Opinion Paper # 3 - Benefits and Challenges of integrating Environmental Ethics into an Environmental Literacy Plan

As the humanities offer a diversity of opportunites to engage others in discussions that focus on those core values that represent human dignity, are life affirming and are consistent with those of much culture around the world. In my opinion integrating a discussion of Environmental Ethics into an Environmental Literacy Plan for the State of Florida through the Humanities would be a good decision. I believe there are many benefits that could be achieved from this integration, however, since our society is one that strongly resent change, we will be faced with many barriers and challenges during this implementation process. There are those who might disagree with this integration, but if you carefully review the impact these benefits will have on our society you will realize why this is a good decision.

I believe some of the benefits of integrating Environmental Ethics into an Environmental Literacy Plan for the State of Florida through the Humanities would be educating students on how to ethically practice sustainability to solve some of our environmental problems for present and future generation. This would teach students how to respect and care for our environment. I think students could use this as a tool for preventing or solving environmental problems in their neighborhoods or communities when they become future community leaders. I believe this would create environmentally literate citizens who would understand their connection to the world around them. It would also help people to make informed and responsible ethical decisions regarding environmental issues and would give us some type of acceptable guideline to live by. The Earth Charter states that we need a shared vision of basic values to provide an ethical foundation for the emerging world community. (Earth Charter Commisson, 2000). During my service-learning project at a nature center and also while reviewing the sixteen principles of the earth charter I realize the positive impact it would have on students if Environmental Ethics was integrated into an Environmental Literacy Plan. In underprivileged or underserved communities environmental ethics is hardly practiced so these communities are greatly affected by environmental problems, now students would be able to practice the environmental ethics they learned. I believe this would be a good method of using children as agent of change to educate their communities on environmental ethics which would help to raise awareness and incorporate sustainable living into their lifestyle to help save the environment.

Our society is one that resent changes and with many citizens being uninformed and misinformed about environmental education, I believe we will encounter many barriers and challenges as we try to integrate Environmental Ethics into the Environmental Literacy Plan. Many of these programs are underfunded and many institutions do not have the resources to implement or sustain this type of education. I believe the lack of support from educators, community leaders and influential businesses will be some of the major problems we face. Another challenge we will encounter is the fact the many educators are not qualified to teach environmental ethics so a statewide program will have to be developed to train teachers and make them qualified to teach environmental education. I believe training and motivating individuals who have very little interest in environmental issues will be very challenging.

Overall, I believe Environmental Ethics should be integrated into the Environmental Literacy Plan for the State of Florida through the Humanities regardless of the cost or the lack of support. I believe the benefits outweigh the barriers or challenges and it is worth investing in for present and future generation so we all can enjoy a better environment that is sustainable to all.

Work Cited
Earth Charter Commission. (2000). The Earth Charter. Retrieved from the World Wide Web
Sepember 2, 2006 from http://wwwearthcharter.org.