Educating for a Holistic View of the Earth System: A Review

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2021

Authors

Ribeiro, T (Author) FCUP; Orion, N (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Geosciences

Vol. 27

Final page: 485

ISSN: 2076-3263

Publisher: MDPI

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 0 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00V-XYA

DOI: 10.3390/geosciences11120485

Abstract (EN): The global society of today struggles with grand challenges, such as climate change, the degradation of ecosystems, and the loss of bio- and geodiversity, as identified in several documents. The search for solutions to these and other problems on the way to sustainable development necessarily involves a better understanding of the Earth system and its dynamics. The Earth system is composed of five highly dependent and interrelated subsystems that exchange matter and energy. This notion is at the base of what in the literature is named Earth System Science (ESS). Humanity has been profoundly altering the dynamics of this system, leading to the proposal of a new geological epoch-the Anthropocene. Developing a holistic understanding of the complex and tangled relationships between subsystems and the role of human impacts is the target of study of Earth System Education (ESE). With the assumptions of ESS, ESE is emerging as a new approach in science education. Based on a deep knowledge of the planet and the development of specific competencies, such as system thinking, it is possible to perform more actively and consciously in the relationships that citizens develop with the Earth system, enabling the existence of a more viable future for humanity.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 13