Republic of the Philippines

PALAWAN STATE UNIVERSITY

PSU-PCAT
Cuyo, Palawan

ED 11: ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

INSTRUCTOR: JASON L. TORIO, LPT, MAEM

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
➢ Environmental Education (EE) is a process in which individuals gain awareness of their
environment and acquire knowledge, skills, values, experiences, and also the determination,
which will enable them to act - individually and collectively - to solve present and future
environmental problems.
➢ Environmental education enhances critical thinking, problem-solving, and effective decision-
making skills, and teaches individuals to weigh various sides of an environmental issue to
make informed and responsible decisions. Environmental education does not advocate a
particular viewpoint or course of action.
➢ According to Stapp, W.B., et al. (1969), environmental education is aimed at producing a
citizenry that is knowledgeable concerning the biophysical environment and its associated
problems, aware of how to help solve these problems, and motivated to work toward their
solution.
➢ Environmental education, properly understood, should constitute a comprehensive lifelong
education, one responsive to changes in a rapidly changing world. It should prepare the
individual for life through an understanding of the major problems of the contemporary
world, and the provision of skills and attributes needed to play a productive role towards
improving life and protecting the environment with due regard given to ethical values
(UNESCO, 1977).

HISTORY OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

➢ The roots of environmental education can be traced back as early as the 18th century when
Jean-Jacques Rousseau stressed the importance of an education that focuses on the
environment in Emile: or, On Education. Several decades later, Louis Agassiz, a Swiss-born
naturalist, echoed Rousseau’s philosophy as he encouraged students to “Study nature, not
books.” These two influential scholars helped lay the foundation for a concrete
environmental education program, known as Nature study, which took place in the late 19th
century and early 20th century.
➢ The modern environmental education movement, which gained significant momentum in
the late 1960s and early 1970s, stems from Nature Study and Conservation Education.
During this time period, many events – such as Civil Rights, the Vietnam War, and the Cold
War – placed Americans at odds with one another and the U.S. government. However, as
more people began to fear the fallout from radiation, the chemical pesticides mentioned in
Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, and the significant amounts of air pollution and waste, the
public’s concern for their health and the health of their natural environment led to a
unifying phenomenon known as environmentalism.
➢ The first article about environmental education as a new movement appeared in Phi
Delta Kappan in 1969, authored by James A. Swan. A definition of "Environmental
Education" first appeared in Educational Digest in March 1970, authored by William Stapp.
Stapp later went on to become the first Director of Environmental Education for UNESCO,
and then the Global Rivers International Network.
➢ The first Earth Day on April 22, 1970 – a national teach-in about environmental
problems – paved the way for the modern environmental education movement. Later that
same year, President Nixon passed the National Environmental Education Act, which was
intended to incorporate environmental education into K-12 schools. Then, in 1971, the
National Association for Environmental Education (now known as the North American
Association for Environmental Education) was created to improve environmental literacy by
providing resources to teachers and promoting environmental education programs.

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 ➢ The United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and United
Nations Environment Program (UNEP) created three major declarations that have guided the
course of environmental education.
• Stockholm Declaration (June 5–16, 1972) - The Declaration of the United Nations
Conference on the Human Environment. The document was made up of 7
proclamations and 26 principles "to inspire and guide the peoples of the world in the
preservation and enhancement of the human environment."
• The Belgrade Charter (October 13–22, 1975) - The Belgrade Charter was the
outcome of the International Workshop on Environmental Education held in Belgrade,
Serbia. The Belgrade Charter was built upon the Stockholm Declaration and adds
goals, objectives, and guiding principles of environmental education programs. It
defines an audience for environmental education, which includes the general public.
• The Tbilisi Declaration (October 14–26, 1977) - The Tbilisi Declaration "noted the
unanimous accord in the important role of environmental education in the
preservation and improvement of the world's environment, as well as in the sound
and balanced development of the world's communities." The Tbilisi Declaration
updated and clarified The Stockholm Declaration and The Belgrade Charter by
including new goals, objectives, characteristics, and guiding principles of
environmental education.

OBJECTIVES OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

• Participation - to provide individuals, groups and societies with opportunities to be actively

involved in exercising their skills of environmental citizenship and be actively involved at all
levels in working towards sustainable development.
• Knowledge - to help individuals, groups and societies gain a variety of experiences in, and
a basic understanding of, the knowledge and action competencies required for sustainable
development
• Values - to help individuals, groups and societies acquire feelings of concern for issues of
sustainability as well as a set of values upon which they can make judgements about
appropriate ways of acting individually and with others to promote sustainable development
• Skills - to help individuals, groups and societies acquire the action competence or skills of
environmental citizenship - in order to be able to identify and anticipate environmental
problems and work with others to resolve, minimize and prevent them.
• Awareness - to create an overall understanding of the impacts and effects of behaviors and
lifestyles - on both the local and global environments, and on the short-term and long-term.

