Education for Sustainability: Becoming Naturally Smart

by Paul Clarke

In this book, Paul Clarke argues that in order to live sustainably we need to learn how to live and flourish in our environment in a manner that uses finite resources with ecologically informed discretion. Education is perfectly placed to create the conditions for innovative and imaginative solutions and to provide the formulas that ensure that everyone becomes naturally smart; but to achieve this, we need to recognise that an education that is not grounded in a full understanding of our relationship with the natural world is no education at all. In other words, a total transformation of schools and schooling is needed. While acknowledging that the ecological crisis is global in scale, Paul Clarke maintains that many of the solutions are already evident in our local communities. Drawing on innovative sustainable living programmes from around the world, including Sweden’s Forest Schools, China’s Green Schools programme, the US Green Ribbon Schools programme and his own school-of-sustainability project, Paul Clarke offers practical solutions about how schools and communities can make their contribution. This book examines how we might proceed to empower and actively develop schools and communities to connect hand, heart and mind for an eco-literate future. It is thought provoking, timely and challenging, and should be read by school leaders, community and business leaders, as well as anyone grappling with the problems of transition from an industrial past to an ecologically sustainable future.

156 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Alise Miļūna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thoughts on paradigm and epistemology shift, purpose of education, human-centric vs. eco-centric sustainable development, decentralized and community-based actions for sustainability, including one nice group activity walkthrough, a "walking enquiry" for developing relationships and reinventing a shared space.

[Gordon Eldridge · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whether this is the right book for you will depend very much on what you are looking for. The book presents solid arguments for the need for change in education. Clarke argues that schooling generally supports an industrial consumer mentality and that a radical rethink is necessary. He uses his experience with the "Incredible Edible" project to propose that the beginnings of this change could take place by having students grow their own food in schools. Based on Clarke's experience with the project, he suggests that deeper learning and changes in attitudes and lifestyles can grow out of this simple change. This is based on his belief that growing food in a urban setting can begin to reconnect urban people with the natural world and his belief that such activities can create more cohesive communities.

While such a simple start may well be the catalyst for radical change, the book is very light on details as to how one might proceed beyond this starting point. The " Incredible Edible" project itself is actually not based in a school, but in a rural town which was in crisis, with limited employment and falling population. In such circumstances radical change is not so difficult. In a crisis people accept new thinking readily. Transferring this success to schools which do not perceive themselves to be in crisis will likely prove more difficult. Clarke himself says at the end of the book that " this book has simply started the conversation". If you are looking for a book which starts a conversation, you will thoroughly enjoy this one. If you are looking for a book which provides more 'how to' kind of thinking regarding curriculum, instruction and assessment around ideas of sustainability, look elsewhere.