Acadiaenviroreport_2004

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Environment Survey Report Summer 2004 Knowledge, Values, and Actions toward the Environment Acadia Environmental Society (AES) Acadia University Table of Contents OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................................................. 2 KNOWLEDGE AND AWARENESS ......................................................................................................... 3 THINGS THE AVERAGE STUDENT KNOWS LITTLE ABOUT............................................................................ 3 THINGS THE AVERAGE STUDENT HAVE SOME KNOWLEDGE ABOUT ........................................................... 4 THINGS THE AVERAGE STUDENT HAVE MORE KNOWLEDGE OF ................................................................. 5 STUDENTS’ AWARENESS OF ACTIVITIES AT ACADIA .................................................................................. 6 VALUES ........................................................................................................................................................ 7 ITEMS OF LOWER VALUE TO STUDENTS ..................................................................................................... 7 ITEMS OF MODERATE VALUE TO STUDENTS ............................................................................................... 8 ITEMS OF HIGH VALUE TO STUDENTS ........................................................................................................ 9 ACTIONS .....................................................................................................................................................10 ACTIONS THE AVERAGE STUDENT TAKE RARELY .....................................................................................10 ACTIONS THE AVERAGE STUDENT TAKE SOMETIMES ................................................................................11 ACTIONS THE AVERAGE STUDENT TAKE MORE OFTEN .............................................................................12 DEMOGRAPHICS......................................................................................................................................13 SURVEY IMPACT .....................................................................................................................................16 LINKING KNOWLEDGE, VALUES, AND ACTION ............................................................................17 THOSE WHO HAVE TAKEN ENVIRONMENTAL COURSES..........................................................18 TAKING ACTION ......................................................................................................................................19 CONCLUSIONS ..........................................................................................................................................20 APPENDICES .............................................................................................................................................21 APPENDIX A ..............................................................................................................................................21 APPENDIX B ..............................................................................................................................................22 APPENDIX C ..............................................................................................................................................23 APPENDIX D ..............................................................................................................................................24 APPENDIX E...............................................................................................................................................25 APPENDIX F ...............................................................................................................................................26 Environment Survey Report, 2004 1 Overview The Environment Survey was available to the student population during Acadia’s Environment Week 2004 near the end of the 2003/ 2004 school year. The survey was done online and made available through emails to students and off the AWARE website. Questions on the survey were multiple choice and assessed students’ knowledge, values, and actions on environmental issues. In total, 206 participants completed the survey. Participation was voluntary and anonymous, and results were analyzed on a group basis. The following report is based exclusively on statistics generated from the 2004 Environment Survey. In general, the results indicate that the average student does not participate in Acadia’s environmental clubs and has poor awareness of them. They also have taken no or only one environmentally themed course at Acadia. These results are concerning, considering participation in environmentally themed clubs and courses is related to greater knowledge and awareness of environmental issues. Knowledge and awareness, in turn, is related to greater environmental values and action. Thus, the average student