"Our natural resources are essential, and humans are in charge of taking care of them so that life can continue."

Teaching Our Children

I have just finished reading "Classroom Warfare" [Incite, September-October], and I must thank Ted Williams for taking a stand for environmental education. Environmental educators, both formal and non-formal, strive to promote environmental awareness, knowledge, and stewardship. Our natural resources are essential, and humans are in charge of taking care of them so that life can continue. Environmental education is growing and improving, and we need more of it in a world with an ever-increasing population demanding more and more from our natural resources.

I just finished reading "Classroom Warfare," and I am enraged about the propaganda being spread about the evils of environmental education. Though I am only a college student, I consider myself an environmental educator-in-training. I have had experience working in Alaska with children who were extraordinarily enthusiastic about both birds and nature. I believe their enthusiasm is one of the most valuable resources that we have in the conservation world. I salute people like Mark Blazis--he is honing that resource for the future health of our global ecosystem.

Ted Williams's article in the September-October Audubon does a disservice to your readers by distorting the record of those of us who have called attention to weaknesses in some environmental education. We are the first to applaud quality nature studies such as the one highlighted in the article. Children need to learn about nature in the out-of-doors.

On the other hand, the coverage of controversial environmental issues--such as global warming, endangered species, and rainforest deforestation--in the vast majority of textbooks does not provide scientifically balanced presentation of these issues.

The textbook studies we have conducted are based not on anecdotes, as Williams alleges, but on content analysis of nearly 100 nationally distributed science, geography, and health textbooks. These studies show that the vast majority of the texts reviewed fail to provide students with fair and balanced treatment of some environmental issues. For example, one study found that 24 textbooks reported that world population had grown geometrically since the Industrial Revolution, but only 3 of those same 24 texts informed students that the world population growth rate has been decreasing since the late 1960s.

Gore Versus Bush

I would like to thank Audubon for "Face Off" in the September-October issue [Field Notes]. I have an environmental biology degree, and I live on a farm. I wasn't sure how Bush stood on several environmental issues, but after reading the article I realize that he has shown his ignorance. I do not fully agree with Gore, but he has the better grasp of the issues that affect the environment.

I read the "Face Off" article in Audubon, then noticed the web site listing and decided to check it out. Thank you for providing the entire text of the interview! The interview showed the Vice-President's grasp of the complexities of the environmental crisis and his thoughtful approach on the issues involved. Governor Bush's responses seemed superficial, to say the least. Concerns about our environment are not a "social fad," as Mr. Bush suggests. I find it frightening that a serious candidate for President of the United States has so little understanding of the crisis we face.

After reading the candidates' responses, it was easy to see who has both the serious commitment to the environment and the greater experience protecting it. Actually, all you had to do was glance at the answers: Gore's contained all the detail.

You always have insightful articles, but in the Bush-Gore "Face Off" you made a glaring omission: Ralph Nader of the Green Party. Nader has the most progressive environmental platform and would be a refreshing contrast to the minor differences between Bush and Gore. It would also give Audubon readers an alternative choice in November and make their voices heard in building a green movement in the United States.

Loving Lemurs

The annual travel guide [September-October] was a pleasure to read. To my astonishment, in reading the introduction to "Volunteer Vacations," I found a reference to Earthwatch. I turned to "For the Love of Lemurs." More astonishment! An article about Dr. Wright's lemur project. Last summer I also went to Madagascar, and joined a fossa project. We had encounters with lemurs, and found them to be fascinating creatures. We were grateful for the opportunity to see them in the wild, especially given Madagascar's unenviable environmental record. I can understand the sentiments Kim Hubbard expressed at the end of her article.

Back to the Fold

Some years ago, when Audubon abandoned its classic format, I jumped ship. A copy in a doctor's waiting room snagged my attention, and today I consumed my first subscription copy in many years. Stephen Dalton's exquisite photographs left me teary ["Dalton's World," September-October]. Can't wait for the next readable, challenging, beautiful issue! Nice to be home again.