The three-star approach to environmental education

Conference · Wed Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1997

OSTI ID:351168

Rao, V V ^[1]

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1. Bridgestone/Firestone Warren Plant, Morrison, TN (United States)

Environmentalists have a very important role to play in planning for and safeguarding a sustainable future. And it is in this context, as the custodians of the environment, that one has to look at the education that is being offered to today`s environmentalists. Are researchers engineering the right mix of skills so that there is a cadre of environmentalists that are well rounded and savvy enough to be the strategic future planners?. Have they looked at career planning for environmentalists in the broader picture of their tremendously valuable role as guardians of the environment for everyone? Viewed in this manner, the environmentalists role suddenly takes on a different hue and the job they are doing today to train these valuable professionals takes on a whole new meaning. A good education is one that provides the student with the requisite tools and skills to perform a job--whether that job be one of a chef, a welder or an environmental specialist. In the rapidly evolving field of environmental pollution control great demands are being made of the specialist. The basic skills of mathematics, physics and chemistry, as obtained from traditional schooling, are not enough. The good environmental specialist today is expected to read and interpret complex regulations like a trained lawyer, write like a politician`s speechwriter, perform engineering calculations and, when the situation demands, speak in front of a crowd at a neighborhood environmental awareness meeting. This paper will lay out the author`s ideas about a well-rounded education for today`s environmentalist and the role that education will play in ensuring a sustainable future for all.

• OSTI ID: 351168
• Report Number(s): CONF-970677--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
DECISION MAKING
EDUCATION
ENVIRONMENT
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
POLLUTION REGULATIONS
PUBLIC OPINION