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Number of results: 19 for term(s): Report
A Climate of Change: African Americans, Global Warming, and a Just Climate Policy for the U.S. | Environmental Justice and Climate Change Initiative (EJCC)
Resource type: Report
Topics: Environmental Justice
This study by J. Andrew Hoerner and Nia Robinson reveals that policies supporting environmental justice are good for both the economy and the environment.
This Environmental Justice and Climate Change Initiative (EJCC) report, A Climate of Change: African Americans, Global Warming, and a Just Climate Policy for the U.S., examines how leading climate change policy solutions that address social inequity also serve economic and environmental health for the entire country.
Climate change is not only an issue of the environment; it is also an issue of justice and human rights, one that dangerously intersects race and class. All over the world people of color, Indigenous Peoples and low-income communities bear disproportionate burdens from climate change itself, from ill-designed policies to prevent it, and from side eff ects of the energy systems that cause it. A Climate of Change explores the impacts of climate change on African Americans, from health to economics to community, and considers what policies would most harm or benefit African Americans-and the nation as a whole.
This report finds that:
Web Site: http://www.ejcc.org/climateofchange.pdf
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Back to School: Back Outside! How Outdoor Education and Outdoor School Time Create High Performance Students | Kevin J. Cole, National Wildlife Federation (NWF)
Resource type: Report - Research - Guide
Topics: Outdoor Recreation - Education
In this report, Kevin J. Cole of the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) summarizes the available studies on the role of outdoor learning programs and outdoor play time in furthering children's overall education: improving their lifelong learning skills, prospects for career success and school test scores.
American parents, educators and school administrators are faced with an unprecedented new educational challenge that is so broad, subtle and pervasive, that it is nearly invisible. They must wake up to the cold reality that American children are now spending an average of seven hours and 38 minutes per day (53 hours per week) indoors, using electronic media such as television and video games. Regular outdoor
time, especially time in natural surroundings, has become just minutes per day and is verging on becoming a thing of the past.
This "indoor childhood" trend is an immense and unnecessary drain on our children's long term physical, emotional and educational development.
For a copy of the report, go to http://www.nwf.org/Get-Outside/~/media/PDFs/Be Out There/Back to School full report.ashx
Web Site: http://www.nwf.org/Get-Outside/~/media/PDFs/Be%20Out%20There/Back%20to%20School%20full%20report.ashx
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Building More Inclusive Organizations Initiative: Evaluation Report | Intercambios and University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point
Resource type: Report
Topics: Human Communities - Diversity - Culture
A Project of the Environmental Education and Training Partnership
The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (UW-SP) has been collaborating with Intercambios, a binational, bicultural consulting group, to advance the cultural relevance of environmental education (EE). Cultural relevance, or inclusiveness, requires deep reflection about one's own values and behaviors and a long-term commitment to shifting organizational practices.
How does an organization do the internal work required to achieve its goals of being more inclusive? The "Building More Inclusive Organizations Initiative" was designed to capture the concerns and problem-solving processes of organizations as they worked toward becoming more inclusive and more culturally relevant in their communities. From 2007 through 2009, UW-SP and Intercambios created a Learning Community with Eco Education in St. Paul, MN; Partners in Environmental Cultural Connectedness (PECC) in Las Vegas, NV; and the Norfolk Environmental Commission (NEC) in Norfolk, VA, to begin the internal work needed to achieve inclusiveness objectives.
In summary, the patterns of what moved groups forward, what held them back, and the lessons they learned were very similar in all three organizations even though the team composition, geographic area, focus, and types and durations of programs were different. In each case, the organizations started out with limited direct interaction with the community. As the groups attempted to provide their services, they all concluded that their standard way of operating was an inappropriate model for achieving inclusiveness.
They realized that developing relationships and creating win-win approaches and projects with the communities were richer, more respectful and inclusive ways to operate than their traditional approaches. The evaluators and Learning Community felt that this was a paradigmatic shift that would continue to reshape the way these three groups interacted with their communities.
