2: Human Ecology and Science Education Policies and Programs: Reflections on Social Activism

Sustainable development clearly and directly relates to national security, economic growth, and public health. And fundamentally, the welfare of people and nations depends on scientific principles of population growth, environmental quality, and resource use. Achieving a more sustainable relationship between people and the environment would be on many lists of indispensable societal goals for the twenty-first century. Since my early days in college I have had an interest in, and concern about, ecological issues. Later, that concern resulted in the advocacy for the place of human ecology in science education policies and programs.

Science education programs should help students understand how the choices that individuals and nations make about a range of matters influence population growth, environments, and resources. Such an assertion seems reasonable. Indeed on the face of it, even a casual observer would agree. But a review of school science programs does not reflect the importance that many scientists and citizens place on issues of population growth, resource use, and environmental quality. A major theme of my work in science education has been the recognition and inclusion of populations, resources, and environmental issues in science education.