ABSTRACT
Throughout its existence, humankind has been using the natural resources of planet Earth in a rather insensible way, not considering that its resources are finite. Environmental (and health) problems have emerged, particularly following the Industrial Revolution of the 18th Century, resulting from the pollution of air, water, and soils for an ever-increasing population. In the last decades, especially as of the 1970s, environmental degradation and deterioration of the quality of life have been the cause of serious concern. Key publications spread awareness and led to a growing and more critical distance towards “eternal material growth”, e.g., Carson (1962), Meadows and Meadows (1972), Council on Environmental Quality (1980). At the same time, many groups, including NGOs and national and international institutions, started to address the need to develop environmental education.