Web Site: http://www.eetap.org/pages/dynamic/web.page.php?page_id=133&topology_id=29&eod=1
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Digging Deep Through School Trash: A Waste Composition Analysis of Trash, Recycling and Organic Material Discarded at Public Schools in Minnesota | Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA)
Resource type: Report
Topics: Waste Management - Recycling - Compost
How much waste is generated by Minnesota schools? How much of this could be recycled? These questions are easy to ask, but harder to answer.
In 2010, the MPCA partnered with Hennepin County and the city of Minneapolis to take a closer look at what schools throw away. Partners, with the help of many volunteers, sorted through all the garbage, recycling, and organic material discarded by six schools over a two-day period.
The six schools (two elementary, two middle, and two high schools) represented both urban and suburban areas. These schools were chosen in part because the waste generated by them was likely to be similar to other public schools statewide.
The waste was sorted into 19 different categories. This allowed analysis of total waste generation and composition, as well as contamination of recycling and organics composting, and capture rates for recycling and composting programs at all of the schools.
The results of the waste sort are detailed in this report, School waste composition study. Key findings from the study include:
For more information or to download a free copy of the report, go to http://www.pca.state.mn.us//index.php/waste/waste-and-cleanup/waste-management/solid-waste/school-waste-study.html
Web Site: www.pca.state.mn.us/schoolwaste
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Environmental Education Professional Development Needs and Priorities Study | Environmental Education and Training Partnership (EETAP)
Resource type: Report - Research
Topics: Leadership - Education
Using interview, focus group and questionnaire data, the Environmental Education Professional Development Needs and Priorities Study identified 89 professional development needs for environmental educators, the top priorities for the next 5 years (2010-2015), gaps in current offerings, and work needed to advance education for environmental literacy. Of immediate need is professional development that helps environmental educators:
- Conduct comprehensive EE programs with diverse audiences in local communities
- Share models of what works, work together, and network
- Address environmental sustainability, stewardship, and climate change
- Apply research knowledge to practice about how to:
- motivate for citizen participation, action, attitude and behavior change
- connect others with nature
- engage diverse audiences and partners
- help students learn
- instruct adults
- Comprehend and apply basic EE fundamentals, core concepts and instructional techniques, and the Guidelines for Excellence
- Teach and implement critical thinking skills, problem solving skills, and inquiry
- Integrate EE into K-12; Science, Technology, Engineering & Math projects; No Child Left Behind; and state standards
- Increase funding, leadership, administrative/executive skills, and communication skills
- Perform needs assessments, build evaluation into program design, develop objectives, and conduct outcomes evaluation
Funded by EETAP - Environmental Education and Training Partnership through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Prepared by Principal Investigator:
M. Lynette Fleming, Ph.D.
Research, Evaluation & Development Services
11220 E. Stetson Place
Tucson, AZ 85749-9550
520-749-4909
fleming@cox.net
http://eetap.org
To view the full report go to
http://cms.eetap.org/repository/moderncms_documents/EETAP_PD_Needs_and_Priorities_Report.1.1.1.1.1.pdf
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Generation E: Students Leading for a Sustainable, Clean Energy Future | National Wildlife Federation
Resource type: Report - Guide
Topics: Sustainability - Climatology - Energy
35 ways students are creating a sustainable future at U.S. colleges and universities - cutting carbon emissions, saving resources and equipping the coming generation for a green energy economy.
Generation E is a 70 page, example-rich, best-practices report on exemplary student-led sustainability activities and programs at schools around the U.S. Like other guides in the NWF Campus Ecology Climate and Sustainability Series, it features dozens of examples from postsecondary institutions of all types; public and private, urban and rural, large and small. Generation E spotlights more than 160 campuses from 46 states plus the District of Columbia.
Download Generation E (for free) at http://www.nwf.org/campusecology/resources/HTML/generation_e_report.cfm
Web Site: http://www.nwf.org/campusecology/resources/HTML/generation_e_report.cfm
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Hidden Hazards: Toxic Chemicals Inside Children's Vinyl Back-to-School Supplies | Center for Health, Environment & Justice (CHEJ)
Resource type: Report
Topics: Environmental Health - Hazardous Waste
New laboratory tests reveal children's vinyl "back-to-school" supplies are laden with hidden toxic chemicals harmful to children's health. This new investigation demonstrates that popular children's school supplies contain elevated levels of phthalates, hazardous chemicals that have been banned in toys, yet remain widespread in vinyl back-to-school supplies.
