Dias, Genebaldo Freire. Environmental Education: principles and practices. 6 th. Revised and expanded edition. Sao Paulo: Gaia, 2000 (9 th, 2007)


Genebaldo Freire Dias is PhD in ecology from the University of Brasilia. It has worked and produced, so very useful in environmental issues, especially in the field of education, signing up as a national reference, backed by his extensive resume. Currently, he is a professor and researcher at the Catholic University of Brasilia where he is developing a major project, which is reported in this book as a relevant institutional experience. Held various positions in institutions of direction related to this issue, both in the local and national. He is also advisor of the World Health Organization (WHO) United Nations (UN) and the National Environmental Fund (FNMA), and contribute to the evolution of the debate on environmental issues under various national and international bodies.

Initially, the author presents a critical review of the history of Environmental Education (EE) in the world and in the country, from registration and evaluation of the results of significant events, adding comments and relevant analyses. In this historical narrative emphasizes the conference in Tbilisi in 1977, which stood out as a crucial milestone in establishing the conceptual basis of the EE, identified as activity essential for building new models and proposals for development. Under the ideology of EA would be developed a new educational process in scale and global perspective.

In their discussions on environmental issues and draft EE, the author believes that the pressures of the international financial system have led other nations to situations of unsustainability in their development processes.

Even acknowledging progress in the National Policy on Environmental Education (Law 9795/99) and improvement in the indices of quality of life, presents critical to the development models that have been adopted by Brazil and the industrialised countries, highlighting the negative implications for future generations. In that context, discusses the implications of the globalization process that has expanded the number of individuals and populations that are to adopt the same patterns of consumption, putting enormous strain on finite resources, some scarce, without evaluating the capacity of natural regeneration. The result is a general state of frustration and violence, typical of "species under ecosystemic stress: all are against all" Design is a culture of "to have" instead of "to be", leading to depletion of natural resources - "the largest part of human society lives as if it were the last generation ", not any possibility of sustainable development.

Humanity is facing a big challenge: "the loss of environmental balance, accompanied by erosion of cultural, social and economic injustice and violence, as a corollary of its lack of perception of ethical and spiritual impoverishment, also the fruit of a type of education that
" trained " people to be consuming useful, egocentric and ignore the ecological consequences of their acts"

Few countries comply with international agreements and EE has not yet managed to the internalization of social values capable of halting environmental degradation that the world is experiencing with great speed.

Despite the amazing scientific and technological development achieved in the last century in all fields of knowledge, the ability to forecast about the risks and environmental consequences still appears to be very limited.

The author also shows that the EA presents many contradictions and conflicts of interest, besides being a new field of knowledge, which requires a systemic approach still poorly understood or practised in the academic environment, nor by governments, politicians, authorities.

From ample and clear reasons, indicates the need for developing new methodological tools to contribute to overcoming the limitations of the reductionist approaches and methods dominant in academia. However, there is still much to advance the construction of a new paradigm that can generate reliable results able to base decisions and produce changes.

While acknowledging that many steps have already been taken, proposes efforts, focusing on environmental education and training of groups of interdisciplinary research, aimed at understanding and internalization of a new ethic of development, capable of meeting the challenge of sustainability of human life on the planet.

The author contributes to the understanding of environmental issues based on the theory of complexity, the principle of uncertainty (indeterminismo) and the systemic thinking, discussing the relationship of interdependence of the process of sustainable development, considering the population growth, size and economic limitations of natural resources in addressing the social issues of urban ecosystems. Moreover, deals with human actions relating them to global environmental change and discusses the basics of urban EA.

A report on the experience of EE and co-management held in Brasilia National Park is presented and discussed, containing not only complaints but also, importantly, pointing possibilities for solution of environmental issues, showing the importance of the internalization of values the community, through education. Another case study presented is the Environmental Education Program at the Catholic University of Brasilia since 1999, with goals from incorporated the environmental dimension in all activities of the University; spread practices of sustainable development, construction an institutional agenda-21; deployment of an internal environmental management system. These samples are copies of what can be done.

It is a work of reference, a classic, for the present time, depth and systematization of information presented. Developed on the basis of relevant facts and historical landmarks, is aimed at students and teachers of all grades, and to all citizens affected by environmental problems, bringing lucid proposals for development of a process of sustainable development and improving the quality of life for all.

Ivan Rocha Neto
Doctor of the University of Electronics Canterburg - England
Pro-Rector of Post-Graduate Studies and Research at the Catholic University of Brasilia


Magazine Universa, Brasilia, V.9, n.2, p.351 - 353, June 2001