appears to be under-educated on environmental issues, have low environmental values, and not regularly considering the environment in their actions. Further, these results offer at least two options of attack on improving environmental education, values, and action. Since all three are positively correlated, any plan to increase one area will by default increase the other two. Thus, getting students to take action, such as participating in environmental clubs and enrolling in environmentally-themed courses will increase their knowledge, leading to stronger environmental values. Similarly, means to promote environmental education, such as environmental events, will increase knowledge, leading to stronger environmental values and action. Action plans aimed at increasing environmental values, however, may be less successful, considering the average student already endorses all environmental values. Additionally, tools, such as this survey, can play an important role in both educating and motivating students to get more involved in environmental issues. Environment Survey Report, 2004 2 Knowledge and Awareness Things the Average Student knows Little about Students were asked to rate their awareness on a number of items. The following graph represents items which students (overall) reported the lowest awareness of. Level of Student Knowledge (1 of 3) Acadia’s student environmental organizations (STEP, AWARE, and AES). Air pollution in the Annapolis Valley. Government Canada’s approach to climate change. The environmental impact of Acadia’s physical operations. How the electricity you use was produced. Energy efficient (or "green") building technology. The availability of energy efficient cars. 2.61 2.76 2.77 2.83 2.97 2.98 3.02 3.05 2.00 3.00 Mean 4.00 5.00 Frequency Scale 1 - Not aware 2 - Barely aware 3 - Somewhat aware 4 - Quite aware 5 - Extremely aware The origin of your food. 1.00 As shown above, students have very low awareness of Acadia’s environmental organizations. The average student is only barely to somewhat aware. They also have low knowledge of air pollution in the valley, Canada’s approach to climate change, and how their electricity is produced, among other things. Environment Survey Report, 2004 3 Things the Average Student have Some Knowledge about The following is a list of items the average student had moderate awareness of. For all items the average student ranged from being somewhat to quite aware of the following. Level of Student Knowledge (2 of 3) Global efforts to minimize climate change. The availability of environmentally themed courses at Acadia. The environmental impact of the other (nonfood) products you purchase. Renewable energy technology. The availability of local organic and fair trade food products. Enviro week at Acadia. 3.10 3.11 3.20 3.28 3.30 3.32 3.33 3.35 2.00 3.00 Mean 4.00 5.00 Frequency Scale 1 - Not aware 2 - Barely aware 3 - Somewhat aware 4 - Quite aware 5 - Extremely aware Energy efficient car technology. The environmental impact of your food choices. 1.00 Not surprisingly, students filling out the survey reported awareness of Enviro week at Acadia. The also reported some awareness of environmentally themed courses at Acadia, renewable energy technology, and the environmental impact of their purchasing choices. Refer to the graph for an exhaustive list. Environment Survey Report, 2004 4 Things the Average Student have More Knowledge of The following are items of which students rated having the greatest awareness. Levels of awareness ranged from being more than somewhat aware to extremely aware. Level of Student Knowledge (3 of 3) Global fresh water availability issues. The Acadia/Wolfville Dump and Run. Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. Global water contamination issues. The public transportation system in the Wolfville area. The environmental impact of your lifestyle. The concept of environmental sustainability. Climate change. The concept of the earth having a carrying capacity. The differences in standard of living around the world. The recycling system available to you. 3.50 3.53 3.53 3.56 3.59 3.64 3.74 3.85 3.95 4.22 4.33 2.00 3.00 Mean 4.00 5.00 Frequency Scale 1 - Not aware 2 - Barely aware 3 - Somewhat aware 4 - Quite aware 5 - Extremely aware 1.00 Students reported the greatest awareness of the recycling system available to them. This suggests strength in Acadia recycling. Students also highly rated their knowledge on global things, such as: the differences in standard of living around the world, the concept of the earth having a carrying capacity, climate change, and the concept of environmental sustainability. Refer to the graph for an exhaustive list. As we can see, overall awareness for most items fell between the range of (3.0) somewhat aware to (4.0) quite aware. Only for two items did average awareness exceed 4.00. Thus, the awareness (or knowledge) of the average student could stand improvement on all almost all items from this survey. Environment Survey Report, 2004 5 Students’ Awareness of Activities at Acadia On the following items students’ had to choose whether or not they were aware, instead of rating their level of awareness. Percentage of Students Aware of Activities at Acadia Aware that Acadia students can major in Environmental Science. Aware that Acadia has the option of buying paper with recycled content. 