THE PARADOX OF HOPE OR HOPELESSNESS: HOW DO YOUNG PEOPLE VIEW ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION? In this study, the researchers seek to understand if common factors can be identified in young people’s ideas about and responses to environmental issues, and determine if they need support to move towards a more interconnected understanding of the environment to achieve meaningful action. Studies have indicated that young people may not recognize the links between their personal actions and global problems or that they have a tendency to allocate responsibility for the environment to the government rather than themselves. This can result in a divergence between understanding what causes environmental problems and their individual actions to combat environmental change (e.g. voting, attending rallies, or recycling). If there are common factors that young people share in their concern for or understanding of environmental actions, perhaps there are ways to help them link …show more content…
Interestingly, they were able to rank these issues despite the fact that they are fundamentally connected, which may indicate a lack of understanding about causal relationships between the two. For example, they said that the most important threat is global warming and the least important was resource consumption, even though global resource consumption is arguably the underpinning of global warming. Another ‘mismatch’ documented in the survey answers was between the level of responsibility assigned to different stakeholders. For example, they assigned a higher level of environmental responsibility to the government than to themselves, and yet they ranked ‘writing to politicians’ as they least important environmental action, while saving electricity the most
In 1989, seventy five percent of Americans identified themselves as environmentalists, and the number has continued to grow since then (Walls 1). Environmentalism is now the most popular social movement in the United States, with over five million American families donating regularly to environmental organizations (Walls 1). Environmentalists today focus on what kind of world they hope to see in the future, and largely deal with limiting pollution and changing consumption rates (Kent 1 and 9). Modern environmentalists also have much different issues than those Carson’s America faced. With climate change becoming more threatening each year, protection of the natural world is needed more than ever. Pollution has caused the warmest decade in history, the deterioration of the ozone layer, and species extinction in extreme numbers (Hunter 2). It not only threatens nature, but also human populations, who already suffer from lack of clean water and poisoning from toxic chemicals (Hunter 16). Unlike environmental actions in the 1960’s, which were mostly focused on protection, a massive increase in pollution has caused efforts to be focused on environmental restoration (Hunter 16). Like in the time of Silent Spring, environmentalists are not only concerned with one country. Protecting the environment remains a global issue, and every nation is threatened by the
At my school, I am an active member of a program called S.E.E.D., which stands for Students Ending Environmental Destruction. As a group, spread awareness about recycling, water conservation and remediation, climate change, and other environmental problems the world faces today. We make sure that every classroom has a recycling bin and informative posters above them. We have hosted movie nights where we provide healthy, GMO-free refreshments and show an educational film that relates to a current issues to spread awareness. We have also convinced our school to install stations that are specifically meant to refill water bottles as it encourages students to stop buying plastic bottles and wasting plastic. Taking care of the environment and educating our youth, the congressmen, women, and voters of tomorrow who will be the deciding factors of the earth’s health, and consequently the people’s health, is crucial to me.
Yet, despite a lack of access to multicultural environmental education in formal settings, adults are also changing the way the environment is conceptualized, and the way problems are identified and solved from their cultural subjectivity. For Hill (2003), environmental adult education encompasses activist projects, community building, solidarity, resistance and marshalling networks of knowledge. Environmental adult education positively contributes to environmental justice communication through citizen mobilization, popular activism, and direct actions that are essential for democracy, healthy people, and ecological systems. This education helps minority communities address the confluence greed, white privilege and class advantage as apparatuses that can be measured in environmental
Its intriguing to see that even the media is taking up the responsibility to help the environment in ways that their message reach out to persons no matter their age, but especially for the younger generation. From the messages they can take it into consideration the message might reach them right away, but one way or another they will for sure receive the message. To have an overall understanding of this collaboration with Youth Studies and with Renewable Energy and Environment they all came in hand together. Though Youth Studies might seem to be a hard way to connect to the environment, but one thing to remember is that no matter what we as a society is doing, we are always contributing to the environment no matter if it’s for a good cause or
Most college students and young people in general don 't think about sustainability too much. It is not a topic that is largely discussed and there is also not much knowledge on how to maintain and increase sustainability. This is because many young people don 't often connect
For many people set in their ways, making a monumental life change such as giving up meat products or living without a car could be next to impossible. But just because those high-impact actions may be unattainable on a personal decision level does not mean they should give up on or not do anything regarding climate change. There is value in doing taking part in the smaller efforts, even if part of the value is more on an interpersonal level. That has value. Still, Wynes and Nicholas make good points that, for high-impact actions to have a better chance at taking hold, such actions need to be presented as behavioral options to our youth when their tendencies and preferences are still in their formative stages. It seems logical that introduction to those ideas early on would allow greater opportunity for more meaningful, higher-impact climate change action by more people around the
Although more people are aware of the impacts we have on our environment, there are still people that choose to ignore scientific evidence, or do not fully understand the consequences. Further education and research are critical components in an effort to become more sustainable. Fortunately, younger generations are learning about the need to address environmental issues so that changes can be made to ensure our way of life is sustainable.
