Untitled

From this, we can learn that in order to slow down and adapt to climate change,
a revolutionary approach that can affect society overall is crucial. This will need to
go beyond the current understandings on scientific explanations related to the
processes of climate change, which can affect society as a whole. And from this, we
can learn about the close connection between education on climate change and ESD,
for it is impossible to understand the process and solutions of climate change
without a systematic understanding of the overall system of the Earth and its
complexity and inter-relationship (UNESCO, 2009b).
Mayer, an Italian educator, stresses the above-mentioned importance of
education in this context (2007). She states that education connects us with the
community, nation and the world; it’s much like a spider web in the context of
society, economy, environment and culture and that the current unsustainable
society must change by means of ESD (see [Figure 1]). In order to carry out such a
role, ESD must essentially be transformative, must break away from traditional
thoughts and reach out to connect everything. Thus, not only simple behaviors but a
vision for the world and the future must be dealt with.
[Figure 1] Education that Connects Us with the World (Mayer, 2007)
However, ESD does not need “catastrophism” as is often thought. Moreover, it
should not put the burden of the current global situation on the shoulders of the
learners. It is, as Sleur & Affolter (2009) have assessed, an understanding of the
complexity related to the issue, a critical system thinking approach, and a vision for
the future needs to be provided to those students. System thinking is the key in ESD
because whether its subject or category is society, a school or the Earth, it is each a
single system. In order to understand the various social, economic, environmental
and cultural aspects of the issues, a consideration from an overall systematic view is