The levels of phthalates found in children's school supplies would be illegal if these products were toys. Just like toys, school supplies are used by young children that are uniquely vulnerable to chemical exposure.
Over 90 percent of all phthalates are used to soften vinyl plastic. Phthalates are hazardous at low levels of exposure, disrupt hormones in our bodies, and have been linked to birth defects, infertility, early puberty, asthma, ADHD, obesity, diabetes, and cancer. According to testing by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children have the highest exposures to these hazardous chemicals. As a result of the widespread use of phthalates in vinyl plastic products, they have been found in the air and dust of our homes and schools, our bodies, blood and breast milk.
Twenty popular children's back-to-school products were purchased and analyzed for six phthalates and four heavy metals, to determine whether or not these hazardous chemicals were present. In total, four children's backpacks, four children's lunchboxes, four 3-ring binders, four children's rainboots, and four children's raincoats were purchased and tested. All products were purchased in New York City during the 2012 "back-to-school" shopping season at Kmart, Duane Reade, Payless, dollar stores and other retailers. Laboratory tests were conducted by Paradigm Environmental Services in Rochester, NY. Multiple components of the same products were tested for most of the products. The products were purchased and tested in two rounds.
Overview of Results:
violation of the federal ban for toys, if these products were considered toys.
indicating children are exposed to multiple phthalates from vinyl back to school supplies.
Find safer products for your children this back-to-school season!
The good news is there are plenty of safer alternatives available. The Back-to-School Guide to PVC-free School Supplies, a guide to safer school supplies in over 40 product categories, is available to empower parents to find safer children's back-to-school supplies. The guide can be downloaded at http://www.chej.org/publications/PVCGuide/PVCfree.pdf
About the Center for Health, Environment & Justice
The Center for Health, Environment & Justice is a national, nonprofit, tax-exempt organization that provides organizing and technical assistance to grassroots community groups in the environmental health and justice movement. The Center was founded in 1981 by Lois Gibbs, who helped win the relocation of over 900 families from their neighborhood which was contaminated by chemicals leaking from the Love Canal landfill in Niagara Falls, NY. Through this effort, Gibbs and her neighbors woke up the nation to recognize the link between people's exposures to dangerous chemicals in their community and serious public health impacts.
CHEJ works with the environmental health and justice movement to eliminate harmful toxic exposures. We help people build democratic, community-based organizations to address public health and environmental threats from chemical hazards. This movement organizes to eliminate harmful toxic exposures in communities impacted by hazardous waste sites, chemical plants, and other polluting industries, as well as, eliminate unsafe chemicals in products used in homes, schools and institutions.
To view the full report go to http://chej.org/wp-content/uploads/HiddenHazardsReportFINAL.pdf
For more information visit http://chej.org/2012/08/backtoschool2012/
Web Site: http://chej.org/wp-content/uploads/HiddenHazardsReportFINAL.pdf
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Higher Education in a Warming World - The Business Case for Climate Leadership on Campus | National Wildlife Federation
Resource type: Report - Web Site
Topics: Climatology
Highlighting the business, educational, and moral arguments for reducing greenhouse gas emissions on campus, with best practices from U.S. colleges and universities.
By David J. Eagan, Julian Keniry and Justin Schott with Praween Dayananda,
Kristy Jones and Lisa Madry
This richly detailed guide to climate action at colleges and universities focuses on the numbers -- with examples from more than 100 schools showing how they cut emissions, saved money and made a difference. For campuses just starting out, it gives how-to steps for conducting an inventory, creating a plan and leading toward a sustainable future.
Higher Education in a Warming World is available as a FREE download.
To view the REPORT and see the list of SCHOOLS it features,
visit http://www.nwf.org/Campusecology/BusinessCase/
Here's what you'll find inside . . .
For questions about National Wildlife Federation's new report "Higher Education in a Warming World" or the Campus Ecology program please contact campus@nwf.org or 703-438-6000.
Campus Ecology...It takes a big step to make a smaller footprint.
