by the use of books and digital media whereas local knowledge disappeared
throughout the history.
During the last two centuries, people became progressively aware of self-made
environmental problems. The first environmental movements emerged and concepts
of EE and ESD were developed during the second half of the twentieth century.
These concepts came together with an institutionalisation of how and what to teach
in the formal and non-formal education sectors.
Parallel to the actual development of EE and ESD, communication tools were
explored and refined. At the beginning of the twentieth century, sources of information about the environment and nature were parents and family, school and university, newspapers and books. With the development of novel communication tools
such as radio, television, computer and internet, information about the environment
increased dramatically. Today, nature documentaries are part of the everyday television programme, and the internet overflows with information. Self-education
became a possibility for everyone at every place and at any time.
The concept of ESD links two contrasting points, a better understanding of man
and nature and a fairer coexistence between North and South. It adopted many
objectives and principles of EE and extended these (e.g. United Nations 2005;
UNESCO and Federal Ministry of Education and Research of Germany 2009).
Both concepts, EE as well as ESD, aim at enabling people to participating responsibly and creatively in shaping the present and future. The self-conception of these
strategies is to change environmental behaviour respecting ecology, economy and
social life. Today these principles and characteristics of ESD are, due to their nature,
integrated into many parts of human life, in school and out of school. It is seen as
basis for an advanced and holistic (environmental) education for sustainable
development.
Despite having the concepts of EE and ESD, humanity is still far away from
solving today’s environmental and social problems. On the one hand, human
activities are the cause of these problems. On the other hand, education of practical
consequences has the goal to indicate and discuss possibilities to overcome these
problems.
EE and ESD are education programmes with the aim of creating the best solutions
under the ethical principle of sustainable development. However, even the term
sustainable development is part of the discussion since short-term and long-term
processes, conservation and unalterability on the one hand and creation of new
technologies on the other hand are discussed as being in harmony with the concept.
Modern concepts such as EE, ESD, and BCE have to respect, disentangle and
analyse extremely complex relationships including gaps of knowledge. EE and ESD
promote multiple and sometimes competing targets. Furthermore, due to the holistic
approach the targets of ESD are partially ambiguous, while BCE is related to smaller
and relatively clear targets.
Broad and holistic approaches in general can be used and misused. Today, almost
every economic process and product can be labelled under the umbrella-term
sustainability. Unintended side effects and oxymorons like sustainable economic
68
C. Börtitz and C. Hobohm
throughout the history.
During the last two centuries, people became progressively aware of self-made
environmental problems. The first environmental movements emerged and concepts
of EE and ESD were developed during the second half of the twentieth century.
These concepts came together with an institutionalisation of how and what to teach
in the formal and non-formal education sectors.
Parallel to the actual development of EE and ESD, communication tools were
explored and refined. At the beginning of the twentieth century, sources of information about the environment and nature were parents and family, school and university, newspapers and books. With the development of novel communication tools
such as radio, television, computer and internet, information about the environment
increased dramatically. Today, nature documentaries are part of the everyday television programme, and the internet overflows with information. Self-education
became a possibility for everyone at every place and at any time.
The concept of ESD links two contrasting points, a better understanding of man
and nature and a fairer coexistence between North and South. It adopted many
objectives and principles of EE and extended these (e.g. United Nations 2005;
UNESCO and Federal Ministry of Education and Research of Germany 2009).
Both concepts, EE as well as ESD, aim at enabling people to participating responsibly and creatively in shaping the present and future. The self-conception of these
strategies is to change environmental behaviour respecting ecology, economy and
social life. Today these principles and characteristics of ESD are, due to their nature,
integrated into many parts of human life, in school and out of school. It is seen as
basis for an advanced and holistic (environmental) education for sustainable
development.
Despite having the concepts of EE and ESD, humanity is still far away from
solving today’s environmental and social problems. On the one hand, human
activities are the cause of these problems. On the other hand, education of practical
consequences has the goal to indicate and discuss possibilities to overcome these
problems.
EE and ESD are education programmes with the aim of creating the best solutions
under the ethical principle of sustainable development. However, even the term
sustainable development is part of the discussion since short-term and long-term
processes, conservation and unalterability on the one hand and creation of new
technologies on the other hand are discussed as being in harmony with the concept.
Modern concepts such as EE, ESD, and BCE have to respect, disentangle and
analyse extremely complex relationships including gaps of knowledge. EE and ESD
promote multiple and sometimes competing targets. Furthermore, due to the holistic
approach the targets of ESD are partially ambiguous, while BCE is related to smaller
and relatively clear targets.
Broad and holistic approaches in general can be used and misused. Today, almost
every economic process and product can be labelled under the umbrella-term
sustainability. Unintended side effects and oxymorons like sustainable economic
68
C. Börtitz and C. Hobohm