There is a tendency by scholars arguing for a more just and sustainable future to position the ''ecological crisis'' as a fundamental reason for major educational reforms. Relying on crisis-talk to fuel social and environmental justice and environmentalism reinforces the thinking of the past, which inadvertently perpetuates the acceptance of present cultural attitudes which frame our relationships with others and the natural world. To evaluate previous cultural thinking and associated traditions of Euro-West society, Chet Bowers asserts that we ought to analyze how assumptions are carried forward as metaphors, which are associated with attitudes towards science, technology, and nature. This pedagogy is called ecojustice education and serves to conserve and sustain cultural diversity and the biodiversity of Earth's ecosystems, which are threatened and vulnerable. But, also carried forward in the language of ecojustice philosophy (and other ecological works) is a presumption that feeds into scientifically proving that a crisis exists, which is associated with organizing schools around an implicit shock doctrine of fear and urgency. This paper explores these assumptions and others associated with a supposition of ecological crisis. The ecological crisis has the potential to marginalize many diverse people who are needed during these times of increasing ecological awareness and uncertainties. Situating education (and the world) in the frenzy associated with crisis, versus the assertion that schools should increase awareness around the belief that a more sustainable lifestyle is beneficial for the individual, the community and the environment is a worthwhile debate and is rich with respect to research opportunities in education.

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Perhaps, we are at the fork in the road when it is imperative that we consider whether the pursuit of pluralism in science education is a worthwhile endeavor in light of recent educational reforms that seem to decorate the true aim of education. The "decorated landscapes" of educational reform concentrate on economic growth and do little to promote the conservation of Earth's natural environments that sustain life itself. Here we renew a discussion of a 300-year pursuit in the United States toward educational landscapes that contribute to students' lives. We connect with scholars who have pursued the pluralistic landscapes of culture in an attempt to make education more authentic and democratic and with scholars who have pursued an education for the conservation of the Earth's natural environments. We argue that these two educational domains are and necessarily should be reflective, reliant, and reciprocal of each other if we wish to truly engage students in scientific literacy-the authentic, relevant, and meaningful science education experiencesCorrespondence to: Michael P. Mueller;