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Natural Awakenings National

Fact Quest: Students Thirst for Eco-Knowledge

As part of its 25th Envirothon, a competition for students across the United States to test their knowledge on environmental issues, a survey commissioned by Canon U.S.A. and conducted online by Harris Interactive found that a majority of 14-to-18-year-olds looking for information about the environment seek it outside of the classroom. Data also indicate that teens believe environmental issues will have an impact on their lives in the future and want to know more about them.

With three-quarters feeling that school curricula are inadequate, two-thirds of the students use TV as their primary information source. A majority of surveyed teens ages 16 to 18 favor the Internet, print newspapers and other periodocals.

Seventy-five percent of all of the teens surveyed believe that humans have a major impact on climate change. The top three environmental changes that they fear will impact their quality of life are poor air quality (66 percent), global warming (61 percent) and poor solid waste management (59 percent). Other major areas of concern are deforestation, water shortages and energy availability.

Students are also looking for ways they can help, such as recycling, conserving electricity and water, cleaning up public spaces, carpooling, bicycling and using public transportation.


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