Web Site: http://www.nwf.org/campusEcology/BusinessCase/HigherEducationinaWarmingWorld.pdf
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How do the FSC and SFI Standards Address the Forest Service's Four Threats? | Kathryn Fernholz, Dr. Jeff Howe, Dr. Jim Bowyer, Phil Guillery
Resource type: Report
Topics: Eco-systems - Forests/Trees - Business - Sustainable Development
This report details the four primary threats identified by the USDA Forest Service in the management of American forests (fire and fuels; invasive species; loss of open space and unmanaged recreation) and it addresses the ways in which the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) and SFI (Sustainable Forestry Initiative) forest certification standards can help mitigate the threats.
Web Site: http://www.forestinfo.org/research_references
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National Environmental Literacy Assessment Final Report | Bill McBeth, University of Wisconsin-Platteville, Principal Investigator
Resource type: Report - Research
Topics: Education - Research
The National Environmental Literacy Assessment is a national baseline study of middle school student understanding of the environment. It was conducted by North American Association (NAAEE) for Environmental Education with support from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Environmental Education and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Education.
This research project was designed primarily to meet recommendation number five, (Support and strengthen long-term research initiatives), established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) National Environmental Education Advisory Council (NEEAC) and tendered to Congress in the 2005 Report to Congress, Setting the Standard, Measuring Results, and Celebrating Successes. More specifically, the Action Items supporting this recommendation include: a national measure of environmental literacy; the development of a comprehensive, research-based instrument for this purpose, as well as for use in more specific state and programmatic assessments so that comparisons can be made to the national assessment data. Other actions such as to indentify "proven" and "promising" programs and the study of these programs to understand their relative effectiveness in meeting the goals of environmental education and environmental literacy will be dealt with in subsequent studies.
The project is important because it provides instrumentation to measure environmental literacy and baseline environmental literacy data for 6th and 8th graders across the United States. This information can be used eventually to assess program effectiveness in the hope of raising environmental literacy across the nation. Similarly, this project supports and advances the goals of the National Environmental Education Act. More specifically it supports the EPA Office of Environmental Education's (OEE) Strategic Plan's research component recommending research that assesses the effectiveness of Environmental Education in meeting environmental protection and academic achievement goals. This project also addresses the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) vision to incorporate social sciences into its research strategies. The data generated from this project and subsequent programmatic data may well have a direct impact on the design of NOAA's educational programming. Opportunities will eventually exist to assist NOAA in designing educational programming that has the highest possibility of success at meeting its academic objectives.
Grant # NA06SEC4690009
Prepared by:
Bill McBeth, University of Wisconsin-Platteville, Principal Investigator
Harold Hungerford, Center for Instruction Staff Development and Evaluation
Tom Marcinkowski, Florida Institute of Technology
Trudi Volk, Center for Instruction Staff Development and Evaluation
Ron Meyers, Ron Meyers & Associates
Submitted to:
Ginger Potter, Senior Education Specialist,
Environmental Education Division,
Office of Children's Health Protection and Environmental Education,
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Sarah Schoedinger, Senior Program Manager,
Office of Education,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
U.S. Department of Commerce
Brian Day, Executive Director,
North American Association for Environmental Education
Web Site: http://www.oesd.noaa.gov/NAEE_Report/Final_NELA%20minus%20MSELS_8-12-08.pdf
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Quantifying a Relationship Between Place-based Learning and Environmental Quality Final Report | United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Park Service Conservation Study Institute
Resource type: Report
Topics: Education - Air
EE Leads to Cleaner Air!
EPA funded study shows that environmental education programs provide the impetus in improving the air quality at the surveyed institutions' facilities.
A Technical Assistance Report Prepared by National Park Service Conservation Study Institute In Collaboration with Shelburne Farms under Cooperative Agreement #H1818-07-0001, Task Agreement #J1818-07-A001 for Environmental Protection Agency under Interagency Agreement # DW14922290-01-0
Executive Summary
Can education programs improve the environment? According to the National Environmental Education Advisory Council (2005), this is one of the most important questions facing the field of environmental education as it matures and responds to challenges from critics and supporters alike. This study was aimed directly at addressing this question. Our goal was to investigate to what extent environmental improvement was a focus of school-based and nonformal education programs that focus on air quality (AQ), the degree to which such programs achieved measurable improvements, and whether specific instructional methods were associated with these improvements.
