Democracy and the (missing) politics in environmental education

Abstract

Our work as educators does not match the scope, scale, and urgency of the challenges we presently face and that our descendants will confront through the centuries of the “long emergency.” There are many reasons for this, but most important is our tendency to overlook the hard reality that the use and disposition of land, air, water, forests, oceans, minerals, energy, and atmosphere are inevitably political having to do with “who gets what when and how.” In other words, we do not have an environmental crisis as much as massive failure of political institutions and governments to foresee and forestall what has grown into the “long emergency.”

Keywords:

• Democracy
• governance
• viability
• growth limits
• technology
• professional education

Notes

1 Perhaps like the Mont Pèlerin Society formed by Frederick Hayek, Milton Friedman, and others in advancing the cause of neoliberalism in the decades after World War II . . . only better thought out, much faster and more inclusive. See, Mirowski & Plehwe (2009/2015; Burgin (2012).

2 The future of democracy has always been in question. Among its critics, Plato regarded it a prelude to tyranny. Aristotle was not much more sanguine. The founding fathers of our Republic were wary of it. John Adams believed that democracies always end by committing suicide. James Madison believed that with luck democracy in America might last a century. English writer E. M. Forster could give it only two cheers, H. L. Mencken none at all, believing people incorrigibly stupid. Economist Joseph Schumpeter likewise thought voters became dumber when they entered the political arena. Robert Dahl, perhaps the greatest student of democracy in the 20^th century once described himself as a “pessimist” about its future. Winston Churchill captured our predicament in his often-quoted observation that democracy was the worst form of government except for all the others ever tried. In short, democracy is everywhere and always a wager that enough people would know enough and care enough and be wise enough to participate honorably and well in the conduct of the public business.