I have to admit I entered this class with a very strong bias against the whole concept of environmental awareness. I felt as if nothing I read would relate to me, or effect me enough to change. Opening the first chapter of A Sustainable Future I was shocked to already have been proven wrong. Richard Louv author of Last Child in the Woods is a strong advocate of classroom learning. I couldn't agree more that we must shy away from this danger type of learning. Dangerous ? You might ask. Yes, the process of learning has become a numb/dull experience. When limited to four walls the mind becomes very distant. Why do so many people have a problem day dreaming ? The answer is by nature we belong in the outdoors. We are longing for something more real, more interactive.
As Louv explains (pg.2) scientist are seeing amazing progression in concentration of victims of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Simply being outside has been shown to increase concentration and remove aggression. Mental Medications have become over prescribed and our youth is becoming over medicated. The problem that Louv is getting at is we have become over stimulated. The television, movies, and video games we play have created more stimulation then ever before. This data overload has been proven to be escaped best by experiencing our roots, nature. I myself have quite a difficult time concentrating reading inside, but if I step outside on my dock I find concentration much easier. I believe Louv is onto something great.
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