90.8% 5.8% 39.8% 53.9% 33.0% 63.6% 30.1% 67.5% 16.5% 77.2% 13.1% 82.0% 20.0% 40.0% 60.0% 80.0% 100.0% Aware that Acadia currently purchases paper with 0% recycled content. Aware that Acadia's paper usage has increased since the implementation of the Acadia Advantage Program. Aware that Acadia has no environmental policy. Aware that the Acadia Students’ Union ratified an environmental policy in 2002. 0.0% Aware Not Aware % of Students The vast majority (91 %) reported being aware that students can major in environmental science. However, the majority was unaware of the other five items. Environment Survey Report, 2004 6 Values Items of Lower Value to Students Students were asked how much they agreed with the following values. Questions marked with an (R) are questions that appeared in reversed form on the survey. On average, students agreed to all values, the following are values that agreed to the least strongly. Scale: (1) strongly disagree, (2) disagree, (3) no opinion, (4) agree, (5) strongly agree. Average Student Values (1 of 3) The standard of living should be similar from country to country. Reducing the environmental impact of the food I consume is important to me. (R) I want to learn more about sustainability. I am concerned about air pollution in the Annapolis Valley. (R) Minimization of paper use is important to me. My occupation choice(s) can help or hinder the environment. Conserving electricity is important to me. (R) Reducing the environmental impact of transportation is important to me. 3.77 3.91 4.00 4.05 4.07 4.12 4.13 4.15 2.00 Disagree 1.00 3.00 Mean 4.00 Agree 5.00 Values students were least likely to agree with were that the standard of living should be similar from country to country, and that reducing the environmental impact of the food they purchase is important to them. Notice that half the items on this list were of the personal form “X is important to me”. This will be discussed further at the end of this section. Environment Survey Report, 2004 7 Items of Moderate Value to Students The following are values that students rated of average or moderate importance. Scale: (1) strongly disagree, (2) disagree, (3) no opinion, (4) agree, (5) strongly agree. Average Student Values (2 of 3) I am concerned about the impact of chemicals (pesticides, food additives and contaminants) on my health. Acadia should minimize its environmental impact, even if it costs extra money. (R) Water conservation is important to me. I am concerned about the welfare of future generations in other countries. I am concerned about global water quality issues. (R) I am concerned about the welfare of future generations in Canada. I am concerned about the standard of living in developing countries. I am concerned about the welfare of future generations of my family. 4.20 4.20 4.24 4.26 4.27 4.27 4.33 4.37 2.00 Disagree 1.00 3.00 Mean 4.00 Agree 5.00 Water and future generations are of moderate importance to the average student. Environment Survey Report, 2004 8 Items of High Value to Students The following are items students were most likely to agree with. Scale: (1) strongly disagree, (2) disagree, (3) no opinion, (4) agree, (5) strongly agree. Average Student Values (3 of 3) Recycling is important to me. Acadia students should be informed of Acadia University’s financial decisions. Recycling is important to me. (R) Acadia needs a comprehensive environmental policy. (R) All people have a right to the basic necessities of life. Human health and well being depend on the environment. (R) Individuals can help the environment regardless of their degree/background. 4.52 4.53 4.54 4.58 4.66 4.70 4.72 2.00 Disagree 1.00 3.00 Mean 4.00 Agree 5.00 Students strongly agreed that recycling was important to them on two separate questions (the reversed version served a statistical control). However, students most strongly agreed that individuals can help the environment regardless of their degree/background, human health and well being depend on the environment, and all people have a right to the basic necessities of life. It’s encouraging to see that the average student values the environment, and, on average, agreed to all items. However, it would be even nicer to see students more strongly agreeing with statements of the form “X is important to me”. Students were in strong agreement that they could help the environment regardless of their degree or background, however, many environmental values were not as important to them personally. Environment Survey Report, 2004 9 Actions Actions the Average Student take Rarely Students rated how often they engaged in the following activities, and the following are activities which received low ratings. “Sometimes” was defined as approximately half the time. Frequency of Taking Certain Actions (1 of 3) I participate as a member of an environmental group. 