrasted with the romantic escapism of movies of the 1930s. Both presented a vicarious desirable lifestyle connected to consumerism. “We have not progressed all that much.”
The easy access to money and rapidly transmitted information contributes to the problem of consumerism. Not enough real stuff, real experience, is available particularly for young. Computers represent simulation and fantasy.
On the subject of publishing, the loss of ideas as the basis for publishing a title was challenged by the idea that anything can be published on the internet. The lack of quality control of internet publishing, a lack of analysis—even short and sweet analysis, a loss of common knowledge were rebuttals.
Readers commented that no solutions to consumerism were offered in the book. There were commonalities of concern, but no solutions. One remarked that the introduction was extravagantly long and termed it “bafflegab.”
Assessing need as a basis for purchasing, understanding the culture of desire, and making personal decisions that consider the condition of the planet and its inhabitants may be answers. What solutions do you see?
Yours,
Eugenia Marks
At this month's book club we discussed Consuming Desires , edited by Roger Rosenblatt. The book is a collection of essays on consumerism and just why people in Western cultures buy so much stuff.
“It is not our responsibility to cut back so that other people can have our lifestyle. We led them into consumption,” contributed one reader. Upon discussion, the assertion was not changed. We talked about “led them into” meaning “showed them the way;” we pointed out one essay identifying human nature as wanting things better as a precursor to consumerism; we talked about the role of advertising. Group was divided as to whether advertising or human nature was the major factor in consumerism.
We talked about whether virtue of savings was a legacy of the Victorian era or came from the Depression. We noted that the virtue currently valued is not savings but a high credit rating, which ironically requires creating debt (and paying it off) to acquire a loan; an excellent record of savings and buying on savings is worthless in applying for a loan.
The notion of disposable income and disposable goods led to a discussion of loss of sense of purpose in our activities. Participants complained that lack of perspective and desire for immediate gratification, combined with velocity of acquisitions and brief communications, characterized those under 40. Some were concerned that TV and electronics are distancing or detaching young people from families. However, electronics permits awareness of each other, if not substantive communication, among family members.
Images of life as action-oriented presented by television was contrasted with the romantic escapism of movies of the 1930s. Both presented a vicarious desirable lifestyle connected to consumerism. “We have not progressed all that much.”
The easy access to money and rapidly transmitted information contributes to the problem of consumerism. Not enough real stuff, real experience, is available particularly for young. Computers represent simulation and fantasy.
On the subject of publishing, the loss of ideas as the basis for publishing a title was challenged by the idea that anything can be published on the internet. The lack of quality control of internet publishing, a lack of analysis—even short and sweet analysis, a loss of common knowledge were rebuttals.
Readers commented that no solutions to consumerism were offered in the book. There were commonalities of concern, but no solutions. One remarked that the introduction was extravagantly long and termed it “bafflegab.”
Assessing need as a basis for purchasing, understanding the culture of desire, and making personal decisions that consider the condition of the planet and its inhabitants may be answers. What solutions do you see?
Yours,
Eugenia Marks
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Two perspectives on "the green economy"
Hi book club members!
This month we read two perspectives on different aspects of the “green economy”. “Eco-Junk: Why Buying Less Is More Than Buying Green” by George Monbiot is a critical take on the idea that you can shop your way to sustainability. He argues that green trendiness and marketing is at odds with “the central demand of environmentalism: that we should consume less”. He states that “it is easy to picture a situation in which the whole world religiously buys green products, and its carbon emissions continue to soar.” We enjoyed his funny and sarcastic take on the excesses of the environmental elite, yet most of our time was spent discussing the other piece: “The Green Road to Economic Recovery” by Bracken Hendricks.
“The Green Road to Economic Recovery” is testimony that was presented to the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming of the US House of Representatives on September 18, 2008. It presents the case that public investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy is an essential part of an economic recovery program, and that money invested this way will create more jobs and economic stimulus than money spent on petroleum or household consumption. Then it lays out the specifics of such a program.
“Genius!” was one word used to describe the paper. It was seen by many as an exciting, convincing way to address problems of recession, energy dependence and global warming. Others were a bit more cautious, wondering if the plan could really produce such benefits and questioning what the role of government should be in developing the alternative energy industry. We noted that nuclear energy was not addressed in the plan, and guessed it was too controversial to touch. We referred back several times to the energy crisis of the 1970s, and recalled Jimmy Carter’s “Malaise Speech”. His message was generally seen as unpalatable to the American people, and we asked if Hendricks’ “can-do” message would be more inspiring. We noted that both presidential candidates are addressing global warming and energy independence in the debates.
Many were interested in following up on this testimony—who heard it and what became of it. Some information can be found on the committee’s website. On the page devoted to the hearing, they have great video clips of the follow up Q&A! It is interesting that the Renewable Energy and Job Creation Act of 2008 was passed 93-2 by congress several days after this testimony, on 9/23/08. (summary here)
If you are excited about this testimony and want more action, let your legislators know! Go to http://www.congress.org/congressorg/directory/congdir.tt and type your zip code in the My Elected Officials box in the right sidebar.
Next time: Consuming Desires: Consumption, Culture, and the Pursuit of Happiness edited by Roger Rosenblatt. Check out the sidebar for the schedule. Happy Reading!
July Lewis
This month we read two perspectives on different aspects of the “green economy”. “Eco-Junk: Why Buying Less Is More Than Buying Green” by George Monbiot is a critical take on the idea that you can shop your way to sustainability. He argues that green trendiness and marketing is at odds with “the central demand of environmentalism: that we should consume less”. He states that “it is easy to picture a situation in which the whole world religiously buys green products, and its carbon emissions continue to soar.” We enjoyed his funny and sarcastic take on the excesses of the environmental elite, yet most of our time was spent discussing the other piece: “The Green Road to Economic Recovery” by Bracken Hendricks.
“The Green Road to Economic Recovery” is testimony that was presented to the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming of the US House of Representatives on September 18, 2008. It presents the case that public investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy is an essential part of an economic recovery program, and that money invested this way will create more jobs and economic stimulus than money spent on petroleum or household consumption. Then it lays out the specifics of such a program.
“Genius!” was one word used to describe the paper. It was seen by many as an exciting, convincing way to address problems of recession, energy dependence and global warming. Others were a bit more cautious, wondering if the plan could really produce such benefits and questioning what the role of government should be in developing the alternative energy industry. We noted that nuclear energy was not addressed in the plan, and guessed it was too controversial to touch. We referred back several times to the energy crisis of the 1970s, and recalled Jimmy Carter’s “Malaise Speech”. His message was generally seen as unpalatable to the American people, and we asked if Hendricks’ “can-do” message would be more inspiring. We noted that both presidential candidates are addressing global warming and energy independence in the debates.
Many were interested in following up on this testimony—who heard it and what became of it. Some information can be found on the committee’s website. On the page devoted to the hearing, they have great video clips of the follow up Q&A! It is interesting that the Renewable Energy and Job Creation Act of 2008 was passed 93-2 by congress several days after this testimony, on 9/23/08. (summary here)
If you are excited about this testimony and want more action, let your legislators know! Go to http://www.congress.org/congressorg/directory/congdir.tt and type your zip code in the My Elected Officials box in the right sidebar.
Next time: Consuming Desires: Consumption, Culture, and the Pursuit of Happiness edited by Roger Rosenblatt. Check out the sidebar for the schedule. Happy Reading!
July Lewis
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