Table of Contents

Table of Contents

More Praise for Ecoliterate

Acknowledgments

Introduction: From Breakdown to Breakthrough

Why We Need a New Ecological Sensibility

Making the Connections

From Emotional to Ecological Intelligence

Putting the Pieces Together

Beyond Our Collective Blind Spot

Benefitting Academic Achievement and Ecological Well-being

Five Practices of Emotionally and Socially Engaged Ecoliteracy

Developing Empathy for All Forms of Life

Embracing Sustainability as a Community Practice

Making the Invisible Visible

Anticipating Unintended Consequences

Understanding How Nature Sustains Life

Section One: Stories from the Field

Part One: Standing Strong on a Coal Mountain

Chapter One: Lessons from a Coal Miner's Daughter: Teri Blanton and Wendell Berry, Kentucky

The Role of Coal Today

“Nobody's Damn Victim”

The Intelligence Connection

Chapter Two: Taking a Power Trip: Spartanburg Day School, South Carolina

Riding the Coal Line

Bearing Witness

A Bird's-Eye View

Creative Discomfort

Part Two: From Anger to Action in Oil Country

Chapter Three: The Heart of the Caribou: Sarah James, Arctic Village, Alaska

The Story of Oil in Alaska

The Gwich'in Way of Life

The Prospect of Drilling

Giving Voice to a Way of Life

It's Not Over Till…

On the Future and Education

Chapter Four: Beyond Whining: Kids Rethink New Orleans Schools

Sparked by Tragedy

And Then Came the Spill

From Objects to Relationships

Focusing on Solutions

Part Three: Shared Water: Moving Beyond Boundaries

Chapter Five: Water Wars and Peace: Aaron Wolf, Mediator and Oregon State University Professor

Like Oil, Like Water?

Causes of Scarcity

Challenging the Orthodoxy

Uncovering the Facts

The Space Between War and Peace

A New (Old) Model

Putting Four Worlds to Work

Chapter Six: From Restoration to Resilience: Students and Teachers Restoring A Watershed, Northern California

Cultivating Community

A Student's Question

The Watershed Connection

New Directions in Restoration

The Ultimate Goal

Part Four: Nourishing Communities with Food

Chapter Seven: Changing a Food System, One Seed at a Time: La Semilla Food Center, Anthony, New Mexico

From Farms to Factory Farms

From Not Knowing to Knowing

Changing the Climate

From Education to Action

Chapter Eight: Forging the Food Justice Path: Tony Smith, Superintendent of Schools, Oakland, California

The Roots of Empathy

Surfacing Systemic Inequities

Drugs There, Apples Here

Change: From Piecemeal, to Systemic

Section Two: Professional Development Strategies

Chapter Nine: Cultivating Ecoliterate Learning Communities: Guidelines for Engaging Colleagues

Form a Learning Circle

Use Four Strategies for Cultivating Ecoliterate Learning Communities

Design a Learning Circle for Success

Chapter Ten: Reflection and Practice: Conversation Strategies for Getting Started

Part One: Standing Strong on a Coal Mountain

Part Two: From Anger to Action in Oil Country

Part Three: Shared Water: Moving Beyond Boundaries

Part Four: Nourishing Communities with Food

Conclusion: Hands-On Hope

Part One: Standing Strong on a Coal Mountain

Part Two: From Anger to Action in Oil Country

Part Three: Shared Water: Moving Beyond Boundaries

Part Four: Nourishing Communities with Food

Professional Development Strategies

Related Organizations

The Center for Ecoliteracy