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Bergmann, Iris (2012) The handbook of sustainability literacy: skills for a
changing world. Environmental Education Research, 18:5, 719-722, DOI:
10.1080/13504622.2012.662393
The Handbook of Sustainability Literacy: Skills for a changing world, edited by Arran
Stibbe, Totnes, UK, Green Books 2009, 220 pp., £14.95 (paperback), ISBN: 978-1-
900322-60-7
This compilation is a highly gratifying read for many reasons. It sets out to profile the
skills, as well as the attitudes, competencies, dispositions and values that are required to
facilitate the sustainability transition. It is organised in 32 chapters each authored by a
different writer. They include sustainability educators, literary critics, permaculturalists,
ecologists, artists, journalists, engineers, mathematicians and philosophers who outline
sustainability literacy from their various perspectives. Common themes run through the
chapters and a coherent picture of sustainability literacy emerges. Arran Stibbe and
Heather Luna indicate in their introduction that the chapters are written in response to
the challenging conditions of population growth, rising demands for energy, water and
biological resources, climate change, declining oil resources, rapidly increasing
consumption in developing countries, ecosystem degradation and economic uncertainty.
Starting points for the Handbook are the social, cultural and economic systems that give
rise to these conditions rather than these problems as such. It is through this approach
that this book gives a sense of a way forward.
One of the themes reappearing throughout the chapters is the identification of critical
thinking and understanding with a sustainability orientation as an important component
of sustainability literacy. It means here not only understanding the unsustainable paths
and the structures and systems that support them, but also re-assessing and re-thinking
them under a new paradigm to leverage different kinds of questions that lead to new
solutions. For example, it involves critiquing consumerism and the ability to see, as
Morgan Phillips puts it, ‘beyond consumer culture’. It is about re-assessing science to
understand its social construction, and skills in technological appraisal for which Gavin
Harper lists a number of aspects and considerations: the role of material, embodied
energy, ‘bolt-on-renewables’ (such as solar coating on car roofs), technological ‘lock-
in’ and ‘path dependency’ of large infrastructure projects such as energy and transport
systems. A question like ‘how can I best fulfil my transport needs’ replaces ‘what's the
greenest kind of car I can buy’ (Gavin Harper).
Another common theme running through many chapters is the nature of learning
required, which is summed up in the concept of active learning. This is described as
self-directed enquiry, self-reflection, learning by doing, engagement with real life
issues, and learning within communities of practice. It aims at action competence, that
is, gaining the skills and motivations for personal as well as social action. Sustainability
literacy then is seen as a collection of skills that allow for effective participation and
influence in all areas of life to ‘(re-)create’ a sustainable society.
The concept of sustainability literacy in the Handbook spans the spectrum from skills in
systems thinking and thinking in relations, to the application of these at the practical
level, and over to the deepest level which is residing in the psychological domain. At
the practical level, for example, are transition skills, a re-skilling as preparation for ‘the
long emergency’ (Stephen Quilley), including skills for food production and community
building, a ‘D.I.Y. bottom-up transformation of local communities’, covering also
permaculture design (Patrick Whitefield) and community gardening (Alma Clavin). At
the psychological level, there is the need to be able to overcome alienation from nature
and to fulfil the inert need of feeling ecologically embedded. Barry Bignell suggests that
the experience of beauty fills the gap between self and experience as part of conscious
knowing of what is essential nature - a sustainability literacy skill based in the aesthetic
realm. Then there is the need to be able to find ways to gain life satisfaction without
over-consumption of resources, and to gain insight into the true sources of emotional
well-being (Paul Maiteney; Morgan Phillips).
Other aspects of sustainability literacy include ecological intelligence and Gaia
awareness, economic awareness based on ecological and ethical values, personal
sufficiency, coping with complexity, commons thinking, advertising awareness,
‘greening’ business, new media literacy, cultural literacy, futures thinking, thinking
about the self in interconnection and interdependence with the surrounding world, skills
in reducing environmental footprints including carbon capability, and the ability to
‘fulfil human needs effortlessly’ through working with nature. Underpinning all is an
intrinsic values orientation (see Notes), the ability to reflect on what kind of society is
desirable and what is important and worth protecting, and the recognition of ethical
obligations.
Twenty-eight chapters outline these various dimensions of sustainability literacy, and
four chapters in a second part of this Handbook discuss the characteristics of the
learning systems and educational institutions that facilitate sustainability literacy. They
call for a new definition of what constitutes ‘worthwhile knowledge’, for new
partnerships for learning, for breaking down traditional hierarchies of access to
knowledge, and valuing different forms of knowledge, in particular the ‘traditional
knowledge of living sustainably within the local environment that is embedded within
indigenous and local communities’ (Geoff Fagan). This means also for the learning
institution to be physically and philosophically accessible; transparent, participatory and
inclusive; committed to negotiated learning and for the educators to be facilitators of
learning rather than instructors (Geoff Fagan). Facilitating sustainability literacy also
requires lifelong learning and learning to include spirituality and holism, intuition,
imagining and wisdom (Karen Blincoe), addressing the hidden and overt curricula
(Anne Phillips), and embracing the concept of the learning society (Kate Davies).
