Educate, Empower, Transform: For a Sustainable Tomorrow
Nuturing Eco-justice Pedagogy in Early Years Learning
ABOUT ECO-JUSTICE PEDAGOGY
Eco-justice, also known as environmental justice or ecological justice, is a concept that encompasses the intersection of environmental issues, social equity, and human rights (Lupinacci, 2020). Eco-justice looks at the cultural roots of our current ecological crisis and emphasizes the importance of sustainability, respect for nature, and a holistic understanding of the environment (Bowers, 2002). Educators engaging in eco-justice pedagogy “fight to end the increasing destruction of the world's diverse ecosystems, languages, and cultures by the globalizing and ethnocentric forces of Western consumer culture” (Bowers & Martusewicz, 2009, p.2). They focus on acknowledging and supporting ecological and social justice efforts of various cultures in protecting and revitalizing their "commons," including shared languages, traditions, and relationships with the land (Bowers & Martusewicz, 2009, p.2; Lave & Wenger, 1991). Eco-justice pedagogy in education is a social movement to reform Westernized school practices to counteract cultural and ecological degradation (Bowers & Martusewicz, 2009; Nxumalo, 2018).
THE ECOLOGICAL CRISIS
Humans have unequivocally caused warming of the Earth's atmosphere, oceans, and land, with devastating consequences both in the present and for our future (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2023; World Wide Fund for Nature, 2022). The escalation of extreme weather and climate events has exposed millions to acute food insecurity, dwindling water resources, heat-related fatalities and illnesses, vector-borne diseases, as well as the emergence of mental health challenges caused by climate change consequences (IPCC, 2023). The financial toll from climate change has been acutely felt across climate-vulnerable sectors such as agriculture, forestry, fisheries, energy, and tourism. Individual livelihoods bear the brunt of this, from the destruction of homes and infrastructure to the loss of property, income, and human health, further exacerbating food security concerns and furthering adverse consequences for gender and social equity (IPCC, 2023). While every region of the planet will feel the impacts of climate change, inhabitants of economically and socially marginalized populations will feel the impacts most. Notable marginalized populations who will be most impacted include Indigenous peoples, small-scale food producers, and low-income households. Additionally, these vulnerable populations contribute the least to the human ecological impact and have the least means of remediation (IPPC, 2023; WWF, 2022).
The goal of life is to make your heartbeat match the beat of the universe, to match your nature with Nature.