PEDAGOGIC INNOVATION
Mending a broken relationship: Education and Ecology
It is important that education must impart a philosophy of existence. This would require a transformation based on cultural values which form the conscience of the society. The endeavor must be towards the exploration of a system of learning that is based upon a sustainable bond with ecology. This author explores the possibilities of this important proposition.
Deborah has a keen interest in issues pertaining to ecological resilience and the role of community engagements in nurturing environmental values. She is currently pursuing a PhD at Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education, TIFR.
Grim realities and nostalgic tales
There was much talk about the huge reception of movie Jungle Book, inspired by Kipling’s classic by the same name. The sight of the much adored man-cub called Mowgli scampering across the forest floor with other friendly beasts seems to have a universal appeal rather difficult to explain in words. Interestingly, the original animation movie was released around the same time that Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring was published. The historical irony of wishful longing and harsh realities remain; through increase in number of weekend getaways to pristine, ‘natural’ places on one hand, and unprecedented urbanization on other. Our violent domination over the planet has come at a price we don’t quite know how to pay. Our blinkered vision of ‘growth’ has brought us in a situation where we might become the first species to bring about its own extinction. The tragedy is, we won’t go alone.
The paradigm of growth: A mirage called sustainable development
“Even when the earth will be unlimited, we will be against growth, because it destroys the human in ourselves, because it destroys beauty.” Jean-Claude Decourt Growth; what can possibly be wrong with the concept, and hasn’t the human civilisation reached pinnacles of it by ‘successfully’ inhabiting most of the planet? Yet, as rivers continue to get polluted, landfills continue to multiply and climate change looms over humankind as some ghostly spectre, there is more than an intuition pointing to the fact that our idea of growth and progress needs serious revision. This concept of growth has derived its legitimacy from particular trajectories of modern philosophy and scientific thought, which when coupled with capitalist[1] interests, have also come to be seen as the dominant narrative of human society[2].
An example was the rise of social Darwinism which views life exclusively in terms of competition, struggle and destruction. This view of nature created a philosophy that legitimised exploitation and selfish use of technology to harness the natural environment. Thus, one can see energy being measured only in kilowatts, regardless of its origin. The real cost of a product is externalised as the brunt is borne by the damage to local inhabitants and the environment. The idea of viewing phenomena as objects rather than dynamic relationships is evident in the manner goods are treated, ignoring every other social and ecological interdependence, the only criterion for determining relative value is their monetary market value. This stems from the apparent faith invested in measurement and subsequent evaluation of a commodity’s worth, which in turn is limited by the parameters used for evaluation. A bigger question to deal with is whether such commodification of every entity and relationship in society is even desirable? Yet, we continue to put price tags on clean air, water, leisure time and even human dignity, thus turning these into commodities which can be traded.[3] One can observe that scientific and technological progress has not only formed the bedrock of society but has also shaped cultural perceptions about the way to live.
Without questioning the assumptions of growth, it is easy to place faith in technological innovations, which reaffirm the development philosophy, thereby paradoxically putting even greater strain on ecological systems.[4] It is impossible to uncouple notions of development seen as standards of living based on ever-growing consumption from capitalist interests, because the latter can only thrive given the existence of former. Hence, we have the average person bombarded by media to buy more, with ‘eco-friendly’ tags attached to merchandise in order to assuage his/her conscience, while some other poor person is evicted for from his/her land for living in an area sold to companies for ‘responsible management of resources’. This is supposedly a win-win situation, except for the fact that only one side seems to be winning. In words of Sharad Lele,
“Achieving sustainable development will require making major shifts in production and consumption choices, and these shifts will often impose high costs on precisely those groups that have hitherto enjoyed the fruits of environmentally unsustainable production and consumption.”[5]
Questions pertaining to sustainable development are thus closely linked to market forces, social injustice, human and animal rights and technology. Central to each of these arguments is the notion of our relation with the environment, and core values that we as a society need/ought to cherish. It requires understanding that there is no ‘nature’ out there to protect or preserve, that the planet does not require the existence of our species for its survival, and most importantly, the ‘problems’ we face are not due to structural issues in society – seen in terms of unequal distribution of wealth and resources but rather due to misplaced value system and culture.
Ecological sensitivity as a frame of mind
Modern societies by and large have focussed on economy and material progress, taking for granted the natural system of which we are a part. If one is to view sustainability as the ability to create successful human societies, one must realise that “successful” implies comfortable and healthy levels of nutrition, shelter, intellectual stimulation, self-realisation, and peace for all. These cannot be achieved without taking into account environmental concerns. As Vandana Shiva explains, true sustainability requires that development is not separated from conservation and requires that markets and production processes are reshaped on the logic of nature’s returns.[6] It is a grave folly to consider economic growth as the end, since the wrong kind of growth depletes the quality of life as evident today. Furthermore, one needs to observe the connections to realise that the attitude that allows injustice of social problems and ecological exploitations to persist is the same, thus requiring a common change of value system. It is crucial to understand that nature, as we know it exists in relation to our experience of it, i.e. it is a product of our consciousness. Ultimately only a cultural transformation can lead to developing a right relation with nature and here education comes into primary importance. It would involve being aware of the global forces that impact our life, gaining the awareness that sustainability is not about saving the planet, it’s about saving the quality of life that takes into account the physical and mental well-being of humans and other living things on this earth. Keeping this in view, sustainable development is not a destination but a dynamic process of adaptation, learning, and action. It is about recognizing, understanding and acting on interconnections —above all those between the economy, society and the natural environment. A sense of responsibility towards the world or future can’t be developed overnight, in isolation from the realities of daily living. If we cannot establish this within our immediate relationships and environment, we cannot hope to do so relative to the entire planet or the distant future[7]. As Bonnet puts it, the attitude of sustainability is not an option but a necessity for it, constitutes one’s own well-being. It is only through repeated efforts to reflect, empathise and being an integral part of our community through ‘real’ interactions, that we can protect each other’s inalienable right to a dignified life. [8]
Physically, the human species are of insignificant presence in natural world. The extinction of humankind would mean no more to nature than has the extinction of the millions of species before. It is of fundamental importance to realise that is only by forming a right relationship with nature based on respect and understanding of its working principles, can we ensure our own future, a future that is desirable and worth living for. It is this thought that education must strive to realise and impart. It requires a transformation based on cultural values which form the conscience of a society. The endeavour to realise what makes us human as derived from our relationship with others is, I submit, the philosophical basis of education for ecological sensibilities.
