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Hi folks! I know most subscribers to sust-mar are overtaxed with many letters to write in support or opposition to one crucial environmental cause or another. Well, we know that they work -- so here's another to add to your list. If you can take a few minutes somtime during the months of August, September or October, please write to the new Federal Minister of the Enviroment, David Anderson to ask for government suppport for Environmental Education in Canada. Tim Grant, the editor of Green Teacher magazine, is coordinating this national effort. Given that Canada has no environmental education policy provincially, and has taken no particular action to follow up on its own recommendations in international agreements to promote public environmental education (Agenda 21, Biodiversity agreement, Kyoto negotiations on CO2 reduction, etc.) this is an opportunity to join in a public call for increased public awareness of environmental issues through formal education. If you are willing to write a letter in support of a system of environmental education in Canada, the attached information will provide some useful background and ideas. Please also contact Tim Grant at Green Teacher (greentea@web.met) to let him know you plan to participate, and which month you plan to send your letter. Munju Ravindra Park Interpreter Fundy National Park --------- > >LETTER-WRITING TIPS, BACKGROUND INFORMATION & INSTRUCTIONS >----------------------------------- > > If you have suggestions or comments about any of the >following, please let me know. I will add or adjust accordingly the >information that will be sent to the September and October letter-writers. > Tim Grant >------------------------------------ > >In what follows, you will find all the letter-writing suggestions >and pertinent background information that have accumulated since >the idea of a letter-writing campaign was first discussed in >April. Thanks again for volunteering to join in this important >effort to seek stronger federal support for environmental >education in Canada! > >I will look forward to receiving a copy of your letter. (See >explanation below.) > >Sincerely, > >Tim Grant, Green Teacher magazine >---------------------- > >BACKGROUND INFORMATION > >In spite of all our efforts for many years, environmental >education in Canada lacks strong institutional support both at >the provincial and federal levels. Apart from a spotty presence >in various provincial curricula, EE has disappeared from the >"radar screen" as far as government support. While there is much >that Environment Canada could be doing to support EE on a >national level, they almost never receive letters from the public >asking that they dedicate resources towards EE. No letters equals >little or no resources and few (if any) dedicated staff. We need >to change this. > >While Environment Canada staff rarely receive letters demanding >more emphasis on EE, political pundits agree that letters do get >attention. Most politicians reason that one letter represents the >wishes of 600 people. Imagine the impact that 50 letters could >have if they ask Christine Stewart (the federal Minister of the >Environment) to support EE. If all those who have now promised to >write letters to the Minister follow through with their promise, >we will have our best chance in many years to achieve substantial >gains. > >LETTER-WRITING TIPS > >Please feel free to select from, or add to any of the following: > >* Remind the Minister of the importance of EE. For example, >youth educators might use the oft-cited viewpoint that if you >want to change the behavior of adults, educate their kids. > >* To ensure the effectiveness of our letter-writing efforts, it >is VERY important that every letter ask for something. If >Environment Canada is asked to do something that they are not >already doing, they will have to develop a policy. Specific >requests also ensure that your letter is answered with care, >rather than with a form letter. Please feel free to suggest more >than one initiative that Environment Canada should undertake to >support EE at the national level. > >* You could ask Environment Canada to (1) establish an EE funding >program, (2) support a Canadian EE Leadership Clinic, similar to >the EPA-funded ones in the US that provide training to EE >membership organizations there, (3) create an Environmental >Education department within Environment Canada to carry out a >wider number of EE programs, (4) establish or fund a national EE >information clearinghouse, that could be accessed by educators >across Canada via an "800" number and a website, (5) sponsor >regional summer institutes for K-12 teachers, non-formal and >post-secondary educators in EE, or fund post-secondary >institutions to conduct them, (6) provide funding for EE >membership organizations for such things as their annual >conference, and/or (6) anything else that seems appropriate. > >* On the "enviroed" listserv, Ann Camozzi recently suggested that >"one of the primary thrusts of our letter writing should be a >unified cry for A National Strategy on Environmental Education >which would include outlining all of the different parameters >(informal, nonformal, formal) and some goals. This would be a >large undertaking but one that is very necessary" and a process >that other countries have already gone through. > >* Mark Burch