One of the great misconceptions among many Americans is that the so-called "environmental movement" is about putting nature and animals ahead of human beings, stopping corporations from making a profit, and that it is more about "saving the earth" than protecting human life on it. While there are certainly those that do fall into that camp, far more people hold the same beliefs and convictions about the environment than realize it. At the very foundation of everything is the desire to live in a world with clear air to breathe, clean water to drink, and food free of poisons. I would challenge anyone to dispute those basic tenets. This is not a political issue or a partisan issue at its core. It is when we move into the definitions of what "clean" is and what constitutes "unsafe" and the practices that cause our resources to become threatened that people start getting up in arms.
So where do these beliefs come from? For most, it begins at home. People tend to fall in to one of three camps: first, the families that talk about the environment, discuss pollution and ecological responsibility. On the other end of the spectrum, there are those that believe that human beings at the apex of life and should be able to do whatever they damn well please — human beings cannot affect the planet so much that it makes a difference, one way or the other. And then the third group – the largest, in my guess – is the group that does not think about the environment at all. Or if they do it is an afterthought. The idea of being part of something larger just never dawned on them.
In the early days of school, if we are lucky, we learn some of the basics of "the circle of life". The sun and rain and soil feed the plant, the plant feeds the animal, the animal feeds the human, the human dies and returns to the earth to become part of the soil, and so on. Later, we learn about the "web of life" and how plants and animals in a particular environment have an impact on one another. Remove one, and the whole pattern can fall apart. As we grow older, we might be fortunate enough to learn about ecosystems and cornerstone species and the impact of invasive species and pollution.
At this point, most people think they have a basic understanding. They think they get it. And then they go on with their lives. Most people, when asked, sincerely want to do environmentally friendly things, make green choices, and so on. They try to remember to recycle, they buy compact fluorescent bulbs, and own several shopping bags that they usually forget to bring with them to the grocery store. But it is inconvenient, if it is a hassle, and especially if it costs more to do or have something eco-friendly, the enthusiasm dissipates.
True environmental education is about connections and relationships. It is about economics and quality of life and most of all about science. It is about connecting the individual with their life. Where does their food really come from. Their water. Their clothing and their electricity. But you can't start by saying to someone "turn off the lights! Don't you know Florida produced over one-hundred-twenty-three million metric tons of CO2 in 2007 just from generating electricity?!" The average person will stare at you blankly and secretly wonder if that is good or bad. They have no frame of reference.
Likewise, people like to say they care about things like the rain forest and polar bears and the ocean. But ask them why. Most will not be able to answer right away. They care because they are supposed to. Because to say they do not care about the trees and the animals and the water would make them a bad person. Then ask someone who has spent time in and studied the South American rain forest why she cares about it. Ask an Inuit what a polar bear means to him. Talk to a commercial crab fisherman about the ocean. These people know why they care. They understand the importance of biodiversity, clean air, and healthy species populations.
In 1968, Senegalese environmentalist and poet Baba Dioum spoke before the general assembly of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. He said: "In the end, we will conserve only what we love, we will love only what we understand, and we will understand only what we are taught." This should be the foundation for all environmental education, from pre-school through doctorate programs. The more we know about the world around us – and our place in it – the better stewards of our home we can become.
This article appears in Nov 18-24, 2010.