Overall, in a list of ten problems, young people rank their fears about harm to the environment second, behind only AIDS in terms of problems they want to make better. Yet not all students think of the subject in the same light. Students from non-disadvantaged areas worry about the environment to a greater degree than students from disadvantaged areas, who are more worried about the problems of people with guns and localized crime and violence.
Despite other, more pressing problems in their lives and in their communities, students from disadvantaged areas are nonetheless interested in and involved with the environment at levels which are about the same as those of students from non-disadvantaged areas.
Today's students express a fairly high degree of self-reported knowledge about environmental issues and problems: two-thirds of both disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged students say they know either "a lot" or "a fair amount" about the subject. One of the themes that continually arises in the data is that both overall knowledge and learning about the environment in school correlate with greater concern in, interest and involvement with, the environment. We cannot draw conclusions about causality, but there clearly is a relationship which can and probably should be built upon, and environmental education in schools is a key ingredient. Creating environmental programs in schools and making a commitment to publicizing these programs is another key ingredient to increasing participation in the environment. Moreover, starting young people on environmental programs early in their schooling is another key, as the survey finds that interest and actual participation in groups working for the environment generally decreases with schooling.
There are, however, different issue priorities. Damage to the ozone layer, air pollution, pollution of lakes, streams, rivers, and ocean waters are common concerns. But students from disadvantaged areas worry far more about lead poisoning from water and paint, energy shortages, shortages of good drinking water and acid rain. They worry less than students from non-disadvantaged areas about the rainforest and too little recycling. The survey also finds that while health concerns motivate both students from disadvantaged areas and those from non-disadvantaged areas, students from disadvantaged areas worry more about problems which affect them locally, personally, and in the here and now. Students from non-disadvantaged areas worry more (relatively) about plants and animals, as well as the "future." The different perspectives should undoubtedly be recognized and addressed in educational programs targeted at students from disadvantaged areas. To become engaged, environmental education programs must recognize the different needs of students from disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged areas.
There is an interesting relationship between current and desired knowledge of the environment. When current knowledge about specific environmental issues is compared with desired knowledge, differences emerge among both students from disadvantaged areas and students from non-disadvantaged areas. Issues where current knowledge EXCEEDS a desire to know more include recycling, litter and air pollution, issues that are perhaps "mature" as they have been at the environmental forefront for several years now. Other issues, such as global warming, destruction of wetlands and acid rain may be termed "emerging issues" as they have entered the public consciousness only in the last few years. These are issues which the desire to learn more exceeds current knowledge. It is these "emerging" issues," along with a few issues that score high on both current and desired knowledge (damage to the ozone layer, endangered species, destruction of the rainforest) that should perhaps be the focus when planning programs for educating young people about the environment, since they express a desire to know more about these issues.
Students today are making strides, and in some cases sacrifices, in an effort to help the environment. They (and their families) are saving energy by turning off lights, saving water by turning off faucets and recycling bottles and cans. However, students from non-disadvantaged areas are often significantly more likely than students from disadvantaged areas to engage in these activities. Differences in environment-friendly practices could be due in part to the different issues that youth consider "serious," more so than the opportunity to do these things. The issues of most concern to students from disadvantaged areas are problems that are difficult for anyone to tackle or remedy. Shortages of water, acid rain and a lack of energy, issues of greater concern to students from disadvantaged areas, are perhaps less easy for students to get involved with than recycling, which students from non-disadvantaged areas relate to and get involved with. Nevertheless, the concern about immediate and local issues suggests that a youth action agenda for these "tough to tackle" issues might spur greater action on the part of students from disadvantaged areas.
The data suggest that school has an important role to play in environmental education, and the development of good environmental practices. In fact, school is of a greater importance to students from disadvantaged areas than it is for students from non-disadvantaged areas. But interest in the environment isn't being translated yet into involvement in environmental activities, either in school or the community. The problem, however, appears to be a lack of programs (or awareness of programs). The survey finds a willingness to get involved, if appropriate programs are available and promoted.
Beyond formal education, there exist a few ways to increase interest and involvement. The methods currently used and preferred by young people to learn about the environment, such as television, school and the family, should be effective ways to communicate environmental information to both disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged students. Encouraging new creative approaches, such as incentives and prizes for cleaning up neighborhoods or designing posters regarding the environment (and among students from disadvantaged areas, prizes for writing rap songs about the environment) are also likely to increase interest, awareness and involvement among today's young people.
Fulfilling the needs, creating new opportunities for involvement and providing additional information to those who lack it can only aid the environmental movement, both now and when these young people, whether from disadvantaged or non-disadvantaged areas, become adults.