Do you think that Environmental Science should be a required class in schools?

I’ve heard almost everybody who’s studying something say that some part of their education programme should’ve been taught to everybody, and I feel that way about some parts of mine as well…

We put a lot of emphasis on recycling and practically none on reducing and reusing our “stuff.”
I don’t think they should be required to take a class specifically on the topic but I do think it should be part of the discussion in science, social studies and civics classes.

Absolutely, otherwise they’ll blow it off like so many people do in this world.

Yes, I do.

“Have you ever heard of a place where environmental science is a part of core curriculum?”

I’m pretty sure it is in Germany. There are no special classes, but it’s discussed in politics, science, and even foreign languages.

It should be taught as part of Biology but i don’t think it should have a whole year spent just on Environmental Science.

@Judi Of course. I’m not focusing specifically on that subject, although it is very important. I reuse things to the point that it probably isn’t good for me. I hate people that don’t care and just throw things away. Expiration dates are lies, too.
@seekingwolf And Germany is so much more greener than the US! Wind turbines generate 30% of Germany’s electricity.
@Vincentt I’m just taking a class on it as an elective. I’m not majoring in Environmental Science or anything. It’s always been important to me, and isn’t just something I value on a whim.

They covered this sort of stuff in a general earth science classes where we were taught about plate tectonics and photosynthesis in the eight grade. But this was in Oregon and California. I’m sure the “god will sort it out” states don’t really care.

I don’t think it has to be a full semester, but a week or two would be good as part of another science class. A full semester as an elective would be great though.

I had a full “Environmental Science” course in high school. It covered the environmental issues like you’re asking about but also interactions in different environments (things like how weather affects landscape, which affects plant life, which affect animal life, etc.) and practical skills like sample collection and determining a population of a species in a given area.

It was worthwhile. I live in Texas for what it’s worth.

@funkdaddy My high school had that, too, but was yours a required class?

@dxs – It was required. Thinking it through it was a magnet school for science as well, so I don’t really remember if it was in the extended curriculum or taught everywhere.

Environmental Science was required at my local public school. I find that interesting because the private school I attended did not require it. They made you take physics though.

@seekingwolf That’s how it was at my high school. Physics was required and environmental science was optional. I thought all high schools required a physics, chemistry and science component.

Yes. We all live on spaceship Earth and if we screw up our ship’s life support system, we are all screwed.

No, it is just another liberal pinko indoctrination course designed to keep God out of our schools and warp our childrens minds with their namby pamby if it feels good do it nonsense.

Yes, I am totally agree with your opinion Environmental Science is necessary to everyone & its a good way to teach them to save our environment in a small age. So that they have an idea about the advantages to save nature, disadvantages to destroy, & way to maintain its process.

Not as a class, but as an integral part in the curriculum.

@dxs Of course not, that was not what I meant. It’s just that everybody has something they’re passionate about and think that everybody should know about it and act on that knowledge, but that there’s only so much space in a curriculum. For example, I care about environmental science too, but I also feel very strongly about, for example, philosophy of science, or civics, and plenty of other subjects…