Keeping the Earth with Environmental Education

Small Business School - Keeping the Earth with Environmental Education. Is it important given environmental education ? What is the background and benefits ? Let us examine this condition. Earth is a planet of human habitation and a variety of other living creatures. Earth has existed since billions of years ago. Since then, Earth's ever changing nature. Changes in the earth can be caused by the movement of the earth itself, the effect of the space environment, and the influence of human lifestyles.

Given human influence on the earth to do with human lifestyles on the environment which we often call the environment. To be human lifestyles causes no damage to the Earth, it takes the educational environment. With this education, people can learn to keep the environment so as to keep the Earth from the threat of destruction.

According to Law. 23, 1997 About General Guidelines for Environmental Management, the space environment is unity and oneness with all things living things including human beings and their behavior that perpetuate life and well-being of humans and other living things. Based on this definition, the environment is very close to human life and influence each other.

Important environmental education is given so that people can keep their environment well. That way, the environment will provide good benefits for humans. Changes in climatic conditions, the rise in temperature to global warming and natural disasters because of human action is the impact because the maintenance of the environment from damage. Human activity is a major factor in the destruction of the environment.

Since the earth's climate changes and global warming, the leader of the world-leading people gathering on climate change. Through this meeting, the leaders seek solutions to improve environmental conditions and preparations for the damage of climate change.

This meeting is a form of consciousness of world leaders that environmental damage can not be allowed to take place on an ongoing basis. There should be a real effort being made to save the Earth from destruction. With this awareness, environmental education necessary for students to be given to them as the next generation to understand how to protect the environment for a better life.

Threats of Environmental Damage

1. Environmental damage may occur due to the natural movement of the earth, natural events or man-made. Environmental degradation due to natural events such as earthquakes are, hurricanes, and volcanic eruptions. Environmental damage due to natural events can be repaired, but it is difficult to prevent. Meanwhile, the environmental degradation by humans can be prevented through education.

The threat of damage done by humans is as follows.

• Flood

Floods threaten cities and villages when the rainy season due to the decrease in land that has a high water absorption. This happens because people often cut trees, throwing garbage in the river, and build houses or other buildings without regard to the water disposal system.

• Contamination

Contamination can occur in air, water, and soil. Pollution is an environmental degradation by humans and cause air condition, water, and healthy soil becomes unhealthy. This pollution is caused by sewage plants, waste disposal, use of vehicles, and so on. Environmental pollution is worsening impact on human health and other living things.

• Landslide

Landslide has occurred in various regions in Indonesia. This disaster caused by deforestation and the land is no longer able to absorb rainfall, causing landslides. These forests are converted to residential buildings or who are unable to absorb water.

• Extinction Flora and Fauna

Environmental education changes also impact the other living beings on earth, such as plants and animals. Forest as their habitat has been deforested by humans. This would cause them to lose the house so no longer able to survive and eventually become extinct. The number of plants and animals to extinction can disrupt ecosystems and natural balance.

By looking at the threat of environmental damage done by human, environmental education plays an important role to prevent more serious damage occurs. This education will build awareness of the environmental damage caused by humans and can be prevented by humans. Prevention of damage is intended that the environmental damage caused can be minimized.

Forms of Environmental Education

In an effort to save the earth from destruction, environmental education can be done in various forms. Besides referring to the threat of environmental damage, the shape is also adapted to the elements of the environment that includes the following elements.

1. Biological Elements

Elements of biological or also known as an element of biotic elements of the environment that consists of living things such as plants, animals, humans, microbes, etc.

2. Elements of Physical

Physical elements called abiotic elements. This element includes non-living objects that meet the environment, such as water, air, and soil.

Form of education that can be done based on the second element of the environment and the threat of environmental damage are as follows.

1. Know the Natural Environment

Environmental education to know how the environment can be done by visiting a place with natural conditions that are still well preserved and natural conditions that have been damaged. By visiting both places, you should be able to compare which one is better, natural conditions are maintained continuity or damaged natural conditions due to human activities.

Of course, the environmental conditions are maintained continuity would be an option. Thus, environmental education can be taught that we can contribute to protecting the environment together.

2. Know the Earth

Environmental education in a way to know the earth can be done by providing the materials or knowledge about :

• formation of the earth,
• the earth into a habitable planet beings,
• characteristics of the earth,
• the wealth of the earth,
• damage that can threaten, and
• how to keep the earth from destruction.

Forms of environmental education in this way can be given in class by using fittings, such as the formation of the earth or the video images on the development of the Earth as a visualization for learners.

3. Greening Practice

Environmental education can also be a way to invite students to participate in reforestation. In this way, they will feel ardently to preserve nature while knowing the benefits. This can be done by planting trees on barren land or in coastal areas by planting mangroves. This greening practices as well as with caring for the plants.

4. Waste Management Practices

Waste has long been a very disturbing problem of environmental hygiene. Environmental education can be done by learning to manage waste. Waste management can be done simply by sorting waste between organic and non-organic waste. Waste sorting can be done by students in the school and in their neighborhood.

Environmental education that can be done in various forms still lead to the same goal, namely to maintain the Earth from the threat of destruction. The realization that the earth and the sustainability of the environment must be maintained to be the most important thing that education is not just a formality, but a lesson that can be applied in everyday life.