Over the course of 2007-2008, our multi-agency evaluation group attempted to identify and contact all of the major air quality education programs in the United States. We completed a standardized telephone interview with representatives of 54 programs. Quantitative analysis of these interviews generated three key findings: 1) nearly half of the programs we studied reported evidence that air quality had actually improved over the course of their projects; 2) most of the programs we studied took some sort of action to improve air quality; and 3) programs reporting more place-based learning (PBL) qualities and practices such as service-learning and community partnerships were more likely to report improvements in air quality.
A program at East Valley Middle School in Washington state exemplified one category of AQ improvements found in our study sample. Student investigations revealed unhealthy levels of CO2, mold, odors, airflow, and airborne particulates in classrooms at their school. After working with school administrators and maintenance staff to address the problems, the students conducted post-measurements and found improvements in all indicators. Of the programs we studied, 11% rported positive changes in pre- and post- measures of physical air quality indicators similar to those at East Valley.
A different type of evidence of improved air quality was reported by a program at Exeter High School in New Hampshire. Based on data from their monitoring of school and car bus idling rates in the school parking lot, students successfully led an effort to enact a school-wide no-idling policy and to install no-idling signs on school grounds. While these students did not generate subsequent measures of the effects of reduced vehicle emissions on physical air quality, the resulting policy implementation was presumed to effectively improve AQ. The Exeter example demonstrates how education programs can improve proxy indicators of air quality, in this case car and bus idling rates. Such proxy indicators of improved air quality were reported by 35 percent of the programs in our sample.
Combining the two types of evidence (i.e. physical and proxy indicators), we found that nearly half (46 percent) of the programs in our study reported credible improvements in air quality associated with their educational efforts. Given the current dearth of literature linking education and environmental quality improvement, finding such a relatively high percentage of programs reporting this result was an exciting outcome.
The vast majority (89 percent) of air quality education programs we studied were action oriented, even if they did not report direct improvements in AQ. Teenagers working with a community group in Oakland, CA, for example, wrote letters to local government officials and industry leaders, and participated in a press conference promoting air quality awareness. High school students in Darrington, WA, presented slide shows about air quality and trained local community groups how to access AQ monitoring information online. High school students in Berlin, VT, monitored AQ in their school yard and presented their findings and a no-idling policy proposal to the school board.
Analyzing the study sample as a whole, the single strongest predictor of air quality improvement was the degree to which the program incorporated an aggregate measure of the principles of place-based learning (r=.40, p<.01). This finding was significant even when controlling for funding, instructional dose, and background factors. The two most significant individual PBL qualities and practices that predicted air quality improvement outcomes were the inclusion of a service-learning component (r=.38, p<.01) and a connection to authentic needs of the local community (r=.33, p<.05).
The generalizability of our findings was limited to some extent by the relatively small and possibly nonrepresentative sample, by a potential confound between EQ improvement as a primary outcome measure and the extent of PBL practices, and by the risk of bias in self-report survey data from program personnel. Additional studies involving larger and more systematically selected samples, the use of experimental or quasi-experimental designs, and in-depth case studies could further test our findings. Future studies could also replicate and refine our methods while investigating other environmental quality topics such as climate change, water quality, or biodiversity.
In sum, our findings provide preliminary evidence that education can be a viable approach for achieving measurable improvements in environmental quality. Policy makers may want to consider a new category of financial support for projects that actively attempt to improve environmental quality through education programs. Such programs may be able to deliver significant benefits at relatively low cost compared with other conservation strategies. Educators with an expressed goal of addressing environmental quality issues should consider adding pre- and post- indicator measurement components to their programs. Additionally, such educators should focus on specifically engaging participants in investigating and measuring real-world environmental quality issues in their local communities.
