Environmental education: when will it be enough?

Abstract

Education is the bridge to sustainability and its role has been lauded as one of the prescribed solutions to environmental conservation since the United Nation Conference on the Human Environment in 1972 in Stockholm. Environmental Education (EE) is perceived as a subject that suits all levels of society and can transcends creed, race, gender and religion. EE is advocated as having the prerequisite of educating the society on the simple steps of managing and controlling his or her environment. Chronologically, the sentiments were echoed several times in international declarations and reports such the Belgrade Charter (1975), Tbilisi Declaration (1977), Brundtland Report also known as One Common Future (1987) and further in World conservation Strategy (IUCN et. al, 1991). The call became more blatant during the 1992 United Nations Conference On Environment and Development (UNCEO) in Rio Janeiro, which culminated in Agenda 21 that recognized the importance of education, including formal education, public awareness and training (UNCED, 1992). Two of the most important aspects in Agenda 2 1 are "education" and sustainability".