ENVIRONMENTAL

LITERACY PLANNING

WHY IS EE IMPORTANT?

WHY IS EE IMPORTANT?
EE means Environmental Education
process that allows individuals to explore
environmentalissues, engage in problem
solving, and take action to improve
theenvironment. As a result, individuals
develop a deeper understandingof
environmentalissues and have the skills to
make informed and responsible decisions

 Our nations future relies on a well-educated public to be

wise stewards of the very environment that sustains us,

our families and communities, and future generations. It
is environmental education which can best help us as
individuals make the complex, conceptual connections
between economic prosperity, benefits to society,
environmental health, and our own well being. Ultimately,
the collective wisdom of our citizens, gained through
education, will be the most compelling and most
successful strategy for environmental management.

ENVIRONMENTAL
CHALLENGES

Doubt and confusion about climate

change
2011 Yale Study:
Americans think there is a great deal
of disagreement among scientists
about whether global warming is real
and if so, whether humans have a
role.
They are largely unconcerned about
the effects of global warming.

ENVIRONMENTAL
CHALLENGES
Diminishing quality and quantity of
freshwater resources

ENVIRONMENTAL
CHALLENGES

Pollution in air, land and water

SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT

Waste managementis the "generation, prevention,

characterization, monitoring, treatment, handling,
reuse and residual disposition of solid wastes. There
are various types of solid waste including municipal
(residential, institutional, commercial), agricultural,
and special (health care, household hazardous
wastes, sewage sludge). The term usually relates to
materials produced by human activity, and the
process is generally undertaken to reduce their effect
onhealth, theenvironmentoraesthetics.

POLLUTION

Air pollutionis a mixture of solid particles

and gases in theair. Car emissions, chemicals
from factories, dust, pollen and mold spores
may be suspended as particles. Ozone, a gas,
is a major part ofair pollutionin cities. When
ozone formsair pollution, it's also called
smog.

ENVIRONMENTAL
CHALLENGES

Methods for resource extraction

MINING

Miningis the extraction ofvaluablemineralsor

othergeologicalmaterials from the earth from

anore body,lode,vein,seam, orreef, which forms
the mineralized package of economic interest to the
miner.

ILLEGAL LOGGING

Illegal loggingis the harvesting,

transporting, processing, buying or
selling of timber in violation of
national laws. This definition also
applies to harvesting wood from
protected areas, exporting threatened
plant/tree species, and falsifying
official documents.

ENVIRONMENTAL
CHALLENGES

Burning fossil fuels / developing alternative

energy sources

GREENHOUSE GASSES

Agreenhouse gas(sometimes
abbreviated GHG) is agasin an
atmosphere that absorbs and emits
radiation within the thermal infrared
range. This process is the
fundamental cause of
thegreenhouseeffect.

ENVIRONMENTAL
CHALLENGES
Population Growth

STUDY: ENVIRONMENTAL
LITERACY IN AMERICA
Good News: Support for EE!
95% Support EE in Schools
85% Support government EE programs
80% think private companies should train employees to
help solve environmental problems

STUDY: ENVIRONMENTAL
LITERACY IN AMERICA
Bad News: Americans fail basic quiz
45 million think that the ocean is a source of freshwater
120 million think spray cans still have CFCs in them (outlawed
78)
130 million believe hydropower is Americas top energy source

STUDY: ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY

IN AMERICA
Example: What is the most common cause
of pollution of streams, rivers and oceans?
1.Dumping of garbage by cities
2.Surface water running off yards, city
streets, paved lots, and farm fields
3.Trash washed into the ocean from
beaches
4.Waste dumped by factories

STUDY: ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY

IN AMERICA
Example: What is the primary benefit of
wetlands?
1.Promote flooding
2.Help clean water before it enters lakes,
streams, rivers or oceans
3.Help keep the number of undesirable
plants and animals low
4.Provide good sites for landfills

KIDS SPEND LESS TIME

OUTDOORS
55 hours/week
on digital
media

hour/week
outside with
unstructured

PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELLNESS

DECLINES
Childhood Obesity

HOW DO WE ADDRESS THESE ISSUES

AND INCREASE ENVIRONMENTAL
STEWARDSHIP ?

NO CHILD LEFT INSIDE

Federal legislation that would create support for
the implementation of Environmental Literacy
Plans in states where they have been adopted by
the Public Education Departments.
Parts of NCLI have been included in the draft of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act.

CONTENTS OF ELP
1. Prepare students to understand, analyze, and
address major environmental challenges of their
state and country.
2. Provide field experiences as part of our regular
curriculum and create programs that contribute to
healthy lifestyles and sound nutrition.
3. Healthy lifestyles through outdoor recreation and
sound nutrition.
4. Create opportunities for professional development
for teachers to gain subject matter knowledge and
pedagogical skills.
5. Assessment of environmental literacy and
graduation requirements for environmental literacy.
6. How will plan be implemented and funded?

STEM
AND EE

TASKS
1. Continue to build coalition to work on plan.
2. Hold regional meetings for input and
review.
3. Online opportunities to contribute to plan.
4. Publicize and circulate drafts for maximum
input.

THANKS FOR LISTENING !!!