1.85 Frequency Scale 1 - Never 2 - Rarely 3 - Sometimes 4 - Often 5 - Always For long distances, I use public transportation instead of driving. (R) 2.47 I keep up-to-date on environmental issues at Acadia. 2.48 1.00 2.00 3.00 Mean 4.00 5.00 The average student never or rarely participates as a member of environmental groups. They also rarely keep up-to-date on environmental issues and use public transportation instead of driving. Environment Survey Report, 2004 10 Actions the Average Student take Sometimes The following are actions students reported doing sometimes, or a little more than 50% of the time. Frequency of Taking Certain Actions (2 of 3) I eat more food than my body requires. 3.10 I buy locally produced food. 3.10 I buy food with minimal or recyclable packaging. 3.13 Frequency Scale 1 - Never 2 - Rarely 3 - Sometimes 4 - Often 5 - Always I car-pool when I drive. 3.17 I keep up-to-date on global environmental issues. 1.00 2.00 3.00 3.26 4.00 5.00 Mean Basically, the average student is sometimes conscious of his/her purchasing, car-pools, and keeps somewhat up-to-date on global environmental issues. They also tend to eat more food than their body requires. Environment Survey Report, 2004 11 Actions the Average Student take More Often The following are actions students reported doing most often. Students ranged from doing these activities the majority of the time to always doing these activities. Frequency of Taking Certain Actions (3 of 3) I minimize my paper use. 3.52 I make an effort to minimize my water use. For short distances, I walk or bike instead of driving. (R) I make an effort to minimize my electricity use. 3.52 Frequency Scale 1 - Never 2 - Rarely 3 - Sometimes 4 - Often 5 - Always 3.65 3.68 I sort my waste. 4.34 1.00 2.00 3.00 Mean 4.00 5.00 Students always or often sort their waste. They also, more often than not, make an effort to minimize electricity, water, and paper use. In addition, students walk or bike short distances instead of driving. It is encouraging to see that they average student is engaging in these environmentally friendly activities more than half the time, but there is still plenty of room for improvement. It would be nice if the average (mean) for other items were more similar to the average for sorting waste. Since, currently, sorting waste is the only environmental action that students reporting taking “often”. Environment Survey Report, 2004 12 Demographics The following section shows the breakdown of the 206 students who completed the survey. Gender Breakdown Gender Male Female Number of Participants 88 118 Percentage of Total 42.7% 57.3% This was a fairly representative sample, as there are more female than male students at Acadia University in the first place. Age Breakdown Age Range 16-18 19-20 21-22 23-24 25-34 35-44 45 and up Number of Participants 25 67 71 26 14 1 1 Percentage of Total 12.1 % 32.5 % 34.5 % 12.6 % 6.8 % 0.5 % 0.5 % Again, this distribution of ages is approximately what you’d expect in the normal student population. Environment Survey Report, 2004 13 Years at Acadia Years at Acadia 1 2 3 4 5 6 or more Number of Participants 67 33 37 45 19 5 Percentage of Total 32.5 % 16.0 % 18.0 % 21.8 % 9.2 % 2.4 % This shows that there may have been a bias towards students in upper years filling out this survey. In a perfectly representative sample, there should have been more second and third year students filling out the survey compared to the number of 4th year students. Years of Education Years of Education 1 2 3 4 5 6 or more Number of Participants 45 26 36 44 25 18 Percentage of Total 21.8 % 12.6 % 17.5 % 21.4 % 12.1 % 8.7 % Again, more upper year students filled out this survey they should have occurred in a representative sample of the student population. Environmentally themed Courses How many environmentally themed courses have you taken at Acadia? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 or more Number of Participants 82 54 31 11 7 5 4 1 7 Percentage of Total 39.8 % 26.2 % 15.0 % 5.3 % 3.4 % 2.4 % 1.9 % 0.5 % 3.4 % The majority of students (56%) have taken no more than one environmentally themed courses at Acadia. And only 17 % have taken more than 3 courses. The average student has taken 0.9 (not even one) environmentally themed courses! Also, this sample had an bias towards students in upper years, so the real figures are probably even lower! Acadia students are not taking environmentally themed courses. Environment Survey Report, 2004 14 Walking to School Time it Takes to Walk to School less than 5 minutes 5 minutes 10 minutes 15 minutes 20 minutes more than 20 minutes not off campus Number of Participants 31 14 27 22 3 22 5 Percentage of Total 15.0 % 6.8 % 13.1 % 10.7 % 1.5 % 10.7 % 2.4 % 82 students, almost 40% of the participants declined to answer this question. Those who did showed that students from this survey walked a wide variety of distances to get to school. Cars Do you Own a Car? Yes No Have access to one Number of Participants 37 146 23 Percentage of Total 18.0 % 70.9 % 11.2 % Most students (71%) did not own a car. Environment Survey Report, 2004 15 Survey Impact Students were asked