As with most group projects, I started out with a basic understanding of the issue; essentially pollution and environmental changes humans make impact the environment in very bad ways. I grew up with a family who believes in intelligent design, young earth theory, and they all vehemently deny that anything humans do cause damage to the planet- everything reported in the news or by scientists are part of a larger “Liberal Democrat conspiracy.” Thus, my views had become largely hazy and even though I pride myself on being a Liberal, educated, intelligent young person, sometimes I was unsure what was actually true or what had been dramatized or exaggerated by scientists or the media to actually get people to pay attention. In addition, I also
The environment and health are very closely linked. The environment in which we inhabit and go about our daily lives, directly impacts on our physical, mental and social well-being. There are biological, chemical and physical factors that can affect human health in a physical and mental way. The World Health Organisation states that "health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity" (WHO 1948), meaning that although many factors relating to health are associated with environmental pollution, they can also be caused by the environment in which we work and live in. The relationship between the environment and health, can however be quite complex. Human health is not only as a result of air, water and ground pollution, but also things such as food, genetics, life style and quality, which directly affect human susceptibility to illness, disease and possibly death. Disruptions to the environment, such as substance dispersal, climate change, acidification, ground pollution, photochemical air pollution and over fertilisation can also impact on human health. Therefore, there are direct and indirect links to the environment and health issues.
He divided their environments into different levels. Firstly, he described the microsystem as the system that is closest and one that will have the most influence on them. School and home fall within this system. For example, parent’s and teacher’s views on sustainability will influence how a child reacts to it. Also children’s interactions with parents, teachers and peers will affect how they are treated in return (Bronfenbrenner, 1994). Clearly this is why ecologising education is important and by doing so education creates critical thinkers. The potential benefits for young people that are eco-literate are that they can begin to negotiate and act on their own purposes, values and feelings, rather than those that they have uncritically acquired from others (Mezirow, 2000). Through learner driven participation children show that they should be treated as solutionaries, and vital stakeholders in the fight for their sustainable futures. Secondly, there are the exosystem which includes schools and the community, and the macrosystem which includes broader society, such as national customs and political philosophy. The decisions made within these systems effects them, though they have no say in the decision making process (Bronfenbrenner, 1994). This shows unmistakable signs of why ecological approaches to environmental sustainability are being hindered. The decisions about
The environment today is not in a good condition, Climate change is evident, and oceans are getting polluted. Rainforrest's are decreasing in size due to deforestation and illegal logging. Animals are getting extinct due to the destruction of their habitats. Natural resources are being consumed at very large amounts, and get wasted. There are different ways these problems can be addressed, one option is environmental management. Environmental management focuses on conservation of natural resources, protection of habitats, and impact of humans on the environment. Conservation of natural resources is the smart use of the world's resources by humans, through this waste production is limited, and there will be less garbage in the world. By conserving
There are lots of environmental issues going on globally. The earth faces problems such as pollution, global warming, waste disposal, and loss of biodiversity. These are just a small amount of issues out of the so many. These environmental problems pose an abundant amount of risk to the health of humans and animals. There needs to be a solution to all these problems and that is by informing others, so that way everyone can make the environment a better place.
Environmental pollution has always remained a serious problem in society today. Our planet is often being polluted by many toxins that are not only deadly to us, but our wildlife too. Environmental pollution leads to air pollution, environmental crisis, and global warming. Now there are many different ways that can help these topics be preventable. People need to understand what environmental sustainability truly is. Learning environmental sustainability will give people the tools and knowledge to help sustain our planet before it is too late. Planet earth is our home and people need to understand the damage being done to it. Understanding these important key factors will lead our planet to become healthier and a better place for life to live.
Many people assume that the environment is not in danger. They believe that as technology advances, we do not need to worry about renewing natural resources, recycling, and finding new ways to produce energy. They state that one person in the world does not make a large difference. In reality, each individual's contribution greatly affects our environment. Our natural resources are slowly disappearing, and we must work together to save them and the Earth from ruin.
Environmental science refers to the study of the effects that occur through natural and unnatural processes. The study involves the interactions of the Earth’s physical components that take place on the environment. Notably, the natural environment consists of all existing and non-existing things that exist on the planet. Full ecological systems that operate as natural practices without requiring the intervention of human beings are also included in the environment. Furthermore, physical units such as animals, vegetation, rocks, microorganisms, natural phenomena, and atmosphere usually occur within the boundaries of the environment (Altman and Wohlwill 113). Although the environment embraces natural resources and physical phenomena that need clear limits, it is worth noting that renewable and non-renewable energy resource is an environmental science topic that should receive top priority next year due to various reasons.