润物细无声的教育理念 “绿色”教育:润物细无声

　　As the outlook of this planet rests primarily in the hands of the children of today, it is the role of parents and governments to ensure the education of sustainable development is as 1)far-reaching as possible. From a school administrator in the middle of America to children in 2)Ethiopia, no one is 3)exempt from the responsibility of passing on education that will sustain relationships and our way of life. It is vital to explore every opportunity that educates children, parents and communities, wherever they present themselves.
　　
　　Where most people would see an unfortunate 4)eyesore, Bill Ahlers, the business manager for Community High School District 117 in 5)Antioch,6)Illinois, saw opportunity in a neighboring 7)landfill. Ahlers’ idea―use gas produced in the landfill to generate electricity and heat for the high school, cut utility costs and provide practical educational experiences for students.
　　
　　After 20 years of monitoring and maintenance, the 8)Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the landfill owner were making plans for the final closure of the facility. 9)Enter Ahlers. He successfully raised funds and carried out a plan that cost approximately $1.9 million, but will pay for itself over the course of 20 years and provide 10)substantial savings in the form of reduced energy costs and environmental impact. The project impressed the EPA so much that it named the Landfill 11)Methane Outreach Program Project of the Year. Antioch shared that honor with the 12)BMW manufacturing facility in 13)South Carolina, which has also installed a landfill gas-to-energy system to generate electricity and hot water. “Through the efforts of the Antioch Community High School, a14)liability has truly been turned into an asset,” says the EPA’s Chris Voell about the Antioch award. “Not only has this project turned a former landfill into a source of renewable energy, this project serves as a great learning tool for the students and the community.”
　　
　　Youth are benefiting elsewhere on Earth. In Ethiopia, children, parents, youth groups, schools, community groups, NGOs, farmers, the private sector, local authorities and national governments are uniting to sustain the environment one tree at a time. At the turn of the 20th century, 40 per cent of Ethiopia was covered by forest. Today, that figure is just 3 per cent. 15)Deforestation is 16)jeopardizing livelihoods and 17)taking its toll on children’s development. In 2007, as part of its millennium celebrations, the Government of Ethiopia pledged to plant more than 60 million trees across the country. This is part of 18)UNEP’s “Plant for the Planet: Billion Tree Campaign”―a worldwide program that strongly encourages the planting of 19)indigenous trees and promoting education of sustainable development. By the end of 2009, more than 7.4 billion trees had been planted under this campaign by participants in 170 countries. The Billion Tree Campaign will make a substantial contribution to the 2010 20)International Year of Biodiversity.
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　　Operating on a deeper level, educational campaigns such as those implemented in Illinois and Ethiopia, teach much more than the sustainability of resources―everyone involved learns the value of sustaining relationships with all human beings. These programs place the environment firmly in the hands of our future generations and instill a belief in nature, and preserve a way of life that will last long after the seeds have been sown.
　　
　　这个星球的前景如何主要取决于今天的孩子们,因此父母和政府有责任确保在可持续发展方面的教育尽可能地影响深远。从美国中部的学校管理人员到埃塞俄比亚儿童,无一例外,都有责任推进这样的教育――它使我们的关系得以维持,使我们的生活方式得以持续。至关重要的是,无论在何方,只要有令儿童、父母、社区受教得益的机会,我们都要抓紧利用。
　　
　　在大多数人看来,邻近的垃圾堆填区是很碍眼的东西,但是美国伊利诺斯州安条克村117区社区高中的业务经理比尔・阿勒斯却从中看到了机会。阿勒斯的想法是利用处理垃圾而产生的气体为该高中发电、发热,在减少电费开支的同时还可以为学生提供切实的教育体验。
　　
　　经过20年的监管和维护,美国环境保护局和垃圾堆填区的业主正计划关闭该场所。此时,阿勒斯开始着手此事。他成功筹得资金,推行了一个花费大约190万美金的计划,该计划在未来20年间不但能回本,还能为社会提供巨额“储蓄”――降低能源成本和环境影响。这一计划给美国环境保护局留下如此深刻的印象,该局将其命名为“年度填埋场甲烷外展计划”。与安条克村共同分享这一荣誉的还有德国宝马汽车公司位于美国南卡罗来纳州的生产基地,该生产基地同样安装了以堆田区垃圾处理产生的气体来发电的系统用以发电并提供热水。“经过安条克村社区高中的努力,这真正是变废为宝了,”来自美国环境保护局的克里斯・沃尔如此评价安条克村所获的奖项,“这个计划不但将过去的垃圾堆填区变成了可再生资源的来源地,而且还成为了该校学生和当地社区的一大学习榜样。”
　　
　　地球上其他地方的青年也在受益。在埃塞俄比亚,儿童、父母、青年团体、学校、社区团体、非政府组织、农民、私营企业、地方当局和该国政府都团结起来,能种一棵树是一棵树,为环境的可持续发展一步步努力。20世纪初期,埃塞俄比亚的森林覆盖率是40%。如今,该数字仅为3%。滥伐森林正在危害生灵,并对儿童的成长造成影响。2007年,作为其千禧年庆祝活动的一部分,埃塞俄比亚政府承诺在全国种植6000多万棵树。这是联合国环境规划署“为地球种植10亿棵树”活动的一部分,是一个大力鼓励种植当地树木和促进可持续发展教育的全球性项目。2009年年末,在这个项目的推广下,来自170个国家的参与者一共种植了74亿多棵树木。该项目将对2010年“国际生物多样性年”做出重大贡献。
　　
　　从更深的层次上说,那些像在伊利诺斯州和埃塞俄比亚实施的教育活动,教育的不仅仅是资源的可持续性――更多的是让每个参与者学习到维系自然与所有人类之间的关系其价值之所在。这些项目把环境坚定地交到我们后代的手中,并向他们灌输对大自然的信仰,播下这些 “思想种子”,保持一种可长期持续的生活方式。
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