To read or download the full report, visit http://www.peecworks.org/PEEC/PEEC_Research/S03CB4BC4-03CB558E
Web Site: http://www.peecworks.org/PEEC/PEEC_Research/S03CB4BC4-03CB558E
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Report: No More Toxic Tub: Getting Contaminants Out Of Children's Bath & Personal Care Products | Campaign for Safe Cosmetics
Resource type: Report
Topics: Health
Children's bath products are often marketed as safe and gentle. However, laboratory tests commissioned by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics found these products are commonly contaminated with formaldehyde or 1,4-dioxane - and, in many cases, both. These two chemicals, linked to cancer and skin allergies, are anything but safe and gentle and are completely unregulated in children's bath products.
This study is the first to document the widespread presence of both formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane in bath products for children, including baby shampoos, bubble baths and baby lotions. Many products tested contained both chemicals.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 1,4-dioxane is a probable carcinogen. The federal Consumer Product Safety Commission states that "the presence of 1,4-dioxane, even as a trace contaminant, is cause for concern."3 1,4-dioxane is a byproduct of a chemical processing technique called ethoxylation in which cosmetic ingredients are processed with ethylene oxide. Manufacturers can easily remove the toxic byproduct, but are not required by law to do so.
What We Found
The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics commissioned an independent laboratory to test 48 products for 1,4-dioxane; 28 of those products were also tested for formaldehyde. The lab found that:
Health Concerns
While a single product might not be cause for concern, the reality is that babies may be exposed to several products at bath time, several times a week, in addition to other chemical exposures in the home and environment. Those small exposures add up and may contribute to later-life disease.
Formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane are known carcinogens; formaldehyde can also trigger skin rashes in some children. Unlike many other countries, the U.S. government does not limit formaldehyde, 1,4-dioxane, or most other hazardous substances in personal care products.
Where They Come From
The chemicals were not disclosed on product labels because they're contaminants, not ingredients, and therefore are exempt from labeling laws. Formaldehyde contaminates personal care products when common preservatives release formaldehyde over time in the container. Common ingredients likely to contaminate products with formaldehyde include quaternium-15, DMDM hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea and diazolidinyl urea.
What You Can Do
Contrary to industry statements, there are no regulatory standards that limit formaldehyde, 1,4-dioxane or most other toxic chemicals in personal care products sold in the United States. There are signs the U.S. is gearing to catch up, but for now it's up to consumers to consider carefully before they buy. Here's some suggestions for safeguarding your family's health:
Simplify: Select products with fewer ingredients and no synthetic fragrance or dyes, and use fewer products overall.
Choose safety: Search EWG's cosmetic safety database, Skin Deep, to learn more about the products you use and find safer alternatives. Also check out EWG's Safety Guide to Children's Personal Care Products.
Read labels: Select products for baby and yourself that don't contain the ingredients listed above, which are commonly contaminated with formaldehyde or 1,4-dioxane.
Take action! Can't memorize these lists? Nobody can. If harmful contaminants and ingredients weren't allowed in products, you wouldn't have to. Tell Congress you want safe cosmetics for babies, adults and everyone in between.
Spread the word: Send an e-card letting friends and family know about this report.
Download the report at http://safecosmetics.org/downloads/NoMoreToxicTub_Mar09Report.pdf
For more information visit http://safecosmetics.org/article.php?id=414
About the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics
The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is a national coalition of nonprofit women's, environmental, health,
faith, consumer and worker organizations. Our collective goal is to protect the health of consumers and
workers by requiring the personal care products industry to phase out the use of chemicals linked to
cancer, birth defects and other serious health concerns, and replace them with safer alternatives.
Web Site: http://safecosmetics.org/downloads/NoMoreToxicTub_Mar09Report.pdf
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Report: The Dirt on Dirt: How Getting Dirty Outdoors Benefits Kids | National Wildlife Federation's (NWF) Be Out There campaign
Resource type: Report - Research - Guide
Topics: Outdoor Recreation - Health - Culture
While many times getting our hands dirty is frowned upon, Be Out There has some new facts and figures that may have you throwing your kids into the nearest mud puddle.
In our report The Dirt on Dirt: How Getting Dirty Outdoors Benefits Kids, we reveal how getting down and dirty in the great outdoors -- far from being a bad thing -- helps children lead happier, healthier lives.
