Ecological Sustainability and Science Education

1
Ecological Sustainabilityand Science Education
2

• Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD)
  applies to every aspect of living in a
  sustainable way.

3

• Three broad conditions for sustainability
  include
• 1.Renewable resources eg. Timber and fish.
• 2.Non-renewable resources eg. Coal and oil
• 3.Waste

4

• The most important thing to sustain is ecosystems
  and their species. They provide us with food,
  water and oxygen.

5

• We are NOT living sustainably in Australia.
• Our farming practices cause erosion, salinity and
  river pollution.
• Mining, logging, urban expansion and recreation
  are also destroying biodiversity and natural
  habitats.

6

• Sustainability would be enhanced through smaller
  populations, lower consumption and greener
  technologies eg. Recycling and solar energy
  (Jones 2003).

7

• Education is key to the implementation of
  commitments made at the United Nations World
  Summit on Sustainable Development
  (Cutter-Mackenzie Tilbury 2002, p. 17).

8

• Many primary school teachers and student teachers
  may avoid or not place enough emphaisis on
  environmental education as they have limited
  content knowledge. (Cutter-Mackenzie Tilbury,
  2002)

9

• Education and knowledge is the main tool for
  change to a more sustainable world. This will not
  occur until teachers gain the proper content
  knowledge and place more emphasis on it within
  their teaching.

10
REFERENCES

• Jones, A 2003, Ecological Sustainability, viewed
  14 November 2003, http//www.amonline.net.au/facts
  heets/ecological_sustainability.htm
• Cutter-Mackenzie, A Tilbury, D 2002, Meeting
  Commitments for a Sustainable Future
  Environmental Education in Preservice Teacher
  Education in Reconceptualising Learning in the
  Knowledge Society, BA Knight, Post Pressed,
  Flaxton.