Dr. Andreas Hadjichambis<\/span> Environmental degradation\u00a0is a\u00a0reality faced\u00a0by modern\u00a0societies.\u00a0The\u00a0global demands for food, clothing, housing\u00a0and transport are increased continuously. Generally, the choices, the managerial\u00a0and developmental approaches and\u00a0practices\u00a0of human societies,\u00a0exert pressures on the natural ecosystems, causing\u00a0changes\u00a0and transformations that occur\u00a0beyond the\u00a0limits at which they can operate, leading to their gradual\u00a0degradation\u00a0and destruction (EEA,\u00a02010). These\u00a0changes\u00a0in natural\u00a0ecosystems have\u00a0repercussions on\u00a0the economy and on the\u00a0social cohesion, and are expressed as\u00a0global environmental problems. Climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, energy\u00a0crisis,\u00a0rising\u00a0sea levels and\u00a0ocean acidification\u00a0are\u00a0just some of the\u00a0global environmental\u00a0problems\u00a0we are experiencing\u00a0today.\u00a0Huge\u00a0health problems arise\u00a0as a result\u00a0of these global\u00a0environmental problems.<\/span><\/p>\n Thus, it becomes\u00a0 imperative to\u00a0 redefine\u00a0 our relationship\u00a0 with nature\u00a0 and the environment\u00a0 in ways that will not only\u00a0 help\u00a0 to mitigate our\u00a0 impact on the\u00a0 environment but at the same\u00a0 will lead us\u00a0 to a\u00a0 modern\u00a0 and innovative\u00a0 environmentally\u00a0 sustainable solutions .\u00a0However; what<\/span> does sustainability\u00a0that we are seeking for <\/span>really mean\u00a0 and\u00a0 what is\u00a0 its relationship\u00a0 to environmental education\u00a0 that existed\u00a0 until now?<\/span><\/p>\n Sustainability\u00a0 was first used\u00a0 by\u00a0 foresters\u00a0 and it concerned\u00a0 in the management\u00a0 of forests\u00a0 in a way that these could<\/span>\u00a0 deliver\u00a0 products\u00a0 for ever ( \u03b1\u03b5\u03af=forever\u00a0 + \u03c6\u03ad\u03c1\u03c9=offer).<\/span>\u00a0 Put simply, the\u00a0 sustainability\u00a0 of a\u00a0 practice or\u00a0 a society or\u00a0 of nature is\u00a0 basically the ability to<\/span>\u00a0 operate\u00a0 in perpetuity ( Flogaiti,\u00a0 2006 ,\u00a0 p.\u00a0 91).\u00a0 From\u00a0 this description\u00a0 some basic questions are deriving: What status\u00a0 should be sustainable ? For whom, should the status of sustainability, be ensured? How can the\u00a0 sustainability\u00a0 of this status be ensured ( Demetriou, 2009)?<\/span>\u00a0Many argue\u00a0 that the concept\u00a0 of sustainability\u00a0 brings\u00a0 philosophical , ethical,\u00a0 political, environmental\u00a0 and educational dimensions.<\/span><\/p>\n All of us,\u00a0 who deal with\u00a0 environmental education, we should think, what does really\u00a0 inspires us\u00a0 and what is our motivation that lead us in engaging and devoting plenty of hours in order to cultivate and to develop to our students values \u200b\u200b, skills, attitudes<\/span>\u00a0 and environmentally friendly behaviours? Let\u2019s wonder for what\u2019s favour, do we wish to\u00a0 ensure\u00a0 the status\u00a0 of sustainability?\u00a0 Do\u00a0 we really want\u00a0 to ensure the\u00a0 sustainability\u00a0 status of\u00a0 development? Is the\u00a0 sustainability\u00a0 of\u00a0 development\u00a0 the crucial\u00a0 challenge in\u00a0 our modern\u00a0 environmental crisis\u00a0 or is the\u00a0 sustainability\u00a0 of our planet , the sustainability\u00a0 of the Earth?<\/span><\/p>\n The focus on\u00a0the <\/span>needs\u00a0 and the attribution of an extreme utilitarianism to nature, so as\u00a0to cover<\/span> the needs of the present and of the future<\/span>\u00a0 generations,\u00a0 according to many, escape\u00a0 from the\u00a0 environmentally friendly\u00a0 values\u00a0 \u200b\u200bthat education is called\u00a0 to cultivate today<\/span>.\u00a0From a <\/span>moral perspective,\u00a0this <\/span>marks the\u00a0 transition from the ecocentrism of<\/span>\u00a0 environmental education\u00a0 to the extreme\u00a0 anthropocentrism\u00a0 of covering\u00a0the <\/span>consumer needs .<\/span><\/p>\n Today, more than ever, we need to enhance the understanding of the basic ecological systems and bio communities of our planet. We need to promote the emotional connection with our planet and its living organisms and to educate our students so as to seek different lifestyles more environmentally friendly.\u00a0 Education for the Sustainability of the Earth, recognizing human activity as the main cause for the contemporary environmental crisis, organizes its content around the concepts of ecological limits and the participation of people in the environmental issues, seeking to build a closer relationship between\u00a0 human, nature and the environment.\u00a0It <\/span>incorporates the concept of the ecosystems carrying capacity, of the ecological footprint and of the ecosystems endurance limits.