Early Childhood Eco-education in Mitigating Destruction of Environmentby | 27-01-2013 07:50 |
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 Nowdays, people in the world are excited to discuss environmental crime initiated by the United Nations. As reported by Positive News, January 11, 2013, "ecocide refering to any large-scale destruction of the environment a crime against peace". UNEP, UNICRI, and Eradicating Ecocide group get together to create a campaign that aims to stop ecocide entirely by 2020, known as WISH20. It has become one of the pillars to address environmental destruction in many parts of the world. Indeed, environmental destruction is not an easy problem to be solved because it is a multidimensional problem and full of complexity. However, at least with endeavors and prayer, we can adjust these issues. One way to overcome the above items beyond the international law is a formality based educational institutions. It has been widely applied to environment- based education in which one is to realize its goal of sustainable environmental management. However, it has been implemented at the end of education levels, for instance in junior high school, senior high school, and university so as to overcome these inequalities, it is necessary to execute at the earliest levels such as in kindergarten or elementary school even as a baby was born in the world. The meaning of early education by UNESCO is the period from birth to eight years old. A time of remarkable brain growth, these years lay the foundation for subsequent learning and development. Indeed in the early, children are more initiative than adults and have greater ability to accept new things. Therefore, this is the best way to insert environmental education in the period. Let us imagine what would happen if climate change and global warming still haunt future generations? Will we still be able to feel the beauty of the woods, inhale oxygen, and provide a beautiful environment for future generations? Great admiration and appreciation must be given to some environmental networking platforms for children and youth, for instance TUNZA Eco-generation and TUNZA-UNEP. Why? Because these organizations have provided young people with information and tools on how to "treat Mother Earth with care" and how to act for a better world. Imitating the action of existing international organizations such as the two above platforms is not as easy as turning the hand. Yet, at least a small-scale action can provide early eco-education for young children to protect the environment. This environmental action is a form of personal leadership project run by encouraging students of SD N 2 Jambu, Mlonggo district, Jepara, Central Java. This action is executed through the planting of trees using agroforestry at abandoned land. There, education on conservation of tropical forests is introduced. Various types of tropical multipurpose tree species were selected before they were planted, for instance Mahogany, Jabon, Teak, Mango, Sengon, and so forth. Not only that, tree planting and maintenance techniques were introduced to improve the knowledge of students about agriculture and forestry. So in the action, the combination of social benefits, economic, and environmental as well as education may be obtained where it depends on how excecutors choose their best innovation for environmental sustainability. Hopefully trees and plants they grow can reap more benefits for future generations and can remind them regarding the importance of protecting the environment. Hopefully with this kind of education, environmental degradation can be reduced step by step. |
