Environmental education and consumption: Towards sustainable behaviour
We teach students in economics that the most important macroeconomic goal is to maximize economic growth to ensure maximum employment. Implicitly it is assumed in mainstream economics that this will lead to the well-being of the majority of the population. In the process we use production techniques that many feel are not sustainable in the long run as we are using renewable resources at a faster rate than nature can reproduce it and we are depleting the availability of non-renewable resources. Despite the high levels of economic development more people are taking anti-depressant drugs than ever before in history. Why are people so obsessed with economic growth if we degrade our environment and people are not getting happier in the process?
Objectives
The objective of this paper is to investigate the options available and the probability of changing people's perceptions to adjust expectations to more realistic and sustainable levels. It will be investigated how education can be used to educate 'sustainable consumers', in other words, how the issue can be addressed from the demand side.
Methods
The unsustainability of the current growth path will be emphasized and the literature on the current education programs that are used internationally will be discussed. Special emphasise will be placed on programs that seem to have changed consumption patterns of consumers. The level of these interventions will also be investigated – is it best to intervene at the school level or are community-based programs also successful? Relevant marketing literature will also be surveyed.
Conclusion
Elaborate on the ways in which environmental education can be introduced/strengthened at especially school level to make consumers of tomorrow more aware of the degradation of the environment in their effort to increase economic development. If consumers demand more environmental friendly products, the market will ensure that production techniques will be suitably adjusted. If one targets the school system you get the broadest exposure to ensure better environmental awareness of the future generation. However, adult education programs are also important to educate those consumers that have already left the school system.