Environmental History

             Environmental history is said to be “earth’s eye-view of the past.” The environmental history is the study in which one can observe human interaction with the environment over a period of time. As many already know, population has certainly risen throughout time. The United States had only 179 million people close to the end of the “baby boom” in 1960. Today, approximately 50 years later, there are over 300 million people in the U.S.  Population is growing at such a rapid pace as a result of people living longer, lack of family planning and growing industries and cities. Charlotte is an example of a city that has undergone these changes over time.

            Charlotte is one of the largest cities in the United States as well as the largest city in North Carolina. Currently, the population in Charlotte is plus or minus 731,500 residents. Charlotte started growing proceeding the Civil War when the cotton processing center and railroad hub were developed. During the time, the population census showed how population was at about 7,000. Furthermore, population grew again during World War I.  Population went from 7,000 to 731,500; it is almost unthinkable to see how much the city's population has changed.

            The banking industry is by far a great success of Charlotte today. Charlotte is the “second largest banking center in the United States.” Many people consider moving to charlotte with justification of finding a job within one of the 500 companies that are headquarters. Also, if not residents, charlotte has a great amount of travelers who come to watch the NASCAR or the see the NASCAR hall of fame. “Almost 75% of the NASCAR industry’s employees and drivers are based nearby.” Not to mention, motorsports is always growing and drag racers are deciding to move to Charlotte also.

            The fact that Charlotte has an extreme amount of neighborhoods, approximately 200, and the availability of jobs are results of how the population increase. Thus, through environmental history a person can see the actuality of just how rapid the increase was, and over what period of time were the highest  peaks. Overpopulation is a growing problem in today’s world, but by looking back and becoming educated of the ways overpopulation has increased, one would assume that we, as humans, could prevent more environmental issues to come. 

Religion & The Environment

            There is an ongoing list of environmental problems in today’s world. According to John Grim and Mary Evelyn Tucker, at Yale University, religion should be intertwined in one’s relationship with the environment. Tucker states that we are “one planet and one species” and we should all come together and make some changes.  By believing in a higher power, no matter what religion or culture, it should make a difference in how a person treats and contributes to bettering the environment. Belief in religion is thought to increase citizen’s awareness of the issues and to become motivated to help sustain life in all ecosystems.

            Religion and the role it has on the environment could be a sensitive subject to some, however the perspective one has is that if a person believes that a higher power created this world, why are we not gratefully doing our best to sustain it? Like Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim, there are others out there that believe religion and the environment go together in some way. In Research, Conservation and Recycling, the book describes how faith is an “important partner in the implantation of environmental and other policies.” An example that sticks out is how several churches in the United States contributed to the environment with “What car would Jesus drive?” a protest about fuel inefficiency in motor vehicles. The most important message coming from this book is the fact that it’s not solely based on religion but the magnitude is that “any implementation strategy should build on the cultural environment to be successful.”

        Environmental ethics is the relationship between human beings and the environment. Today, and in the past, it is necessary to start living in an environmental friendly way, to decrease the amount of overpopulation, air, water, and soil pollution, and global warming. If more citizens would go forth and develop stewardship, they will become aware of these problems and how to reverse them, and our children and grandchildren will live in safer, more conservative world. 

Towards Ecopedagogy

             Richard Kahn’s essay “Towards Ecopedagogy: Weaving a Broad-based Pedagogy of Liberation for Animals, Nature, and the Oppressed People of the Earth” discusses globalization’s role in a forth-coming “ecological catastrophe.” Globalization has created a world “in which services and money are exchanged much like oxygen and carbon-dioxide.” Globalization has created a world in which both tree consumption and global fishing have doubled resulting in the disappearing of forests and the fish species. Additionally, the re-introduction of whaling and the filling or draining of wetlands has further created a world that does not support life. Furthermore, globalization has created a world in which the population continues to rise, increasing the consumption of land, trees, and animals, as well as the poor people and nations of the world who suffer most. If the world is to continue to sustain life, then the world’s people must be educated. Kahn argues a blending or synthesis of critical pedagogy and environmental education must occur. This ecopedagogy should not be reduced to the current environmental programs.

            The “Zoo School” is an example of an environmental program. Although educational reformists praise the school and the No Child Left Behind legislation, Kahn argues the school’s philosophy is not doing enough to educate the youth of America on environmental issues. The students of the school “lack the deep critical, social, and ethical focus that contemporary environmentalism demands.” Zahn feels rather than the school allowing swimming with the dolphins, they should be fighting to return them to their natural habitat. 

            Environmental education programs are not enough if we want all the environmental problems occuring to cease and for our world to be sustained. Therefore, the blending of pedagogies is necessary and ecopedagogy cannot be reduced to environmental education. Kahn discusses the work of Jim Cummins and Dennis Sayers. Cummins and Sayers define three literacies in order to transform our society into one with greater justice and equality. The justice and equality needed to liberate animals, nature, and the oppressed people of the earth. The literacies as follows are functional literacy, cultural literacy, and critical literacy. Kahn blends these literacies to the current environmental crisis and terms them ecoliteracies. In order for society to survive, these ecoliteracies should be blended together and should be taught by the environmental education programs. Educational settings must teach ecopedagogy and not be reduced to the current environmental educational programs.

            Educators in today’s world have a responsibility to teach the ecoliteracies if ecopedagogy is to reduce, or even eliminate, global catastrophes brought about by the human species. As a nineteen-year-old college freshman student, I agree that environmental education must be expanded. I have received little education on the environmental issues within our nation and in the world. My education mainly consisted of recycling and conserving. Recycling aluminum, not allowing the water to run while I am brushing my teeth, and turning off electricity components when they are not being used have been to the extent to which I received an environmental education. Much more needs to be accomplished if the world is to survive indefinitely.

            What will I do to turn “today’s rage” to “tomorrow’s hope?” To quote Paulo Freire, “It is urgent that we assume the duty of fighting for the fundamental ethical principles, like respect for the life of human beings, the life of other animals, the life of birds, the life of rivers and forests. I do not believe in love between men and women between human beings if we are not able to love the world.” I intend to “love the world,” become more educated on environmental issues, and fight for a change in the environmental catastrophes that globalization has created.