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CORE THEMES

Theunderlying themes lay the foundation for a set of strategic actions and initiatives
outlined in report, "Education for Sustainability: An Agenda for Action" This report was produced
at a meeting held in San Francisco, California, in 1994.
• Lifelong learning - The potential for learning about sustainability throughout one's life
exists both within formal and nonformal educational settings.
• Interdisciplinary approaches - Education for sustainability provides a unique theme to
integrate content and issues across disciplines and curricula.
• Systems thinking - Learning about sustainability offers an opportunity to develop and
exercise integrated systems approaches.
• Partnerships - Partnerships forged between educational institutions and the broader
community are key to advancing education for sustainability.
• Multicultural perspectives - Achieving sustainability is dependent upon an
understanding of diverse cultural perspectives and approaches to problem solving.
• Empowerment - Lifelong learning, interdisciplinary approaches, systems thinking,
partnerships, and multicultural perspectives empower individuals and institutions to
contribute to sustainability.

COMPONENTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

1. Awareness and sensitivity to the environment and environmental challenges.
2. Knowledge and understanding of the environment and environmental challenges.

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 3. Attitudes of concern for the environment and motivation to improve or maintain
environmental quality.
4. Skills to identify and help resolve environmental challenges.
5. Participation in activities that lead to the resolution of environmental challenges.

ENVIRONMENTAL PRINCIPLES
1. Everything is connected to everything else.
2. All forms of life are important.
3. Everything must go somewhere (thus, too much can cause pollution).
4. Ours is a finite earth (thus, the need for conservation).
5. Nature knows best (thus, the need for ecological technology).
6. Nature is beautiful and we are stewards of God’s creation.
7. Everything changes.

SOME BENEFITS OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

1. Boost Critical and Creative Thinking Skills - Environmental education inspires

students to research, enquire about how and why specific things happen, and later make
their own decisions about complex environmental issues. By progressing and
strengthening critical and creative thinking skills, ecological education motivates the
young generation, consisting of consumers, workers, and policy and decision-makers.
2. Promoting Healthy Lifestyle - Numerous problems such as obesity and anxiety do not
allow students from getting out more frequently. The environment has a healing ability,
and the environmental activities ensure that students make the best use of their time.
This education in schools makes students go outside and become active. It also assists in
addressing many health issues that students these days are going through.
3. Much Required Break From Routine - Environmental education is one of the best
learning methods to make students get out of the classrooms and engage in hands-on
activities. It makes the students feel active and lively and also caters as a fun break for
students.
4. Responsible Action Is Taken To Better The Environment - Environmental education
helps students understand how their decisions and actions change the environment,
strengthens knowledge and skills needed to address complex environmental issues.
5. Learning About Environmental Challenges - Environmental education educated the
younger minds about some of the suitable challenges that are susceptible to affect the
environment. This later allows them an opportunity to contribute to the global efforts of
protecting the environment.
6. Restoring The Environmental Balance - Environmental education helps students
understand how their decisions and measures affect the environment, generates
knowledge and the needed skills to address environmental issues alongside.
7. Environment As A Career Prospect - Environmental education prepares a student and
encourages him/her to pursue the same as a career. Students can prepare themselves for
a career that can comprise everything from making a nursery to water sampling to
interview locals about disaster preparedness to meeting with lawmakers to influence
policy or being an environment writer.

GENERAL ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS AND POLICIES

• Presidential Decree No. 1151 (06 June 1977): Philippine Environmental Policy - n the
pursuit of advancing both the productive and harmonious relationship of nature and the
Filipino people of today and the future, the Philippine Environmental Policy mandates an
intensive and integrated national environmental protection program mainly by requiring
environmental impact assessments and statements.
• Presidential Decree No. 1586 (11 June 1978): Philippine Environmental Impact
Statement System - This policy established the Philippine Environmental Impact Statement
System (PEISS) as the framework for all environmental impact assessment activities
nationwide. In consonance with the Philippine Environmental Policy (PD 1151), the PEISS
includes the classification of every development project as either environmentally critical or
environmentally non-critical. All projects that can potentially cause any form of significant

