Caretakers or undertakers : how can education support humanity to build a sustainable future?

It is important for educators to play an active role in supporting humanity to build a sustainable future. A part of this is through the development of curricula that educate communities about environmentalism through the disciplines of science such as ecology, biology, and Earth sciences; another aspect is to help develop active citizenship and leadership capability within communities. Given the precarious nature of the Anthropocene, it is vital that educators from all sectors of the community seize the opportunity to act now and develop education programs that enable communities to collaborate in projects that improve the health of the Earth and the quality of life for all living organisms. Educators can foster a caretaker view that resists the undertaker culture that exploits and buries human and non-human life for the sake of the wealth and power of a few. Educators can help society understand how choices made in the past have led to this epoch called the Anthropocene; they can help society move beyond its narrow conception of what it is to be human. The curriculum developed for our children must examine ways to protect nature and not allow politicians to stifle the merits of people leading the conservation and social justice initiatives needed to make a more habitable Earth and future habitable places in the Cosmos.