\u00a0 It seeks to improve the quality of human life, which is inextricably linked to environmental quality and balance of ecological processes.\u00a0 The human welfare is directly related to the environment and the limits set by the ecological processes within and between natural systems and can form the basis for the human choices.\u00a0 The nature and the ecological processes can be considered as a model for designing and implementing developmental projects at multiple levels.\u00a0 The participation, the democratic and environmental action is necessary for the protection of our planet.\u00a0 With innovative educational programs that promote through cognitive conflict, the conceptual and holistic understanding of environmental issues, mobilizing adventurous explorations to discover the nature and resolution of significant and real problems of everyday life, can achieve a change in environmental attitudes of our students who will definitely be invited to demonstrate their readiness to undertake personal and collective action in order to reduce their negative impact on the Earth.<\/span><\/p>\n Nowadays, it is necessary\u00a0 to move from\u00a0 simple knowledge\u00a0 of the Earth\u00a0 and nature,\u00a0to <\/span>the\u00a0 familiarity\u00a0 and experience\u00a0 through\u00a0 more\u00a0 experiential\u00a0 approaches , more\u00a0 real and\u00a0 everyday situations and environments<\/span>,\u00a0 where we\u00a0will <\/span>strive\u00a0 to make\u00a0 our property\u00a0 a part of the\u00a0 enriched\u00a0 and\u00a0 alive sense of\u00a0 knowledge,\u00a0 something of the\u00a0 essentially\u00a0 poetic character\u00a0 of what is\u00a0 meant\u00a0 by the poet\u00a0 and philosopher\u00a0 Henry Thoreau\u00a0 when he wrote :<\/span><\/p>\n Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink,<\/span> If what we ask for is to invite not only\u00a0 educators\u00a0 but\u00a0 students as well, so as to become agents of\u00a0 transformation and hope<\/span>\u00a0 for\u00a0 our planet\u00a0that \u201cgroans and sighs\u201d, <\/span>then\u00a0 we need to pose critical environmental education<\/span>\u00a0 high in\u00a0 our priorities .\u00a0 An environmental\u00a0 education oriented to values\u00a0 \u200b\u200band action ,\u00a0 holistic and\u00a0 systemic,\u00a0 multidisciplinary and\u00a0 interdisciplinary:\u00a0An environmental education for the sustainability of the Earth.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Let\u2019s\u00a0 continue\u00a0 to strive\u00a0 for the sustainability\u00a0 of the Earth or\u00a0 even better for\u00a0 the euphoria\u00a0 of the Earth.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Dr. Andreas Hadjichambis General Secretary – Scientific Director Environmental degradation\u00a0is a\u00a0reality faced\u00a0by modern\u00a0societies.\u00a0The\u00a0global demands for food, clothing, housing\u00a0and transport are increased continuously. Generally, the choices, the managerial\u00a0and developmental approaches and\u00a0practices\u00a0of human societies,\u00a0exert pressures on the natural ecosystems, causing\u00a0changes\u00a0and transformations that occur\u00a0beyond the\u00a0limits at which they can operate, leading to their gradual\u00a0degradation\u00a0and destruction (EEA,\u00a02010). These\u00a0changes\u00a0in natural\u00a0ecosystems …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":7440,"menu_order":1,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-7504","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kykpee.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7504","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kykpee.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kykpee.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kykpee.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kykpee.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7504"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/kykpee.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7504\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7516,"href":"https:\/\/kykpee.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7504\/revisions\/7516"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kykpee.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7440"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kykpee.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7504"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n General Secretary<\/span> – Scientific Director<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\n taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each. . . <\/span>
\n Open all your pores and bathe in all the tides of Nature,<\/span>
\n in all her streams and oceans, at all seasons. . .<\/span>
\n Grow green with spring, yellow and ripe with autumn . . .<\/span>
\n (Thoreau, 1962, Vol. 1, pp.394-5).<\/span><\/p>\n