Summary
The recent focus on environmentalism and the necessity to reduce negative impacts on the environment, such as the carbon footprint, have necessitated the promotion of sustainable development principles. In their article “Competencies for Sustainable Development and Sustainability: Significance and Challenges for ESD”, Yoko Mochizuki and Zinaida Fadeeva (2010) scrutinize the issue closely. Particularly, the authors make it evident that approaches based on building competence must be employed to educate people about the significance of sustainable development (Mochizuki & Fadeeva, 2010). Studying the effects of educational programs on the acquisition of competences for SD, the authors conclude that the necessity of SD education (ESD) is nowadays recognized by an increasingly large number of people (Mochizuki & Fadeeva, 2010). Therefore, further actions must be taken to ensure the consistent spreading of awareness among people across the globe. The resulting rise in ESD levels among the global population will lead to a gradual improvement of the current situation and more reasonable use of available finite resources.
The maximization of utility is regarded as one of the most common strategies employed nowadays to follow the standards for sustainable development. The observed phenomenon, however, while being admittedly useful, lacks consistency due to the need for further education. The universality of the sustainable development concepts that are currently used as the basis for decision-making, in turn, is also doubtful. Therefore, the development of a new program that encourages people to use collaborative skills to spread awareness is due. Interdisciplinary collaboration is expected to assist in viewing the problem of SD from different angles and locating innovative solutions.
Critique: Advantages
The article by Mochizuki and Fadeeva (2010) sheds light on some of the most complex aspects of current sustainability management efforts, which doubtlessly is an advantage. For example, Mochizuki and Fadeeva (2010) do not hesitate to remind their readers of the issues such as the recent failures in developing a comprehensive ESD program that could encourage the active acquisition of essential skills and information by the target demographic. The authors outline the problems of previous approaches, pointing to the necessity to appeal to each person individually and at the same time promote community cooperation.
Additionally, Mochizuki and Fadeeva (2010) must be given credit for locating the requirements for efficient community education specified by UNESCO and using them to build a new and enhanced model. As a result, Mochizuki and Fadeeva (2010) introduce opportunities for presenting the issue to diverse populations and making the dilemma relatable to anyone, which is a rather challenging task. Indeed, because of culture-specific interpretations of the problem, some members of the global population may be reluctant to accept a new strategy for managing resources (Geng, Sarkis, & Ulgiati, 2016). Mochizuki and Fadeeva (2010), however, develop the framework that allows avoiding the identified problem and encourage all participants to adopt a responsible attitude toward the issue.
Finally, the emphasis on community participation and solidarity as the foundation for the future ESD approach must be listed among the key advantages of the article. Because of the increasing diversity rates within the global community, it is crucial to facilitate the environment in which people from different backgrounds will strive to attain a common goal (Mochizuki & Fadeeva, 2010). The significance of cooperation cannot possibly be underestimated in the management of environmental concerns, and Mochizuki and Fadeeva (2010) prove it in their article.
Critique: Disadvantages
Even though Mochizuki and Fadeeva (2010) have done an excellent analysis of the current approaches toward enhancing environmentalism-related education among the global community members, there are certain problems in their study. The methodology chosen of the study is, perhaps, one of the key problems that make the results of the study less impressive. Since the authors aim at testing the success of using a particular approach for promoting education, the use of a quantitative framework, and the development of a hypothesis to test would have been more appropriate. However, instead, the authors of the study resort to the review of the available studies. Although their assessment of previous statements and solutions is doubtlessly objective and very detailed, it still lacks the prevision of an in-depth analysis.
Furthermore, the application of a quantitative approach would have allowed researchers to test the efficacy of the proposed model for change (Qu, Liu, Nayak, & Li, 2015). Granted that the specified choice of methods would have taken an impressive amount of time, it would have offered more accurate results than the current analysis. Besides, a comparison of the strategies for ESD mentioned in the article would have been a welcome addition to the paper. Without a profound analysis of the existing strategies and the identification of a superior one, future management of education issues among general audiences is bound to be rather complicated. Therefore, a follow-up study that will provide a chance to implement an improved ESD approach and encourage participants to develop a more in-depth understanding of environmental concerns should be seen as a necessity.
Social Importance
Despite the problems in its design, the article has great social importance due to the emphasis that it places on the problem of environmentalism and mass awareness regarding the subject matter. Although the issue of eco-friendly attitudes and responsible behaviors have been discussed to the point when the issue has lost its shock value, the problem remains part and parcel of everyday reality. Therefore, strategies for handling the issue must be designed and applied respectively to educate people about the threats of unsustainable development. The article, in turn, contributes extensively to the improvement of the current models for managing ESD levels within a global community. As a result, the study gains significance as it offers new avenues for disseminating crucial information among the target demographic and keeping people informed. The outcomes of using a strategy that will help build ESD levels are bound to be truly grandiose, with people all over the world adopting the principles of sustainable use of resources (Mochizuki & Fadeeva, 2010). The change in question has huge importance for preventing the exhaustion of finite resources. Also, environmental concerns associated with pollution and destruction of unique ecosystems and habitats may be resolved once ESD levels are raised.
Moreover, the results of the study imply that further cohesion of the global community and enhanced communication will become an opportunity. The specified alteration in the dynamics of multicultural relationships will have a massively positive impact on the global community and its members since it will help address and prevent some of the current conflicts. Therefore, there is no doubt that the article has tremendous social importance. It creates the platform for continuous improvement of global issues by promoting cooperation and diversity.
References
Geng, Y., Sarkis, J., & Ulgiati, S. (2016). Sustainability, well-being, and the circular economy in China and worldwide. Science, 6278(Supplement), 73-76.
Mochizuki, Y., & Fadeeva, Z. (2010). Competences for sustainable development and sustainability: Significance and challenges for ESD. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 11(4), 391-403. Web.
Qu, Y., Liu, Y., Nayak, R. R., & Li, M. (2015). Sustainable development of eco-industrial parks in China: Effects of managers’ environmental awareness on the relationships between practice and performance. Journal of Cleaner Production, 87, 328-338. Web.