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 impact to the environment are regarded as environmentally critical and are therefore required
to secure an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC).
• Republic Act No. 7611: Strategic Environmental Plan for Palawan Act of 1992 - The
Strategic Environmental Plan (SEP) is “a comprehensive framework for the sustainable
development of Palawan.” All projects of government agencies, from planning to
implementation, in the province should be coordinated and aligned to this framework. The
main strategy here is to establish an “Environmentally Critical Areas Network” or ECAN which
is a graded system of protective control over all terrestrial and marine natural resources, as
well as the tribal ancestral lands in Palawan. The Palawan Council for Sustainable
Development (PCSD) was created pursuant to this policy.
• Republic Act No. 9729: Climate Change Act of 2009 - In light of the climate vulnerability of
the Philippines and its people, the Climate Change Act of 2009 integrates climate change
adaptation and mitigation strategies into policy formulation and development activities of all
government agencies. It also created the Climate Change Commission, chaired by the President
of the Republic of the Philippines, as the central entity for all climate change-related plans and
programs in the country.
• Rules of Procedure for Environmental Cases (A.M. No. 09-6-8-SC, 29 April 2010): Writ of
Kalikasan - The Writ of Kalikasan (A.M. No. 09-6-8-SC Rule 7) is one of the two (2) special
civil actions that any person or entity can avail of whenever their constitutional right to a
balanced and healthy environment is violated or threatened. The other civil action that can be
availed of is the Writ for Continuing Mandamus (A.M. No. 09-6-8-SC Rule 8) which applies
when a government agency or officer violates an environmental policy.
• Republic Act No. 10121: Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of
2010 - Making the then National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) into what we know
today as the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) to serve as
the lead agency for disaster-related programs in the Philippines such as but not limited to the
development of the comprehensive guides for DRR efforts nationwide (referred to as the
National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Framework [NDRRMF] and National
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan [NDRRMP]).
• Republic Act No. 8749: Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999 - One of the salient features of
this Act is the establishment of a multi-sectoral Integrated Air Quality Improvement
Framework and Air Quality Control Action Plan which will serve as the primary guide for air
pollution management and control in the country. Adopting a multi-sectoral or participatory
approach (also called “partnership approach to healthy air” or “people-driven approach”) means
that ideas and comments should be gathered from all stakeholders, and information is largely
disclosed to the public.
• Republic Act No. 9003: Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 - Aimed at
establishing a nationwide ecological solid waste management program, this Act provides for the
furtherance of proper segregation, collection and transport, recycling, and composting of
wastes in the Philippines. Article 6 of RA 9003 promulgates the guidelines for a comprehensive
waste management strategy including but not limited to: Prohibition of open dumps, Requiring
a permit for solid waste management facility construction and expansion, Guidelines for
controlled dumps, and Criteria for siting, establishment, and operations of sanitary landfills in
the country.
• Republic Act No. 9275: Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004 - The Philippine Clean Water
Act of 2004 is the comprehensive strategy for the protection and conservation of the country’s
water resources, both freshwater and marine. This Act requires the acquisition of water
pollution permits through the “Wastewater Charge System” which ensures that there are no
unauthorized, undocumented, and unregulated discharges in any water body in the
Philippines.
REFERENCES:
Stapp, W.B., et al. (1969). The Concept of Environmental Education. Journal of Environmental Education, 1(1), 30-31.
https://www.gdrc.org/uem/ee/1-1.html
https://www.k12academics.com/education-subjects/environmental-education/history
https://www.theasianschool.net/blog/what-are-the-benefits-of-environmental-education/
https://greendevsolutions.com/environmental-laws-and-policies-in-the-philippines/
https://www.wetlands.ph/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/The-7-Environmental-Principles-.pdf

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CHAPTER TEST
A. Select the best answer.
1. The roots of environmental education can be traced back as early as ____________.
a. 16th Century c. 18th Century
b. 17th century d. 19th Century

2. Numerous problems such as obesity and anxiety do not allow students from getting out more frequently. The environment
has a healing ability, and the environmental activities ensure that students make the best use of their time. This benefit of
environmental education refers to
a. Boost Critical and Creative Thinking Skills
b. Promoting Healthy Lifestyle
c. Much Required Break From Routine
d. Responsible Action Is Taken To Better The Environment

3. Which of the following is not an environmental education core theme?

a. Partnerships c. Restoring
b. Interdisciplinary approaches d. System Thinking
4. He is a Swiss-born naturalist, echoed Rousseau’s philosophy as he encouraged students to “Study nature, not books.
a. John Jaques Roseau c. Louis Agassiz
b. John Lack d. None of the above.
5. The first article about environmental education as a new movement appeared___________
a. Phi Delta Kappan in 1965 c. Phi Delta Kappan in 1968
b. Phi Delta Kappan in 1966 d. Phi Delta Kappan in 1969

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