The transition in fossil fuels to renewable energies presents an invaluable opportunity for educators and researchers to advance environmental education (EE) focused on energy systems. However, this study suggested that EE frameworks have been insufficient to prepare students for the energy transition. This study focuses on environmental action and change, which are actions and changes that aim to mitigate environmental impacts. The researchers sought to understand how EE currently conceptualizes environmental action and change in the context of energy systems through a literature review. A framework was presented that reframes how educators and researchers should approach the energy transition.
The researchers conducted a literature review of articles published between 2012 and December 2018 from four EE journals. Articles were chosen selected if the terms climate or energy appeared in the title, abstract or in the keywords. Out of 70 papers that were analyzed, 54 of them focused on climate change education and communication, and 16 focused on energy education and literacy. The researchers categorized methods and findings of each article. The researchers also identified references in the text that matched their action or action categories. Action categories included actions by individual actors such as people or organizations, action in the public or private sector, and more. The researchers analyzed the text for themes and used the results to inform how EE should approach climate change and energy education.
It was found that environmental educators and researchers regularly view environmental action in terms of individualized or privatized energy conservation behavior; for example, a small business shutting off their lights at night or an individual taking public transportation. In the literature, the success of educational programs was evaluated by measuring individual energy conservation behavior change due to the programs. The researchers' findings emphasized that focusing on energy conservation and changing personal behaviors ignored the political and social aspects of energy system transformations.
The researchers presented a collective action framework to inform educators and researchers how to approach climate change and energy education. The framework advocated for multi-actor networks, which are networks that include climate scientists, renewable energy professionals, state agencies, and NGOs working together, and engaging with social movements related to the renewable energy transition. It also emphasized the need for technical and social innovation in EE to address change at the level of socio-economic systems rather than emphasizing individual energy conservation behaviors.
A limitation to this study is that it is a literature review, rather than a direct study. The researchers selected certain articles based on key search words in the title, abstract, and keywords, which could have left out articles that may have been relevant to this study. The researchers' preconceived belief that EE often emphasizes individual behaviors in climate action could have led to bias when categorizing the literature.
The researchers suggested that educators and researchers go beyond individual behavior, or pro-environmental behavior, as the agent for change in their programs or research. Energy education and literacy should be reframed to include understanding of technical and social innovation occurring across communities and organizations in the world. In promoting collective action, the researchers recommend educators and researchers view youth as active participants in creating systemic change. Educators and researchers should develop new ways to support students' longstanding engagements with energy systems and energy transitions.
The Bottom Line
Environmental education (EE) frameworks are insufficient in preparing students for the energy transition of fossil fuels to renewable energies. The researchers examined recent literature to understand how EE conceptualizes energy systems and climate change in the relation to environmental action and change. The researchers found that environmental educators and researchers regularly view environmental action as individual energy conservation behavior, rather than a larger socio-economic system level change. To realize energy education goals, the researchers presented a framework that embraces collective action, and multi-actor networks, which can include scientists, renewable energy professionals, and state agencies working together. The researchers recommend energy education and literacy should move away from pro-environmental individual behavior and move toward including innovations occurring across communities and organizations in the world.