Problems of formation of environmental consciousness: Educational aspect

The formation of mass environmental awareness among the younger generation is one of the most pressing problems of environmental education that also needs support from state and public organizations, designed to ensure the continuity, accessibility and methodological content of its implementation in educational institutions of all levels. The article provides a brief overview of the historical and political preconditions for the established attitude to the environment in our country, and specifies the features of the manifestation of intrasystemic connections “nature-human-society”. In the course of the study the author tried to identify the most significant objectives of continuing environmental education in the face of the problem formation of Russian environmental consciousness. There were also drawn conclusions about the advisability of introducing a nature-oriented behavioral model and a functional philosophical paradigm into the educational and upbringing processes – both in order to achieve popularization of ecocentric and noospheric types of thinking. The enlightenment activation, development of empathy in all age groups of students (the whole population in the nearest future) and preservation of the environmental education continuum, regardless of the socio-political and economic situation are presented as the only possible options for a society wishing to embark on the path of preventing local and global ecological disasters.