about the impact they felt this survey had. The results are below: This survey has educated me about environmental issues. strongly disagree disagree no opinion agree strongly agree Number of Participants 11 29 44 114 7 Percentage of Total 5.3 14.1 21.4 55.3 3.4 The majority (59 %) agreed that this survey served as an educational tool, and less 1 in 5 (20 %) disagreed. This survey has motivated me to do more. strongly disagree disagree no opinion agree strongly agree Number of Participants 8 38 62 92 5 Percentage of Total 3.9 18.4 30.1 44.7 2.4 Almost have of the students (47%) agreed that this survey had motivated them to no more. Only 22 % disagreed. Thus, this survey was effective as both educational and motivational tool, though slightly more-so as an educational one. The majority of students were also interested in the results of this survey, but only 18 % asked to be added to the mailing list (as shown in the charts below). Would you like be informed of the survey results? yes no uncertain Number of Participants 115 73 17 Percentage of Total 55.8 35.4 8.3 Would you like to be added to the mail list of the Acadia Enviro student groups? yes no uncertain Number of Participants 38 144 17 Percentage of Total 18.4 69.9 8.3 Environment Survey Report, 2004 16 Linking Knowledge, Values, and Action Certain items were asked about in each of the Knowledge, Values, and Action section. The items included recycling, water use, electricity use, and the impact of purchased food. Not surprisingly, the way in which subjects answered these questions were correlated. In other words, those who rated high knowledge of their recycling system were also more likely to value recycling and to frequently recycle. These significant correlations between Knowledge, Values and Action held together for items related to recycling, water use, electricity use, and purchased food. Items and R values from the Pearson Correlations can be found in the tables below. Pearson correlations, with R value presented. ** indicates significance at the 0.01 level Recycling Value Action Knowledge: The recycling system available to you. Value: Recycling is important to me. Action: I sort my waste. 0.23** 0.41** 0.44** Water Use Knowledge: Global fresh water availability issues. Value: Water conservation is important to me. Action: I make an effort to minimize my water use. Value 0.21** Action 0.26** 0.46** Electricity Use Knowledge: How the electricity you use was produced. Value: Conserving electricity is important to me. Action: I make an effort to minimize my electricity use. Value 0.22** Action 0.25** 0.48** Food Choices Knowledge: The environmental impact of your food choices. Value: Reducing the environmental impact of the food I consume is important to me. Action: I buy food with minimal or recyclable packaging. Value 0.30** Action 0.31** 0.21** In general, Values were more strongly correlated to Actions than Knowledge. Only for food choices did this trend reverse. This suggests that instilling environmental values may serve as a better route to action than environmental educational. Although, it is important to remember that all three reinforce each other and environmental values are often taught alongside with environmental education. Ultimately, more environmental values and education at Acadia will lead to more environmental action. Environment Survey Report, 2004 17 Those who have Taken Environmental Courses The effect of taking environmentally themed courses was considered. It was found that those who had taken more courses tended to have greater knowledge, higher values, and took more action to help the environment. In particular, taking environmentally-themed courses was highly related to environmental knowledge (25 of 33 items correlated), moderately related to actions (7 of 13 items correlated), and somewhat related to values (5 of 23 items correlated). For actual items and Pearson Correlations please refer to Appendices A to C. The effect of age was also looked at, but the relationship between age and environmental knowledge, values and actions was not very robust (these correlations not included in the report). Thus, environmentally themed courses are quite effective at increasing environmental knowledge, and encouraging some environmental action, but generally did not significantly change people’s values towards the environment. This may be related to the fact that environmental values were already high for all participants. The table below highlights those items most strongly correlated to number of environmental courses taken (items with positive correlations of .30 or greater). Although 5 of 23 values correlated, the strongest correlation was only .19 (Appendix B). Knowledge strongly correlated to # of Environmental Courses The availability of environmentally themed courses at Acadia. Air pollution in the Annapolis Valley. Global fresh water availability issues. The concept of environmental sustainability. Climate change. Enviro week at Acadia. The concept of the earth having a carrying capacity. Government Canada’s approach to climate change. Actions strongly correlated