Ecological Literacy

The Visual Communication of Ecological Literacy

by Jody Joanna Boehnert

This paper is derived from my PhD research and is a preprint of an article submitted to a call for papers on the theme of ‘Visual Environmental Communication’, for a special issue of Environmental Communication: A Journal of Nature and Culture, Volume 6, Issue 4 (December, 2012), Taylor & Francis.

This paper describes how graphic design can support ecological literacy. Starting with a brief introduction to... more This paper describes how graphic design can support ecological literacy. Starting with a brief introduction to ecological literacy and a proposal that communication design must join the crisis disciplines in responding to predicaments in the earth science, the paper will argue that within an increasingly visual culture, visual intelligence can support the development of new perceptual capabilities potentially leading to relational ways of knowing. Graphic design can facilitate emergent ecological literacy and ecological perception by displaying context, causality and complexity. Images can foster whole systems understanding due to their unique ability to reveal relationships, dynamics and patterns. Graphic design can thus nurture the development of ecological manners of thought by strategically constructing visual resources to encourage ecological perception.

Epistemological Error: A Whole Systems View of Converging Crisis

by Jody Joanna Boehnert

Paper for 'Learning from the Crisis', Philosophy of Management conference at the University of Oxford, July 2010 and to be published in the journal Philosophy of Management in 2012.

Gregory Bateson said that we are ‘governed by epistemologies that we know to be wrong’ back in 1972. In the same book... more Gregory Bateson said that we are ‘governed by epistemologies that we know to be wrong’ back in 1972. In the same book Bateson wrote: 'the organism that destroys its environment destroys itself.’ Almost forty years later global ecological systems are in steep decline and converging crises make a deep evaluation of the underlying premises of our philosophical traditions an urgent imperative. This paper will suggest that the roots of the economic crisis are epistemological and that to correct this error whole systems thinking and ecological literacy will become increasing important in business management as well as in other disciplines. It will also suggest that the economic crisis opened new political space and has provided an opportunity for intervention. If we are brave enough to examine of the roots of our problems there is possibility for renewal.

Paper for Philosophy of Management conference at the University of Oxford in July 2010. More info here: http://bit.ly/a895P2+

Rewriting Our World: Moving from doom and salvation to hope and sustainability in the Western cultural narrative

by John Gust

The article can be found on pages 23 to 26 in Green Teacher, Issue 93, Summer 2011.

Taking a broad view of literacy: Lessons from the Appalachian Trail thru-hiking community

by Leslie Rush

Educação para a Sustentabilidade: a proposta da alfabetização ecológica

by Harlon Romariz Rabelo Santos

Published in Formadores Review (http://www.publicacoesfadba.com.br/index.php/formadores/)

This paper show a proposal of Ecological Literacy as a education way to sustainability. The Ecoliteracy has more
This paper show a proposal of Ecological Literacy as a education way to sustainability. The Ecoliteracy has
principles based on the ecology and has the theory of living systems as a guide that form their vision and
praxis.

Call for research—The consuming child-in-context in unhealthy and unsustainable times, Australian Journal of Environmental Education, 26, 33-45.

by Leonie Rutherford

Co-authored with Dr Helen Skouteris (Deakin University), Dr Amy Cutter-Mackenzie and Dr Suzy Edwards (Monash University) and Michael Do (Deakin University).

AUTHOR'S draft copy, revised and published by the Australian Journal of Environmental Education (2010)

Examining interdisciplinary research in digital media, play and childhood, obesity and child health, promotional... more Examining interdisciplinary research in digital media, play and childhood, obesity and child health, promotional culture and environmental and sustainability education, the authors argue for a contextualized, ecological approach to children's consumption in its application to children's health and sustainability behaviours.