Environmental education should begin early[/caption]Kate Simmons----Sustainability is an issue at the heart of many discussions today. How to protect the earth’s precious natural resources is a topic that the world is slowly gaining interest in. Individuals make a huge difference, but if businesses start becoming aware of environmental issues and taking action, it could make a huge difference in our planet’s future. All of this can start with a proper environmental education. In this article, we will look more deeply at what an environmental education is and how it can benefit everyone involved for generations to come.
What is environmental education?
The Environmental Protection Agency outlines five basic functions and goals of an environmental education:
- Awareness and sensitivity to the environment and the problems it faces
- Knowledge and understanding of the environment and environmental issues
- Attitudes of concern for the environment and motivation to improve or maintain environmental quality
- Develop skills to identify and help resolve issues facing the environment
- Participation in projects/practices to sustain the planet
A deeper look
The first step in going green is understanding our environment and how it operates. Everything is so intricately connected and the beauty of an environmental education is that it breeds an awareness of the issues that our planet faces and inspires sustainable action. Being a student of the environment is not about facts or statistics, but knowledge of the issues and how we can make a difference. The list of issues is getting larger and larger every year and includes these and many more high profile topics:
- Destruction of the rain forests
- Depleting the ozone layer
- Global warming
- Overuse/abuse of natural resources
- Overhunting and overfishing
- Melting Ice caps
- Land degradation
- Pollution
The list goes on, and it will take a collective effort to start correcting these problems. Think about it this way, if your business decides to go green and use only recycled paper you can lend a hand in fixing many of the issues listed above just by keeping some trees alive.
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Educating and preserving[/caption]Taking it to the next level
The purpose of an environmental education is not just to become aware of the problems facing the planet but to encourage practicing the ever-popular buzzword - sustainability. The next step in the logical progression of an environmental education is figuring out not only what you can do to make a difference but how to do it. There is no right or wrong way, and a proper education process should encourage individuals to think critically and make informed choices which can help their business operate on a more sustainable level.
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Continuing environmental education[/caption]Getting educated
If you want your company to become more environmentally aware and start making a difference, have your employees take an online environmental education course provided by Commonground for starters. These classes can be scheduled flexibly to fit your business needs and are a great catalyst to get your people thinking about a sustainable, green future.
Final thoughts
One of the biggest issues our planet faces is ignorance. People are simply unaware of the effects that their decisions have on the earth and its environment. Knowledge encourages action. The more one knows about the intricacies of the environment, the more likely they are to care. The ways in which your business can help sustain the planet are limitless but it all has to start with a proper education which will give your employees the knowledge and tools needed to make responsible, educated decisions to protect our beautiful planet’s future. This education gives us the tools needed help make a better planet. What is your business doing to make a difference? Make sure and let us know in the comments.
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This is a guest post by Kate Simmons, a freelance writer on various green topics. Keep an eye out for more of her articles on several leading blogs!
