This book attempts to unravel some of the causes of and tensions involved in this paradoxical situation; to explore the complexities of the subject matter of the field; to explain what is actually happening in the world of environmental education at the close of the twentieth century; and to consider aspects of the field’s priorities and potential as we enter the twenty-first. If readers are hoping to find here the ultimate answers and practical tips for the successful implementation of environmental education, they will be disappointed. Perhaps this is because there are no definitive answers and foolproof tips. Teaching of environmental education is a relatively young, dynamic and immensely complex field for study and interpretation. Indeed, it concerns itself with teaching and learning relating to complex issues that at times themselves defy human understanding. It is a field characterised by a paradox: Few would doubt the urgency and importance of learning to live in sustainable ways… of conserving the world’s natural resources… and of taking care of the earth today so that future generations may not only meet their own needs, but also enjoy life on our planet. Yet environmental education holds nowhere near the priority position in formal education programmes around the world that this scenario suggests should be the case. It seems that it constantly has to ‘engage in battle’ with the intricacies and demands of ‘education’ in general rather than be a core element of it.
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