Published May 25, 2025 | Version v3
Publication Open

Terrestrial Education: A Conceptual Shift Beyond Sustainability

Authors/Creators

  • 1. Mars Planet Technologies

Description

Abstract

 

This paper proposes the term Terrestrial Education (T.E.) as a conceptual and operational evolution beyond the traditional notion of sustainability. While sustainability focuses primarily on preserving existing conditions and mitigating harm within Earth-bound limits, Terrestrial Education advocates for a proactive, systemic, and futures-oriented mindset grounded in planetary and interplanetary awareness [11]. It integrates the biplanetary vision, a framework that prepares humanity not only for responsible stewardship of Earth but also for life and governance beyond it

.

Terrestrial Education redefines the role of education as more than academic instruction; it becomes a platform for guiding societal foresight, industrial transformation, and the ethical deployment of advanced technologies [12]. It emphasizes the integration of ecological intelligence, space systems thinking, artificial intelligence, and regenerative innovation across all sectors. Building on recent work in transformative education and anticipatory governance [13], this paper explores the conceptual limitations of sustainability, introduces Terrestrial Education as a next-generation model, and outlines how it can be implemented not only in curricula and pedagogy but also in policy frameworks, technological strategies, industrial ecosystems, and governance systems.

 

In doing so, it positions Terrestrial Education as a foundational operating system for a civilization in transition, one that is increasingly defined by its interplanetary aspirations and its responsibility to design a flourishing future across worlds.

 

Files

Terrestrial_Education_Paper_zenodo-v3.pdf

Files (827.2 kB)

Name Size Download all
md5:bb53da2bc4f8615c08d45ea76bdebd22
827.2 kB Preview Download

Additional details

Identifiers

DOI
10.5281/zenodo.15453898

References

  • [1] Raworth, K. (2017). Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st-Century Economist. Chelsea Green Publishing.
  • [2] Rockström, J., Steffen, W., et al. (2009). A safe operating space for humanity. Nature, 461(7263), 472-475.
  • [3] NASA. (2020). Artemis Program Overview. Retrieved from https://www.nasa.gov/specials/artemis/
  • [4] European Space Agency. (2021). Terrae Novae 2030+. Space for a Green Future. ESA Strategy Document.
  • [5] Kurzweil, R. (2005). The Singularity Is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology. Viking Press.
  • [6] United Nations. (2015). Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
  • [7] Harari, Y.N. (2017). Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow. Harper.
  • [8] Ishii, H., & Ullmer, B. (1997). Tangible Bits: Towards Seamless Interfaces between People, Bits and Atoms. CHI Conference.
  • [9] O'Neill, G.K. (1977). The High Frontier: Human Colonies in Space. William Morrow.
  • [10] Fuller, B. (1969). Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth. Southern Illinois University Press.
  • [11] Kardashev, N. S. (1964). Transmission of information by extraterrestrial civilizations. Soviet Astronomy, 8, 217–221.
  • [12]Inayatullah, S. (2008). Six pillars: futures thinking for transforming. Foresight, 10(1), 4–21.
  • [13]Gidley, J. M. (2010). Global knowledge futures: Articulating the emergence of a new meta-level field. Futures, 42(1), 74–82.
  • [14]Bengston, D. N. (2018). Principles for Thinking about the Future and Foresight Education. World Futures Review, 10(3), 193–202.
  • [15] Floridi, L. (2013). The Ethics of Information. Oxford University Press.
  • [16] Bostrom, N. (2014). Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies. Oxford University Press.
  • [17] UNESCO. (2021). Futures of Education: A New Social Contract. Paris: UNESCO.
  • [18] Hadfield, C. (2013). An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth. Little, Brown and Company.
  • [19] Rees, M. (2003). Our Final Hour: A Scientist's Warning. Basic Books.
  • [20] Slaughter, R.A. (2005). Futures Beyond Dystopia: Creating Social Foresight. Routledge.
  • [21] MIT Media Lab. (2020). City Science Research Program. Retrieved from https://www.media.mit.edu/groups/city-science/overview/
  • [22] Cummings, M.L. (2021). Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Warfare. In Oxford Handbook of AI Ethics (Oxford University Press).
  • [23] Cockell, C. S. (2015). Planetary Ecosynthesis and the Ethics of Terraforming. Springer.
  • [24] Sachs, J. D. (2015). The Age of Sustainable Development. Columbia University Press.
  • [25] Raworth, K. (2020). A Doughnut for the Anthropocene: Humanity's Compass in the 21st Century. The Lancet Planetary Health, 4(7), e302–e303
  • [26] Francis. (2015). Laudato Si': On Care for Our Common Home. Vatican Publishing House. https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html