ABSTRACT

To escape the current global economic crisis, the petroleum-based industrial society is trying to maintain the continued economical growth by maximizing fossil energy capacities.

The added renewable resources - solar, wind, hydro or geothermal - will unfortunately not be able to compensate the decreased use of fossil energy resources.

The only way to avoid a drastic global socio-economic downturn lies in how mankind can manage its sustainable „degrowth” related relationship to the environment.

Michel Ricard, French University Professor, president of the French National Council on Sustainable Development said the following quote during his presentation at the French Institute in Budapest:

"The only way to answer to the challenge of mankind development is to change our behaviours at personal, social, economic and cultural levels. This can be only reached through education, public awareness and training."

The comprehensive focus of this change towards a sustainable degrowth perspective is primarily based on education. The task however is a major challenge for everyone, since the right understanding of environment needs represents not only a radical cultural change for students, but for their teachers as well.

Nelson Mandela once said: “Education is the most powerful weapon, which you can use to change the world.”

To provide radical changes of degrowth perception, a new network of Environmental Degrowth Education Centres (EDEC) has to be developed in Hungary, since a current comprehensive education of environmental science and alternative energy is missing.

This media entry was a contribution to the special session „Geothermal Energy Education in Hungary“ at the 5th International Degrowth Conference in Budapest in 2016.