Revisioning environmental literacy in the context of a global information and communications ecosphere

ABSTRACT

This essay questions whether current formulations of environmental literacy as an outcome of environmental education (EE) require revision in the context of the emergence and implementation of the global information and communication ecosphere (ICE) as an integral part of the human environment. A claim is made that by including the capabilities of the ICE the scope of EE should be enlarged beyond formal institutional boundaries to include audiences representing a range of ages, backgrounds, and diverse social, political, and value orientations. It is also proposed that although the ICE can be misused to spread distrust and confusion through social media and other software designs, the system should not be viewed only as a threat or distraction but as a necessary asset to environmental education and literacy. The essay claims that programs intended to promote environmental literacy should incorporate experiences that will support learners in developing the skills, commitment, and character attributes necessary for civic engagement and effective contribution to generative discourse in both physical and digital spaces.

KEYWORDS:

• Environmental literacy
• social media
• civic engagement
• information
• social capital