Disinger, John F. 1990. "Environmental Education for Sustainable Development?" Journal of Environmental Education 21 (Summer): 3-6.

Summary:

Disinger conceptualizes sustainability as: "the notion that the rational approach to resolution of the dilemmas created by the interactions of humans and the world in which they live is to manage the environment and its resource base in such a manner that their reasonable use can be continued without diminishment into the indefinite future" (p. 3).

In reviewing different conceptualizations of sustainable development and in raising the issues of what and for whom should be something be sustained, Disinger briefly traces the history of the sustainability discourse.

In introducing the role for education and educators specifically, Disinger discusses Berberet's (1989) seven goals fundamental to the "attainment of an educational reform movement capable of restructuring American education to nurture a sustainable society:" 1) Articulate a sustainable world view as the paradigmatic vision for educational change during the 1990's; 2) Establish preparation of each student to lead a sustainable lifestyle as a goal of reform in the basic or core curriculum at all school levels; 3) Infuse ecosystem concepts at the intellectual center of all disciplines, thereby acknowledging that the environment cannot be viewed as a level and static playing field which may be ignored in academic inquiry; 4) Create programs in environmental education and environmental studies as standard fields for specialization at most colleges and universities; 5) Promote citizen education for sustainable development as a major goal for continuing education and lifelong learning programs in every community; 6) Increase research and analysis of the broad spectrum of ecological and cultural issues associated with interactions between humans and their environments; 7) Connect the reform of American education to related developments on the state, national, and international levels. (p. 4)

In science and social studies, educators should include the study of global problems including environmental management.

Disinger describes environmental world views as placed on an "ecocentric-anthropocentric continuum." While the dominant social paradigm follows the anthropocentric view, he claims that the significant impediment to teaching about sustainability in schools is curricular organization, not world view. Interdisciplinary education does not "fit" into the traditional curriculum programs and is affected by the discipline-focused training teachers receive and the lack of consensus surrounding developing teaching materials dealing with sustainability issues.

Keywords: ecological sustainability, sustainable society, environmental education, sustainable development