Thoughts on Education, the Training of Arctic Scientists and Arctic Research - The Changing Arctic Environment: The Arctic Messenger - page 317

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11 Thoughts on Education, the Training of Arctic Scientists and Arctic Research
“The great aim of education is not knowledge but action.”
Herbert Spencer, English philosopher
Before starting this chapter, I have to admit I have no educational expertise. To share my
thoughts on education is presumptuous or foolhardy or hazardous. It is probably all three.
However, I am going to take the risk. I firmly believe that the importance of environmental
educationcannotbeoverestimated. Threeaspectsreallysurprisemewhentalkingtononspe-
cialists about the state of the Arctic environment and of its implications to the environments
in which most of us live. The first is the general public's high level of interest in the Arctic.
The second is how little many people know about the Arctic and environmental sciences in
comparison with their understanding of topics that are more demanding on the mind. The
third is the widespread reach of many misconceptions about the state of the Arctic and glob-
al environments.
As global society moves deeper into the twenty-first century, it is clear that socioeco-
nomic models of the last two centuries are unsustainable. Our globe has limited resources
and limited capacity to deal with our persistent wastes. Developing countries are determined
to gain their fair share of global resources and attain lifestyles presently only enjoyed in de-
veloped countries. Our unrelenting use of hydrocarbons to power our economies is funda-
mentallyalteringEarth'sclimatesysteminawaythatwillbedifficulttoreverse.Atthesame
time, the global human population is increasing. It grew from 1 billion to 7 billion between
1800 and 2011 and it will hit 8 billion by 2025. It will pass 10 billion in 2040. We are enter-