Environmental Justice

A controversial topic that has arisen in today's education is Environmental Justice. It is defined as "Environmental Justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. EPA has this goal for all communities and persons across this Nation. It will be achieved when everyone enjoys the same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards and equal access to the decision-making process to have a healthy environment in which to live, learn, and work." The picture above represents the definition as well. The hands are of different color and no matter what race, we all need to contribute in helping our world but teaching environmental justice to our younger children in school today.



In order for us to contribute we need to "go green". My roommate started the club "S.T.A.G.E (students towards a greener earth)." in our high school last year, and to today people have been attending meetings and going to events. Our high school is helping to make our environment and world a better one by going green. Also from observing my fifth graders, I noticed that the teacher has the kids recycle, which is really great! This can help the students shape their future and they can influence family member or others to do the same so we can live in a better economy. The subject environmental is important and sensitive. There have been breaking studies showing hazardous wastes. This kind of find is bad and should be fixed. Our community as a whole needs to know the true effects of global warming and they need to understand why environmental justice will be helpful if we teach it in classrooms.


From researching environmental justice I have come to understand that is a major topic that needs to be looked more in depth. It's a serious subject and cannot be ignored. My philosophy on teaching environmental justice should start at an early age, so that way growing up they can know more about it, and can prevent any damage to the world from happening. I think that teachers should teach in classrooms, that recycling is good for the environment. A teacher should know the effects of environmental justice and how it affects children who are young. In "A Pedagogy for Ecology", it states "Helping children develop what Pelo calls an ecological identity is a prerequisite to children developing a connection to the natural world, and later, a commitment to defend that world." This statement is quite true. If a teacher teachers about the environmental, children will grow up defending their world and helping it.

Bob Peterson states that, "that all education is environmental education, as children inescapably acquire attitudes about nature in their schooling." This means that education is about the environment and teachers just need to see it more clearly when teaching their students. Peterson quotes this, "We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us,' instead of seeing the ‘land as a community to which we belong." I believe it is a true statement. People today believe that land is just a commodity that they own and they can do whatever they want with it, but in reality they are harming it by putting wastes and other sorts of hazardous equipment that is not needed. If we see that land is a part of us, we can see that it needs our help, and we should be sure in helping it. This picture depicts that people want to help their community in creating a better world for them as well as their children.

Yes I believe that it is important for teachers to teach the students about the environment. I've had my own experiences when I was a senior in high school last year. With the group S.T.A.G.E, I learned that recycling and all that is helpful for our world. I learned that I was doing something good. Also my roommate who organized it, makes sure that we recycle anything and everything. If a teacher can do this, the student can learn how to make their environment a better one to live in. Having a teacher teach about the importance of our environment is key in a childs life. Starting at an early age, the child can process that our world is for living and not hazardous waste, they can learn that by protecting the earth they learn to help themselves as well as the community and the world. Any steps taken to prevent global warming or anything related to it, would be starting to teach environmental justice in schools at an early age.


www.google.com/environmentaljustice

http://www.rethinkingschools.org/archive/23_04/edit234.shtml