Reflection On Sustainability Education

Throughout this course, I have gained a better understanding of sustainability education, the issues facing teaching sustainability and solutions to incorporating sustainability into the classroom. Sustainability education is the ability of individuals to become more aware of their environment and gain the knowledge, skills, values and experiences that will allow them to solve environmental problems. I personally gained sustainable knowledge, skills, values, and experiences in this course. My knowledge of sustainability now expands to include a wide range of topics from waste management, farm to table eating, corporate farming, to the Canadian context of sustainability. Overall, the main piece knowledge I gained is that humans have the greatest

Population growth is rate at which populations increase in size, population grows exponentially. After studying the rates at which different countries populations would double, my eyes were opened to the main issues of population growth. The main issues include not enough space per person in area i.e. overcrowding, the fact that food growth is at a slower rate than the increasing amount of people there is to feed, inequality of resources and causes natural resources to decline, such as water and trees. The issue of population growth and over population that was most challenging to me was the lack of solutions to the issue. The world population and its growth are not sustainable, I understand that there are ways to control population, such as birth control, education and a head tax. However, I question how realistic population control is and how effective can it be. For instance, the suggestion that development may reduce overpopulation seems to be counterproductive, as development also increases environmental degradation. Similarly, as the article we read for the first week of class states education helps reduce overpopulation but the more educated the society, the higher the incomes, the more resources they consume (McKeown, 10). It seems as if for every solution to overpopulation, there is a threat to sustainability. How can society combat this double-edged sword and find a true solution to

We are instructed to deal with the plants, animals, minerals, human beings and all life, as if they were a part of ourselves.” This quote helped me understand one of the Indigenous views on the earth. There is a sacred responsibility in every person to care for the world around them. This responsibility is one that every human should respect and should be taught in our curriculum. However, I have now realized that often the school curriculum reflects the cultural values and beliefs of the dominant group but does not ensure the inclusion of Indigenous knowledge. Thus, to build cultural competency and a better understanding of the world around them there needs to be more focus on Indigenous knowledge. If curriculum cannot change at the pace necessary then teachers are obligated to start the changes in their lessons, including Indigenous teachings. I do question how one can teach Indigenous perspectives, such as this sacred responsibility, in a secular way while still respecting the values of the Indigenous people? I do not have the answer to my own question, but I think it must start with providing context, multiple views, and being mindful of the way you, as a teacher, presents the