to # of Environmental Courses I keep up-to-date on environmental issues at Acadia. I participate as a member of an environmental group. I make an effort to minimize my water use. **Correlations significant at p < .01. Pearson Correlation 0.47** 0.35** 0.35** 0.34** 0.32** 0.32** 0.31** 0.30** Pearson Correlation 0.49** 0.41** 0.33** For all correlations, refer to Appendices A through C. Environment Survey Report, 2004 18 Taking Action Measures of Action Using factor analysis, two measures of action taking were constructed. The first I called “Action Minimizing” included actions of minimizing paper, water and electricity use. The second I called “Action Educating” included actions of staying up-to-date with environmental issues (global and locally) and participating in environment groups. See Appendix D for more detail on these variables. Those taking Action Those taking action (whether it be the form of minimizing impact or educating oneself) reported greater knowledge and values towards environmental issues. In particular, those taking minimizing action tend to have stronger values, and those who take educating action tend to have more knowledge. Refer to Appendices E & F for all of the correlations. Action related to Knowledge (Appendix E) For example, those taking minimizing action reported greater knowledge particularly in the environmental impact of their food choices and lifestyle, and the origin of their food. Those taking educating action reported greater knowledge in on all knowledge items except “awareness that students can major in environmental science”, perhaps because that item was already at ceiling. In particular, those that took greater action to educate themselves reported greater knowledge of Acadia’s environmental organizations, the concept of sustainability, Enviro week, and the availability of environmentally themed courses at Acadia. Action related to Values (Appendix F) Taking action to minimize impact, and educate oneself was also correlated to all values except: concern about the standard of living in developing countries, the opinion that all people have a right to the basic necessities of life, and that students should be informed of Acadia’s financial decisions. Those with minimizing impact actions were particularly most likely to agree that: conserving water/ electricity, minimizing paper use, and recycling was important to them. Those taking actions to educate themselves also tended to agree on these items, and that reducing the environmental impact of transportation is important to them. In general, these results emphasize the positive correlations between the three areas of environmental knowledge, values, and action. Environment Survey Report, 2004 19 Conclusions Considering how students were recruited for participation in this survey, it is expected that, if anything, the participants in this study were more environmentally friendly, conscious, and knowledgeable than the average Acadia student. Many of the participants were those already in an environmental group, friends of those in an environmental group, or those that approached stations during the Enviro week. Thus, it is not surprising that participants in this survey strongly endorsed the environmental values. What is surprising is the low levels of reported knowledge and environmental actions considering that these participants were probably better than average. The suggestion here is that the average student is not aware and not taking environmental actions, or, sorting waste is the extent to which most students take environmental action. However, there is more students can be doing than just sorting their waste, and perhaps increasing awareness is the best route to getting students motivated to do more. Encouraging students to get involved with Acadia’s environmental organizations, or enrolled in more environmentally themed courses would also be valuable as knowledge, actions, and values grow together. These results have certainly demonstrated the strong connectivity between knowledge, values, and actions. As a final note, surveys, like the one used in this study, can be fun when kept short and easy to fill out. This survey, however, appeared to serve as both an educational and a motivation tool. Approximately half the participants agreed that the survey both educated them, and motivated them to do more. And more than half the participants were curious of the final result. Environment Survey Report, 2004 20 Appendices Appendix A Environmentally-themed Courses and Knowledge (Pearson’s R-values, ** p < .01, * p < .05) The availability of environmentally themed courses at Acadia. Air pollution in the Annapolis Valley. Global fresh water availability issues. The concept of environmental sustainability. Climate change. Enviro week at Acadia. The concept of the earth having a carrying capacity. Government Canada’s approach to climate change. Aware that Acadia's paper usage has increased since the implementation of the Acadia Advantage Program. Acadia’s student environmental organizations (STEP, AWARE, and AES). The environmental impact of Acadia’s physical operations. Renewable energy technology. Global water contamination issues. The Acadia/Wolfville Dump and Run. Aware that Acadia currently purchases paper with 0% recycled content. Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. Aware that the Acadia Students’ Union ratified an environmental policy in 2002. How the electricity you use was produced. Global efforts to minimize climate change. The environmental impact of the other (non-food) products you purchase. The origin of your food. Energy efficient car technology. Aware that Acadia has no environmental policy. The availability of local organic and fair trade food products. Energy efficient (or "green") building technology. The environmental impact of your lifestyle. The environmental impact of your food choices. The availability of energy efficient cars. The differences in standard of living around the world. The public transportation system in the Wolfville area. Aware that Acadia has the option of buying paper with recycled content. Aware that Acadia students can major in Environmental Science. The recycling system available to you. Pearson Correlation 0.47** 0.35** 0.35** 0.34** 0.32** 0.32** 0.31** 0.30** 0.29** 0.28** 0.27** 0.25** 0.25** 0.23** 0.23** 0.23** 0.21** 0.21** 0.20** 0.18** 0.18** 0.17* 0.15* 0.15* 0.14* 0.13 0.12 0.08 0.05 0.04 0.04 0.03 0.01 A significant positive correlation indicates that those who took more environmentallythemed courses tended to score higher on this item than those who took fewer environmentally-themed courses. Environment Survey Report, 2004 21 Appendix B Environmentally-themed Courses and Values (Pearson’s R-values, ** p < .01, * p < .05) My occupation choice(s) can help or hinder the environment. Water conservation is important to me. Minimization of paper use is important to me. Acadia needs a comprehensive environmental policy. (R) All people have a right to the basic necessities of life. Recycling is important to me. I want to learn more about sustainability. Human health and well being depend on the environment. (R) Conserving electricity is important to me. (R) Acadia should minimize its environmental impact, even if it costs extra money. (R) I am concerned about air pollution in the Annapolis Valley. (R) Recycling is important to me. (R) I am concerned about the welfare of future generations in other countries. Acadia students should be informed of Acadia University’s financial decisions. I am concerned about the welfare of future generations in Canada. Reducing the environmental impact of the food I consume is important to me. (R) The standard of living should be similar from country to country. I am concerned about the standard of living in developing countries. Reducing the environmental impact of transportation is important to me. I am concerned about the welfare of future generations of my family. I am concerned about the impact of chemicals (pesticides, food additives and contaminants) on my health. Individuals can help the environment regardless of their degree/background. I am concerned about global water quality issues. (R) Pearson Correlation 0.19** 0.16* 0.16* 0.15* -0.15* 0.12 0.11 0.10 0.10 0.09 0.08 0.08 0.08 0.08 0.07 0.06 -0.05 -0.05 0.05 0.04 0.04 0.03 0.01 A significant positive correlation indicates that those who took more environmentallythemed courses tended to score higher on this item than those who took fewer environmentally-themed courses. Environment Survey Report, 2004 22 Appendix C Environmentally-themed Courses and Actions (Pearson’s R-values, ** p < .01, * p < .05) I keep up-to-date on environmental issues at Acadia. I participate as a member of an environmental group. I make an effort to minimize my water use. I keep up-to-date on global environmental issues. I buy food with minimal or recyclable packaging. I make an effort to minimize my electricity use. I minimize my paper use. I car-pool when I drive. I buy locally produced food. I sort my waste. For short distances, I walk or bike instead of driving. (R) I eat more food than my body requires. For long distances, I use public transportation instead of driving. (R) Pearson Correlation 0.49** 0.41** 0.33** 0.27** 0.27** 0.24** 0.20** 0.13 0.10 0.10 -0.07 0.02 0.02 A significant positive correlation indicates that those who took more environmentallythemed courses tended to score higher on this item than those who took fewer environmentally-themed courses. Environment Survey Report, 2004 23 Appendix D Scores on Action Minimizing were calculated by taking the means of: Question Number Question Action Question 2 I make an effort to minimize my water use. Action Question 6 I make an effort to minimize my electricity use. Action Question 10 I minimize my paper use. Scores on Action Educating were calculated by taking the means of: Question Number Question Action Question 11 I keep up-to-date on global environmental issues. Action Question 12 I keep up-to-date on environmental issues at Acadia. Action Question 13 I participate as a member of an environmental group. Data validation showed higher inter-item correlations and Chronbach’s Alphas were greater than 0.70. What this