Environment and
education: hidden links
by Anny Schaefer
© BCTF, reproduced with permission
In the past decade, Canadian governments have not paid
enough attention to the environment, focusing instead on debt and deficit
reduction. Yet neglecting our ecosystem puts children at risk and endangers the
economy.
That's one of the messages in a recent statement by the National Round Table on
the Environment and the Economy (NRTEE), "Achieving a Balance: Four
Challenges for
1. responding to health threats posed by environmental contaminants,
2. conserving the natural environment,
3. managing urban spaces to create healthier living environments, and
4. keeping pace with major changes in the new global economy.
Environmental contaminants
Of the four challenges, the first is perhaps most
pressing for educators. It is doubtful whether enough is known about the
long-term impacts on human health of individual chemicals such as food
additives, air emissions, and pesticides. Yet there is growing concern about
the interactions among, and cumulative effects of, exposure to several
pollutants over time, also known as "total pollutant load."
Because their brains and immune systems are still developing, children are
among the most vulnerable to these unknown effects: "Impaired neurological
function can cause learning disabilities and diminished intellectual capacity,
while weakened immune systems make us more vulnerable to all disease." It
stands to reason that neurological effects can also lead to behavioural issues
in the classroom.
To counter these threats, the NRTEE urges investment in monitoring and
researching the combined effects of low-level toxins, especially on
neurological and immunological functioning. It calls for coordinated,
comprehensive research efforts and a revamped regulatory approach.
Conservation
Pressures on
Healthier urban environments
Most Canadians live in urban areas. Poor planning, compromised air quality and
loss of green space often affect poor, young, Aboriginal and elderly people
disproportionately. Government can promote urban sustainability through
community involvement, improving public transit, protecting urban green spaces,
and revitalizing urban areas.
Reuse/recycle economy
According to the NRTEE, the health of Canada's economy in the future will
require a continuing shift from its traditional dependence on natural resources
to one based on knowledge and technology: "Successful industries will also
be those that minimize waste and maximize the productivity of resources."
The shift will require more investment in education and training, among other
things.
The NRTEE is an independent, impartial and inclusive agency made up of members
appointed by the Prime Minister. They include representatives of labour,
academia, and business, and environmental and Aboriginal organizations.
Copies of the statement, "Achieving a Balance: Four Challenges for