recently suggested that writers remind the Minister >that the Canadian government has signed international agreements >that require them to support environmental education, such as the >1972 Stockholm Declaration (Principle 19), the 1982 World Charter >for Nature (Principle 15), and the 1990 UN Convention on the >Rights of the Child (Article 29). > >Mark also urged writers to remind the Minister that promoting >environmental literacy in the population might be part of >fulfilling the guardian function that is entrusted to all >governments by its citizens. > >* It is important to make a case for federal involvement in >education. Environment Canada (and other federal departments) >view formal (ie. K-12) education as a provincial/territorial >responsibility, but informal (media etc.) and non-formal >education are clearly within federal jurisdiction. While formal >education is a provincial responsibility, this does not preclude >Environment Canada from supporting national programs that can >enhance EE in this area. There is little evidence that any >provincial government has criticized the federal government for >establishing national environmental education initiatives. It >should also be noted that all federal departments are quite >willing to step on provincial toes when they want to. > >* Canada is one of the few industrialized countries without a >federal Department of Education. Therefore Environment Canada is >the most appropriate federal department to be supporting >environmental education on a national level. > >* Even taking account the much larger population of the US, >Environment Canada has fallen far behind the US Environmental >Protection Agency (EPA) in its support of EE. The EPA currently >funds EETAP (the EE Training and Assistance Program), a multi- >year, multi-million dollar program that has trained 55,000 >educators in recent years and also supported numerous "leadership >clinics" at the state and federal level. Through its regional >offices, the EPA funds summer institutes (for formal and non- >formal educators) as well as competitive EE grant programs that >support many local initiatives. To put this cross-border >comparison into perspective, keep in mind that US environmental >educators also receive assistance from their federal Department >of Education and that most individual states have EE curriculum >staff and support programs in BOTH their education and natural >resources departments. The contrast with Canada (federally and >provincially) is becoming stark. > >* If our letter writing efforts are to be successful, the letters >should reflect the diversity of EE in Canada. Whether you work in >adult education, K-12 schools, industrial training, outdoor >education, park interpretation, universities or colleges, or as a >parent or a government official (to name but a few), describe >your own situation and how those in similar positions across the >country would benefit by the programs you are asking Environment >Canada to undertake. > >* Consider "cc'ing" your letter to Dr. Len Good, the Deputy >Minister or better yet, send him a separate letter. If he >receives one or two letters directly, he will have to take a >position on your request. It is my understanding that if he is >"cc'd" he may or may not even see your letter, but if it is sent >to him directly, he will have to sign it. Either way, this is a >good option. (See his address below.) > >* It has also been suggested that you send a similar letter to >your provincial department of education. This s a great idea on >its own, though I suspect that the content of the letters would >have to be quite different. If you decide to do this, could you >send me the contact information for the Minister or Deputy- >Minister of Education at your department? I would then forward >this to other letter-writers in your province or territory to >help ensure that this government department receives more than >one letter. > > >INSTRUCTIONS > >1) Please send your letter to: > >The Honourable David Anderson >Minister of the Environment >10 Wellington, 28th floor >Hull, Qc, K1A 0H3 > >AND/OR to > >Dr. Len Good, Deputy Minister >Environment Canada >10 Wellington, 27th floor >Hull, Qc, KIA OH3 > >2) Please send a copy to me, Tim Grant, at "greentea@web.net" (or >my mail to: 95 Robert St, Toronto, ON, M5S 2K5) so that I can >keep a record of how many letters have been sent to Environment >Canada. > >I will not share your letter with anyone, unless you have raised >important points that have not been mentioned by others. In that >case, I would seek your permission to share those points with >other letter-writers. Without that permission, no one else will >see your letter (other than those you have sent it to). > >Once again, many, many thanks for agreeing to help with this! >Your participation is critically-important. > -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- You received this because you are subscribed to "sust-mar", the Sustainable Maritimes mailing list. To unsubscribe, send email to <majordomo@chebucto.ns.ca> with "unsubscribe sust-mar" (without quotes) as the body of your message. To post a message to sust-mar subscribers, send it to <sust-mar@chebucto.ns.ca> Posts that are off-topic or excessive length (10K) will be rejected. For help contact <sust-mar-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>
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