means in lay terms is within a variable people likely to do one activity were likely to do another, or there was a high correlation between minimizing water use and minimizing electricity use. Environment Survey Report, 2004 24 Appendix E Correlations between those taking Action and Knowledge Knowledge of: The environmental impact of your food choices. The environmental impact of your lifestyle. The origin of your food. The environmental impact of the other (non-food) products you purchase. The environmental impact of Acadia’s physical operations. Acadia’s student environmental organizations (STEP, AWARE, and AES). How the electricity you use was produced. The concept of the earth having a carrying capacity. The availability of local organic and fair trade food products. Global fresh water availability issues. Energy efficient (or "green") building technology. Renewable energy technology. Aware that Acadia currently purchases paper with 0% recycled content. Aware that Acadia's paper usage has increased since the implementation of the Acadia Advantage Program. Global water contamination issues. Energy efficient car technology. The concept of environmental sustainability. Air pollution in the Annapolis Valley. Climate change. Enviro week at Acadia. The recycling system available to you. The public transportation system in the Wolfville area. Aware that the Acadia Students’ Union ratified an environmental policy in 2002. The availability of energy efficient cars. Government Canada’s approach to climate change. The Acadia/Wolfville Dump and Run. Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. Aware that Acadia has no environmental policy. The availability of environmentally themed courses at Acadia. Global efforts to minimize climate change. The differences in standard of living around the world. Aware that Acadia has the option of buying paper with recycled content. Aware that Acadia students can major in Environmental Science. Minimizing (Action) 0.40** 0.38** 0.38** 0.33** 0.30** 0.30** 0.29** 0.28** 0.27** 0.26** 0.26** 0.26** 0.25** 0.24** 0.24** 0.24** 0.23** 0.23** 0.22** 0.22** 0.20** 0.19** 0.18** 0.18** 0.18** 0.17* 0.17* 0.16* 0.15* 0.13 0.10 0.04 -0.01 Educating (Action) 0.39** 0.32** 0.36** 0.38** 0.43** 0.56** 0.46** 0.45** 0.33** 0.48** 0.47** 0.48** 0.42** 0.37** 0.44** 0.38** 0.52** 0.34** 0.42** 0.50** 0.19** 0.23** 0.27** 0.32** 0.42** 0.19** 0.41** 0.35** 0.50** 0.38** 0.20** 0.19** 0.12 High correlations indicate that those who take the specific action tend to have greater knowledge in the area than those who don’t take the action. Not significant correlations indicate no difference in knowledge for this item between people who take the action, and those who do not. Environment Survey Report, 2004 25 Appendix F Correlations between those taking Action and Values Values Minimization of paper use is important to me. Conserving electricity is important to me. (R) Water conservation is important to me. Recycling is important to me. I want to learn more about sustainability. Recycling is important to me. (R) Reducing the environmental impact of the food I consume is important to me. (R) I am concerned about air pollution in the Annapolis Valley. (R) Acadia should minimize its environmental impact, even if it costs extra money. (R) Reducing the environmental impact of transportation is important to me. I am concerned about the welfare of future generations in other countries. Human health and well being depend on the environment. (R) I am concerned about the impact of chemicals (pesticides, food additives and contaminants) on my health. My occupation choice(s) can help or hinder the environment. I am concerned about global water quality issues. (R) I am concerned about the welfare of future generations in Canada. Acadia needs a comprehensive environmental policy. (R) Individuals can help the environment regardless of their degree/background. I am concerned about the welfare of future generations of my family. The standard of living should be similar from country to country. I am concerned about the standard of living in developing countries. Acadia students should be informed of Acadia University’s financial decisions. All people have a right to the basic necessities of life. Minimizing (Action) 0.54** 0.47** 0.47** 0.41** 0.41** 0.40** 0.37** 0.29** 0.29** 0.29** 0.27** 0.25** 0.25** 0.24** 0.23** 0.22** 0.22** 0.21** 0.19** 0.15* 0.13 0.06 -0.01 Educating (Action) 0.36** 0.22** 0.40** 0.30** 0.31** 0.23** 0.26** 0.20** 0.28** 0.33** 0.24** 0.23** 0.18* 0.29** 0.20** 0.30** 0.18* 0.15* 0.20** 0.10* 0.08 0.09 0.06 High correlations indicate that those who take the specific action tend to have greater values in the area than those who don’t take the action. Not significant correlations indicate no difference in values for this item between people who take the action, and those who do not. Environment Survey Report, 2004 26 Contact Information This report was written in 2004 by Joshua Salmon and Jeremy Ewing for the Acadia Environmental Society (AES). Please email any questions to [email protected]. Environment Survey Report, 2004 27