The state of Utah is facing immediate environmental challenges that jeopardize the health and viability of our community. The Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District – Utah’s largest water provider – estimates that its existing water supply will be exhausted by 2040, impacting the livelihood of millions of residents (1). In a 2004 list of metropolitan areas most polluted by short-term particle pollution, the American Lung Association listed the Salt Lake City-Ogden-Clearfield area as the 6th most polluted in the nation, and the Provo-Orem area as the 18th most polluted in the nation (2). Such poor air quality poses health risks, particularly to children, the elderly, and those already suffering health problems (3). Other pressing issues that we face along the Wasatch Front include: transportation and energy, land use, wilderness preservation, and waste management.
Education is one of the most important steps we can take to address this situation. While over 90% of parents in America think environmental studies should be part of their children’s education (4), environmental education is not currently included in Utah’s core curriculum requirements. This is a conspicuous gap in the state’s education system that must be supplemented by independent organizations. However, none of the environmental education providers currently operating in Utah offer a comprehensive literacy platform guided by the underlying psychology of the relationship between humans and the environment. By taking this rigorous approach, EARTH-Utah contributes significantly to environmental education in our state, helping to mold environmentally conscious citizens and establish Utah as a more sustainable community.
1
- http://www.utahpop.org/utah.htm
2 - http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=50752
3 - http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,660208466,00.html?pg=2
4 - Coyle, K. (2005) with the National Environmental Education & Training Foundation (NEETF). Environmental Literacy in America: What Ten Years of NEETF/Roper Research and Related Studies Say About Environmental Literacy in the US.