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by Paul Wilson |
2006
A review of Roper research and other studies paints a disturbing picture. At a time when Americans are confronted with increasingly challenging environmental choices, we learn that our citizenry is by and large both uninformed and misinformed!
The National Environmental Education & Training Foundation, in Washington, D.C., has released a report, Environmental Literacy in America: What Ten Years of NEETF/Roper Research and Related Studies Say About Environmental Literacy in the U.S.
The review of Roper research and other studies paints a disturbing picture. At a time when Americans are confronted with increasingly challenging environmental choices, we learn that our citizenry is by and large both uninformed and misinformed. For example, most Americans (~80%) believe they know more about the environment than they actually do, and just 12% can pass a basic quiz on awareness of energy topics. In contrast, most American believe they know more about the environment than they actually do.
The report also acknowledges the work of family expert and author Richard Louv (2005) as the widespread "nature-deficit disorder” that Mr. Louv expounds in his book Last Child in the Woods. Mr. Louv and a growing number of analysts see unprecedented pattern changes in how young people relate to nature and the outdoors. As kids become more "wired" than ever before, they are drawn away from healthful, often soul-soothing, outdoor play.
In addition, professional environmental educators often give short shrift to the media. But children get more environmental information (83%) from the media than from any other source. For most adults, the media is the only steady source of environmental information. Unfortunately, the key problem with the media is one of depth rather than accuracy. The media is well positioned to provide widespread but superficial information on environmental subjects; it is poorly positioned to offer in-depth education.
For organizations like the Sierra Club, all of the information and the emphasis on environmental education have a "pay off" in terms of encouraging measurable environmental stewardship. Here it is important to understand the distinction between how environmental knowledge affects behavior and how environmental literacy affects behavior. This study finds that a higher level of environmental knowledge correlates significantly with a higher degree of pro-environment behavior. But increased knowledge, by itself, has real limitations. Increased environmental knowledge works best for simple, easy information and behaviors such as consumer decisions or saving water and electricity.
In one chapter, the authors describe a new environmental literacy index that values even minimal pro-environment efforts at over $75 billion annually. They note that such actions are a response to environmental knowledge, but only because they require a minimal disruption of one's life and do not require in-depth understanding or skills. Unfortunately, this knowledge/behavior correlation, though significant, is not fully compelling and probably does not offer lasting environmental stewardship.
After examining the various ways that environmental experts and educators think about and position public environmental education and information activities, the authors offer a framework with three basic levels of learning: 1) environmental awareness, 2) personal conduct knowledge, and 3) true environmental literacy.
The research demonstrates that environmental awareness by itself has limited lasting effect on environmental stewardship attitudes (although it can reinforce existing sentiments) and by itself has little effect on "environmentally-friendly" behavior. The main advantage of widespread environmental awareness is its contribution to public support for government action in environmental policy and management. The main tool for creating such awareness is, by far, the public media.
A second, and slightly deeper, level of environmental knowledge involves a limited combination of awareness and action that encourages people to engage in immediate personal conduct that contributes to environmental improvements such as saving electricity, gasoline, and water, buying "green" products (including seafood choices), reducing solid waste, and reducing individually-caused run-off pollution. Personal conduct knowledge does not require detailed knowledge of causal sequences because most of the connections are fairly simple and usually require just one step.
The third and final level is "environmental literacy" and it is distinct because of its depth of information and the actual skills that are imparted. True environmental literacy takes time. It cannot be placed in an educational "microwave." It starts out with framed information but also involves imparting the subject's underlying principles, the skills needed to investigate the subject, and an understanding of how to apply that information. Most real environmental education involves actual hands-on experience with a subject either in a lab or the field. The research cited in this report indicates that very few people have sufficient environmental knowledge and skill to be considered environmentally literate.
There is a lot of information in this report and some of it is good news. For example, 95% of the public supports environmental education in our schools, and most Americans want environmental education to continue into their adult lives. In addition, over 85% agree that government agencies should support environmental education programs, and a large majority (80%) believe that private companies should train their employees to help solve environmental problems.
The message from the authors’ is clear: Our leaders need to comprehend far more about what works and what does not. The public needs true education on the environment. We need to improve the quality and delivery of lifelong education on the environment – to grasp its original promise and make it work. We need to build more support for resource stewardship through education and use an informed public to mitigate some of the adverse effects of our actions on the environment.
As noted conservationist Aldo Leopold wrote in 1944: “Acts of conservation without the requisite desires and skill are futile. To create these desires and skills, and the community motive, is the task of education.”
CLICK HERE to view or download a PDF file of this 152 page report.
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