This Handbook did achieve what it set out to do: It provides a comprehensive and
holistic picture of what constitutes sustainability literacy. The various dimensions of
sustainability literacy represent the essence of current thinking in the wider field of
education for sustainability that draws on holistic and systemic analysis under the
ecological paradigm. A stated inherent quality of this concept of sustainability literacy
is that it needs to be continuously negotiated, adapted to local realities, to changing
conditions and needs, and emerging knowledge. As Greg Garrard, one of the chapter
authors, suggests, ‘there’s no such thing as “saving the planet”, only keeping on
thinking and working for a sustainable society forever.’ Kate Davies points out that
‘governments are urging us towards another, even more intensified Industrial
Revolution through their skills agendas’. In contrast, authors represented in this
Handbook focus on the long-term sustainability of life on earth with sustainability
extending beyond environmental considerations to include the dimensions of social
justice; intergenerational justice; mental and physical wellbeing; social, economic and
cultural transformation; and the flourishing of the diversity of all life.
While the idea of the possibility of a sustainability literate citizenry is comforting, the
way to get there seems treacherous. The following is not meant to hint at any
shortcomings of the Handbook, rather, it is a reflection on the implementation context
which in turn points to a particular strength of the concept of sustainability literacy
portrayed in the Handbook: The degree to which sustainability and sustainability
literacy will be widely made a priority may be partly a function of what Foster (2008)
describes as ‘the level of change with which we are personally comfortable, rather than
that required for making the necessary objective difference’. He refers to this as ‘the
politics of never getting there’. An even greater obstructive force than inertia and
general resistance to change, however, can be expected from ‘environmental scepticism’
which has turned into an international phenomenon with some influence. Over the past
decades, ‘environmental scepticism’ has been organised as an anti- environmental
counter-movement (Jacques 2009). Its proponents have constructed environmentalism
as a growing threat to social and economic progress, the Western way of life, and to
individualist values. ‘Environmental sceptics’ are concerned with a strong commitment
to economic growth with its increasing need to maximise consumption of natural
resources and a deep anthropocentric orientation (Jacques et al. 2008). ‘Environmental
sceptics’ sneer at environmentalism as ‘the new religion’ (see, for example, Plimer
2008).
‘Environmental scepticism’ is based on a value system that clearly is in opposition to all
that is espoused by the concept of sustainability literacy discussed here, and herein lies
the decisive point: Sustainability literacy’s greatest resource may be situated in its open
commitment to an ecological values orientation which is based on intrinsic values.
Crompton (2010), with his review of the evidence about the way in which people’s
values are organised across cultural contexts, lists a number of characteristics that have
particular relevance for the educational context: People’s values tend to cluster in
similar ways across cultures in terms of intrinsic and extrinsic values (see Notes). A
person’s values comprise an integrated and dynamic system, such that activating one
particular value affects other values leading to activating compatible values and
suppressing opposing values. Values can be strengthened culturally, and favouring a
particular set of values can indeed be practiced. Moreover, deeply held inner beliefs and
value systems are not unchanging or unchangeable. So, there are real opportunities for
the facilitation of sustainability literacy to make a difference, and for learners to gain
resilience, to develop the ability to identify environmental ‘scepticism’, to deconstruct it
and recognise the opposing value system, and respond accordingly.
The Handbook of Sustainability Literacy is the outcome of a forum discussing
sustainability skills and active learning techniques, held in 2008 and supported by the
Environmental Association of Universities and Colleges (UK) and other organisations.
The chapters are concise, accessible and well-flowing and make for an enjoyable
reading experience. Most also contain suggestions for active-learning exercises. The
Handbook is suitable for educators from the university sector, schools, vocational
education and training and informal education, as well as for learners themselves, and
anyone interested in finding out about sustainability literacy. It is accompanied by a
multimedia version containing extended chapters and video interviews with the authors
and is available on http://www.sustainability-literacy.org. Chapter authors other than
those referred to above include: John Naish, Satish Kumar, Arran Stibbe, Justin Kenrick,
Ling Feng, Stephen Sterling, Glenn Strachan, Stephan Harding, Sue Wayman, Jeffrey
Newman, Myshele Goldberg, John Blewitt, Kim Polistina, Lorraine Whitmarsh, Saffron
O’Neill, Gill Seyfang, Irene Lorenzoni, Zoe Robinson, Melinda Watson, Mike Clifford,
Dick Morris, Stephen Martin, Bland Tomkinson and John Danvers.
Notes
Crompton (2010, 10) summarises that there is a distinction between two broad classes of values:
intrinsic and extrinsic values. Intrinsic values are described as self-transcendent values. They
include values placed on a sense of community, affiliation to friends and family, and self-
development. In contrast, extrinsic values include self-enhancing values, values that are
contingent upon the perceptions of others – they relate to envy of ‘higher’ social strata,
admiration of material wealth, or power. He continues: ‘Intrinsic values are associated with
concern about bigger-than-self problems, and with corresponding behaviours to help address
these problems. Extrinsic values, on the other hand, are associated with lower levels of concern
about bigger-than-self problems, and lower motivation to adopt behaviours in line with such
concern.’
References
Crompton, T. 2010. Common Cause: The Case for Working with our Cultural Values.
London: WWF.
Foster, J. 2008. The Sustainability Mirage – Illusion and Reality in the Coming War on
Climate Change. London: Earthscan.
Jacques, P. J., 2009. Environmental Scepticism - Ecology, Power and Public Life.
Surrey: Ashgate Publishing Limited.
Jacques, P. J., R. E. Dunlap and Freeman, M. 2008. The organisation of denial:
Conservative think tanks and environmental scepticism. Environmental Politics 17,
no. 3: 349-385.
Plimer, I. 2008. The incredible improbability of life. In: Intelligence Squared Australia
Forum, Would we be better off without Religion? Sydney: Q2 Live Debate 2008
Series, http://fora.tv/2008/08/19/Would_We_Be_Better_Off_Without_Religion#full
program.
Iris Bergmann,
RMIT University, Australia
Iris.bergmann@rmit.edu.au
© 2012, Iris Bergmann