The Basics of Gaia Education and Sustainable Living
Our choices today create our future tomorrow
We’ve gotten to the point today that we have to make very conscious choices while living our lives on planet Earth. The way we live, learn and consume right now will not last long and we’re all about to see the miserable results of our reckless actions. We’ve taken small steps towards the right direction, for example use less plastic in food packaging, reduce using plastic cotton swabs, straws, cutlery, coffee cups, etc. But is it enough? Big industries’ wheels are still turning and thousands of tons of single-use plastic items are produced daily. And who’s in charge of that? — The consumer.
I’m not trying to take anyone on a guilt trip. But our choices today have a very direct impact on how our next generations get to live their lives. Don’t get me wrong, I’m very proud of what humankind has achieved over a very short period of time. And while this digital revolution happening right now is amazing because look what we can achieve, it’s also very crucial to remember that our planet is running out of room, resources and patience with us.
This is exactly why we need to change the way we teach our upcoming generations. We need to learn and pass on how to live on this planet without hurting it. Our kids have to see, explore and experience first-hand how the environment works. That’s why I suggest we try this educational approach — today it’s called the Gaia education or Sustainable Education. You can read more if you search some of the keywords: education for sustainable living; sustainable living; sustainable development; sustainability; sustainable education; Gaia education; environmentalism; etc.
Primarily, Gaia Education is an international organisation with the main goal of educating young learners to design a society which uses energy and resources with greater efficiency, distributes wealth equitably, and makes quality of life the focus of future thinking.
The basic principle of Gaia education is understanding that planet Earth is a living being and humans are just a part of its ecosystem. Sadly, most of us act today as if we are supreme. But the fact is that we’re just a tiny piece of this planet. We should be living hand-in-hand with nature and move towards sustainable living each day and with each decision we make. It can be as simple as recycling in your own household, or switching off electricity when leaving the room.
Sustainable living is a lifestyle that aims to reduce one’s environmental impact, in ways that are sustainable both for the Earth and for the person. Today we are living in an egosystem, where every man is for himself. But we should be living in an ecosystem, where we care about what’s happening around us beyond our four walls or our daily route from point A to point B.
Back in 2018 Daniel Christian Wahl explained in his article how Gaia Education works with four dimensions of sustainability as opposed to the usual “three-legged-stool” approach (social, ecological and economic dimension). These four dimensions are social, ecological, economic and worldview. The worldview dimension is based on holistic worldview, reconnecting with nature, transformation of consciousness, personal and planetary health and socially engaged spirituality.
A lot of teachers and educators today prefer the “classical” approach in teaching young learners, giving them straight facts and direct knowledge. But if we want to see some change, we need to change our own personal views as teachers, and get the hell out of our comfort zone. Ask a random 5-year-old kid “Where do you get carrots and milk from?”, and at least half of them will answer “The supermarket”. Or go even deeper into the subject and ask “Where does the trash go?”, and you’ll probably hear “The garbage truck”. My point is that kids need to see and experience nature and society on their own, with our gentle guidance not strict leading. Kids need to see how a seed turns into a plant and how trash is recycled. And the best way to show them is lead by example.
Environmental thinking shouldn’t be pushed upon us. We need to recognise how important it is to care about our environment, both on micro and macro level of sustainability. Alyssa Abel states in her article that it’s essential to raise the next generation into eco-conscious, self-sufficient world citizens who understand the immediacy of environmental responsibility. She lists five outcomes of sustainable education: interdependence between humans and environment; the balance between environment and society; sustainable life skills; respect for the planet; future preparation and adaptation. Read more about these in her article.
I hereby claim with sincerity that I do my best as a teacher and as a mom to show kids today how we can live on this planet leaving behind a very small ecological footprint. All of my students and kids know how to grow and take care of plants and animals; what happens to garbage when we throw things away and why we need to recycle; why we don’t waste food, water, electricity, etc; why we should make very conscious choices when buying clothes and toys; how the world gets polluted, what could happen next and how we can prevent a cataclysm with our actions, and so on. I do this because that’s how I live. These are my beliefs. And when it’s time to leave this planet and let the next generations explore and take over, I can only hope that our generation leaves a greener and cleaner environment behind for them to live in.
You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of a difference you want to make. - Jane Goodall
