EARTHKEEPING NEWS A NEWSLETTER OF THE NORTH AMERICAN COALITION FOR CHRISTIANITY AND ECOLOGY Volume Eleven, Number Three March/April 2002 HOW DO WE INTEGRATE RELIGION AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION? by Robert McAfee & Michael Flitter Ask the animals, and they shall teach you; the birds of the air, and they shall instruct you. Speak to earth and it shall teach you. (Job 12:7-8) One of the greatest challenges to contemporary religions is how to respond to the environmental crisis. More and more religious organizations are educating their constituents about the importance of the creation. Therefore, to avoid criticism for wrong data or emotionalism, those who expand environmental teaching to include the spiritual should be knowledgeable and accurate in their environmental facts. Global warming, loss of biological diversity, deforestation, threatened species and ecosystems, diminution of freshwater supplies and fisheries, and other challenging environmental problems create grave threats to the health of the planet. In addition to being technically and politically challenging, these problems raise fundamental questions regarding human values and ethics. Because decisions about complex environmental issues must often be made in the face of scientific uncertainty, ethical questions such as "who should have the burden of proof?" are often viewed through a narrow political lens. These value-laden questions are often resolved through such techniques as risk assessment or cost-benefit analysis that minimize or eliminate ethical considerations. We propose that educators serious about teaching environmental and religious issues adhere to nationally recognized guidelines for quality environmental education. The North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) has developed a series of publications which provide standards for excellence in environmental education. Although diverse in approach and application, environmental education is characterized by at least four essential elements: EE is based on knowledge about ecological and social systems, drawing on disciplines in natural sciences, social sciences and humanities. EE reaches beyond biological and physical phenomena to consider social, economic, political, technological, cultural, historical, moral, and aesthetic aspects of environmental issues. EE acknowledges that understanding feelings, values, attitudes, and perceptions at the heart of environmental issues is essential to analyzing and resolving these issues. EE emphasizes critical thinking and problem-solving skills needed for personal decisions and public actions. Adapting religious teachings to this task of revaluing nature marks a significant new phase in religious thought. The process of integrating religion and ethics with environmental teaching will be facilitated by applying sound environmental education principles. The complete set of NAAEE Guidelines for Excellence can be downloaded from www.naaee.org/npeee/npeee.html. CONTRIBUTING EDITORS NACCE Board members Bob McAfee and Michael Flitter are the co-founders of the Peaceable Kingdom, Inc., dedicated to education about, and provision of, potable water. Mike, a Secular Franciscan, has been an environmental educator throughout his professional life. He completed a Masters at UW-Madison and doctoral studies at Columbia Pacific University, with additional courses in theology. A board member of the Wisconsin Association for Environmental Education, he is a volunteer naturalist at a local conservation area. Bob serves as Executive Director of the Arkansas Environmental Education Association. He has taken his academic qualifications in history, geography, climatology and meteorology to promote environmental education, and social and environmental justice. He received his Masters degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and his Ph.D. at Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia. Bob is an active supporter of civil liberties through the ACLU and Amnesty International. Home     Table of Contents