Introduction
Kutz (1) defines environmental degradation as the destruction of habitats and ecosystems and the depletion of natural resources. The destruction of the environment arises from a combination of both natural and human causes and exerts pressure on physical, biological and geological cycles. However, several studies have proven that human activities are increasingly posing a more significant threat to the environment than natural causes (Melilo, 2). That is partly attributed to the continuous population growth, which results in the depletion of natural resources. Apart from that, several human activities are pollution-intensive and result in massive environmental deterioration.
Some of the notable causes of concern to the environment include climate change, cultural taboos, energy sources, civil war, lack of educational opportunities, inappropriate use of technology, globalization, and poor health of entire populations. The ones that cause the most significant concern to the environment are climate change, energy sources, inappropriate use of technology, and civil war. The present paper aims to discuss the lack of educational opportunities and cultural taboos as the least critical causes of concern for the global environment.
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Threat 1: Lack of Educational Opportunities
It is believed that education can play a pivotal role in improving environmental management practices, particularly in developing countries. Some of the reasons why this is believed include the postulation that quality education instills a set of values, beliefs, attitudes, and awareness, which to some extent, can shape an individual’s perception towards environmental conservation. However, educational attainment does not directly translate to improved responsibility towards environmental conservation (Ardoin et al., 3). That notwithstanding, it is noteworthy that education can shape policy formulation geared towards better environmental practices. However, it might not be enough as perceived because of the following:
Poor Education Curriculums. Most curriculums or education systems in schools globally do not go beyond the transfer of information (Ardoin et al., 3). During the schooling process, most students and instructors alike focus on academic performance indices, such as high grades. However, this focus makes the educational process lack critical thought, innovation, and self-efficacy, which are critical to the conservation of the environment. Ardoin et al. (3) also contended that most students may be able to master environmental conservation techniques from simple theories to complex waste management processes. However, the challenge arises since the education system focuses on the mastery of the content rather than applicability, which may render such knowledge useless.
The rate of environmental degradation has sharply increased even though there has been a notable increase in literacy levels. Literacy is a measure of the education level of a population. Roser and Ortiz-Ospina (4) contend that in the 1820s, the global literacy level was 14%. However, as of 2016, only 16% of the global population was illiterate. Also, the literacy level in the 1960s was 42%, while an 86% literacy level was recorded in 2015 (Roser and Ortiz-Ospina, 4). However, during a similar duration, human factors alone have contributed to a global temperature rise of 1.5 degrees Celsius (Melilo et al., 2). Additionally, the highest carbon (IV) oxide emissions since the 1900s were recorded in 2018 (Crippa, 5). These two are indicators of environmental degradation. In an ideal scenario, it would be expected that the increase in literacy levels would have resulted in a corresponding decrease in environmental degradation. However, this is not the case.
The role of education in environmental conservation cannot be considered in isolation. An example of this scenario is excellently depicted in the disposal of simple wastes on a day-to-day basis. After an individual finishes taking water from a bottle, peeling a banana, or a snack wrapper, they are likely to dispose of the bottle properly out of obligation to the regulations set in the country or state. In such cases, neither their educational attainment nor upbringing to be conscious of the environment would have played a role in isolation. In this regard, the effect of the lack of education as a primary contributor to environmental degradation becomes questionable.
Threat 2: Cultural Taboos
Jones et al. (6) define cultural taboo as a behavioral custom prohibiting against particular conduct. The extent to which cultural practice affects the degree of environmental conservation or degradation has been a topic of discussion that has sparked a lot of interest in the past. Whereas as humans strive to fulfill certain conditions, they may have over-reliance on particular resources based on their limiting cultural practices and taboos thereof, it is arguable that in the process of such social institutions governing the use of resources within their social setting, it may also have notable benefits in the protection of the environment. Cultural taboos are considered to have little impact on the global environment because of the following reasons:
Some cultural taboos have proven to be beneficial to the environment. Jones et al. (6) conducted a study to establish the extent to which informal institutions such as taboos governed the consumption of wild species, focusing on Malagasy culture. Findings from the study proved that there were taboos against the consumption of endemic animal species such as lemur and Fossa. As a result of these cultural prohibitions, there has been a limited sale of these animals, despite their high value. Apart from that, cultural practices have promoted sustainable harvesting of plants such as pandanus. It is interesting to note that these practices do not directly originate from scientific evidence or need to conserve the environment (Fraser, 7). It was also noted that with the reducing impact of these societal taboos, there had been an increase in environmental degradation. Therefore, from the example, it can be concluded that cultural taboos may not pose a considerable risk to the environment, contrary to the common perception regarding this issue.
Some cultural practices are observed by small populations, and the resulting impacts on the environment may be negligible. For instance, in the Amazon, cultural taboos have regulated the hunting of turtles, snakes, and tapir. However, considering that the population living within the region is estimated at 7,000 people only, the overall impact of such practices on the global environment is negligible (Fraser, 7). Furthermore, there are multiple other cultures whose prohibitions result in these animals’ consumption in other regions. Consequently, the net impact of taboos on the environment becomes negligible.
Globalization has resulted in most societies placing less importance on traditionally respected taboos. Traditionally, societies and countries were isolated and created a set of standards for acceptable behavior in isolation. However, through globalization, people from different cultures have interacted over the years and has resulted in reduced stigma around activities, some of which were previously prohibited. For instance, there are spiritual beliefs that influence how people visiting the Amazon forest behave (Fraser, 7). That is evidenced in hunted animals’ consumption patterns, where certain parts are not considered to be fit for consumption. Such practices can result in increased hunting of animals, which may harm the environment. However, with globalization, such notions are slowly being disregarded, which may then impact the environment.
Conclusion
Given the preceding, it is evident that the lack of educational opportunities and cultural taboos should be given little priority while prioritizing the concerns to be addressed. Through the education process, individuals are taught about environmental conservation; it is noted that most curriculums are poorly designed since they are overly theoretical. As a result, the application of knowledge gained in the education process becomes limited. Apart from that, several factors must act in tandem with education to have a significant impact on environmental conservation. Therefore, a lack of education cannot be considered a critical factor in environmental degradation. Similarly, cultural taboos should not be given significant priority in addressing factors affecting the global environment since most cultural practices and associated taboos are geared towards protecting the environment. Apart from that, taboos are respected within localized regions; hence their influence on the global environment may be limited. Lastly, due to globalization and urbanization, the importance placed in some cultural practices is gradually reducing.
Sources
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Ardoin, N. M., Bowers, A. W., & Gaillard, E. (2020). Environmental education outcomes for conservation: A systematic review. Biological Conservation , 241 , 108224.
Roser, M., & Ortiz-Ospina, E. (20). Literacy. Retrieved 11 September 2020, from https://ourworldindata.org/literacy
Crippa, M., Oreggioni, G., Guizzardi, D., Muntean, M., Schaaf, E., Lo Vullo, E., ... & Vignati, E. (2019). Fossil CO2 and GHG emissions of all world countries. Luxemburg: Publication Office of the European Union .
Jones, J. P., Andriamarovololona, M. M., & Hockley, N. (2008). The importance of taboos and social norms to conservation in Madagascar. Conservation biology , 22 (4), 976-986.
Fraser, B. (2016). Conservation by another name: Traditions, taboos and hunting - CIFOR Forests News. Retrieved 11 September 2020, from https://forestsnews.cifor.org/40317/conservation-by-another-name-traditions-taboos-and-hunting?fnl=
