An action of an individual or a societal action that has an impact on other societies constitutes a "global issue." Global climate change, airborne toxins, ozone depletion, and solid waste management are a few of the global issues concerning the environment. This digest discusses methods by which students learn about global issues and acquire skills to deal with them. Topics discussed include: (1) the role of formal education in the acquisition of environmental knowledge; (2) the goal of environmental education to develop responsible environmental behavior in citizens; (3) the structuring of environmental education for global issues by either infusing them into the curriculum, inserting new courses into study, or creating a framework that allows learning to be related to and integrated within a student's life; (4) the use of creative problem-solving and decision-making approaches in dealing with global issues; and (5) the need to develop curriculum that addresses the identification of and response to environmental issues of global concern. Contains 10 references. (MDH)