We are in deep trouble because consumers, parents, youth, educators, citizens, scientists and decision-makers in politics and economy are illiterate: earth-illiterate.

 

 

WHAT IS EARTH-LITERACY?

being earth-literate means being able to read the Earth and understand the meaning of our individual and collective actions. It means being able to create balanced societies that function ecologically, socially and culturally. And making the decisions pertaining to such a global society - as consumer, parent, educator, learner, business-person, citizen and politician.  

Our shift from a Culture of Unsustainability to a Culture of Sustainability depends on new lifestyle. This a matter of new learning, of aquiring Earth-Literacy.

 

"Our biggest challenge in this new century is to take an idea that sounds abstract - sustainable development - and turn it into reality for all the world's people. Making the abstract real and developing the capacities of individuals and societies to work for a sustainable future is, essentially, an educational enterprise." Kofi Annan

 

 

HOW TO TEACH EARTH-LITERACY?

Tribal cultures, the Children of Nature, have got it right - they live by priorities that are in tune with the life-systems of Planet Earth.

Concerning re-educating "industrial cultures" - we are only at the beginning, and it cannot be doubted that it is the most important thing in our era. Which makes this Co-Laboratory really exciting, by the way.

Of course, Earth-Literacy includes becoming part of the whole with all senses in deep experience, including emotions, intelligence and the intellect. Experiencing nature and deeply feeling part of the biosphere is indispensable. We can call this aspect "nature learning", which is closely tied to our in-born intelligence and our heart.

"A realisation that has not gone through all the sense can bear no truth but a harmful one." Leonardo da Vinci, universal, cross-scientific scholar (1452-1519)

 

But we need a second level for getting a grasp on the global multicomplexity of our societies acting in the framework of the biosphere, - this is for the intellect and our mind.

Let us start with an example: How can we possibly get global priorities right, if - for example - the world maps used in our classrooms (worldwide!), news programs and digital maps on the internet (worldwide!) convey the impression that Africa was smaller than North America, although it is much bigger!? That China appears smaller than Greenland, although China is more than 4 times as large?! 

To begin with Earth-literacy, we need to become *map-literate*. Take a self-learner's course on Map-Literacy here: http://in-betweener.org/flatworlds/maps/earth-literacy.html

 

 

 

MAPS & MODELS IN EARTH-LITERACY-LEARNING

Maps are 2-dimensional models of the Earth. Every model is a limited representation of the truth. A world map for example is a very, very strong  simplification, and so are all other models trying to get a grip on how things work on Planet Earth, our societies and cultures.

Oversimplification is a hazard to political decision-making. And for our lifestyles. This is true for every discipline, and across disciplines. Only, so far, each discipline rather thinks for itself and doesnt understand the other and develops its own language - this is what you hate in schools! and what makes school learning so ineffective! It also causes the inability of scientists to cooperate, and of politicians to make any meaningful decisions in the bigger picture - besides their 2- or 4-year election cycles, and of corporate heads to think of anything but their quarterly results. 

Our view on the world must radically change, in order to understand its complexity. And just like "one" view is not enough to get the whole picture and appropriate understanding, we need many views. We also need to zoom in to the detail and zoom out for the overview and the whole (Think of seeing Earth from space, turning the planet around, zooming in... but it has to be more than that even!).

 

 

"MAN IS A MENTAL-MODEL-MAKING ANIMAL." (UNESCO)

 

 

Many Views, Multicomplex Models are needed

2-dimensional models are little good in depicting this multicomplexity. 3-dimensional models have a better go at it. An example move into this direction is the Eco-Cube, or Magic Cube of Ecology.

 

The Magic Cube of Ecology arranges the major data realms of the world in one model: Ecology, Sociology (Societies) and Cultures. It looks at them in microscale (for example : local), mesoscale (for example : national) and macroscale (for example : global), AND it includes TIME to illustrate changes(!) in our environment, society and culture. Imagine how Virtual Reality application could animate this cube, and allow for flights into and through the cube, entering the realms of culture, watching...   The Cube was designed by Heiner Benking as part of the Global Change exhibition 1990.

 

 

So, in a way, this is a transparent, scientific alternative to the globe... a different, deep model of the world, offering insights into what's happening, with many things on the surface and many more - inside, and rather invisible and incomprehensible for us.

And as long as we don't understand, we better don't act on oversimplistic assumptions on the planet... such as measuring it in dollars, euros, yen, decibels, power, fun- and ego-factors! 

 

But again ... everything here is only a beginning, a hint in a direction. Earth-literacy is a long-term, co-thinking and co-learning process with nature and cultures.

"We can only achieve global sustainability if we gather the wisdom and empirical knowledge of all cultures."

 

 

EARTH-LITERACY Co-LABORATORY

The Co-Laboratory is under construction at http://in-betweener.org/. It collects materials on this issue. You are invited to contribute texts, weblinks and resources.

For texts on Earth-literacy and Earth-literate Leadership, go straight to http://in-betweener.org/flatworlds/maps/earth-literacy.html

For more on Flat Worlds and Deep Worlds, and the (interconnecting) space "in-between", visit http://in-betweener.org/.

 

 

VOLUNTEERS WANTED:

If you are interested in learning and contributing to Earth-Literacy Learning, you can help out by editing updates (required knowledge in text processing and basic WYSIWYIG web design). We also seek layouters to help out with transforming our resources into learning sheets for school use.

 

[images courtesy and copyright Heiner Benking: http://benking.de]