But here's the dirty little secret:
Dirt and germs can actually be good for kids. The things small children want to do outside, like building mud castles, splashing around in puddles and rolling down hills until their clothes are irreparably grass-stained -- all those things that make mothers reach for hand sanitizer and laundry detergent -- may, in fact, be a grubby little prescription for health and happiness.
Unfortunately, boys and girls today spend the better part of their time, seven hours per day on average (Rideout, 2010), indoors, in the sterile company of technology, rather than following their in-born impulses to explore the natural world with their senses. This indoor childhood is damaging to kids. In fact, in the last twenty years as kids spent less and less time outside, childhood obesity rates more than doubled (CDC, 2008), the United States became the largest consumer of ADHD medications in the world (Sax, 2000), 7.6 million U.S. children are vitamin D deficient (Kumar, 2000), and the use of antidepressants in pediatric patients rose sharply (Delate, 2004).
When kids do leave the house, a growing body of research suggests the exact things we do in the name of protecting them from dirt and germs, such as not letting them get too messy and frequently using hand sanitizers and antibacterial products, can inhibit their mental and physical health and resilience.
The report The Dirt on Dirt: How Getting Dirty Outdoors Benefits Kids reveals how getting down and dirty in the great outdoors -- far from being a bad thing -- helps children lead healthier, happier lives.
For the Health of it
When we let our kids play in dirt we're not only allowing them to explore the wonders around them, we are also exposing them to healthy bacteria, parasites, and viruses that will inevitably create a much stronger immune system! Many kids who live in an ultraclean environment have a greater chance of suffering from allergies, asthma, and other autoimmune diseases that we would otherwise be protected from through the simple pleasure of playing with some nice common dirt.
The Joy of Dirt
Studies have shown that simply having contact with dirt, whether it's through gardening, digging holes, or making pies out of mud, can significantly improve a child's mood and reduce their anxiety and stress. With antidepressant use in kids on the rise, an increasing number of experts are recognizing the role of nature in enhancing kids' mental health. Dirt can even improve classroom performance. It's easy to see the effect when you watch children play outside.
To Download the Full Report (pdf) go to http://www.nwf.org/~/media/PDFs/Be Out There/Dirt_Report_2012.ashx
Take the Quiz: Test Your Knowledge On Dirt at http://poll.nwf.org/test-your-knowledge-on-dirt
View our Dirtiest Kid Photo Challenge Entrants at http://www.nwf.org/Get-Outside/Be-Out-There/Why-Be-Out-There/Benefits/The-Dirt-on-Dirt/Dirtiest-Kids-Photo-Challenge.aspx
(Dirty) Fun: Get elbow deep in some dirt! Try these activities your children will love at
Be an Artist (http://www.nwf.org/Activity-Finder/Activities/2012/Be-An-Artist.aspx)
Be a Chef (http://www.nwf.org/Activity-Finder/Activities/2012/Make-Mud-Recipes.aspx)
Be a Biologist (http://www.nwf.org/Activity-Finder/Activities/2012/Backyard-Biology.aspx)
Be a Gardener (http://www.nwf.org/Activity-Finder/Activities/2012/Start-a-garden.aspx)
Be a Builder (http://www.nwf.org/Activity-Finder/Activities/2012/mud-chitecture.aspx)
Make a Delicious Dirt Dessert (http://www.nwf.org/Activity-Finder/Activities/2012/Dirt-Dessert.aspx)
For more information visit http://www.nwf.org/Get-Outside/Be-Out-There/Why-Be-Out-There/Benefits/The-Dirt-on-Dirt.aspx!
Web Site: http://www.nwf.org/~/media/PDFs/Be%20Out%20There/Dirt_Report_2012.ashx
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State Environmental Literacy Plans - 2013 Status Report | North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE)
Resource type: Report
Topics: Environmental Studies
The State Environmental Literacy Plans 2013 Report details how states are progressing with their Environmental Literacy Plans (ELP).
Forty-eight states (including the District of Columbia) responded to a survey to let us know the progress of their state ELP. More than 70 percent reported that their Environmental Education Association is playing an active role in the plan's development and implementation.
State environmental literacy plans are comprehensive frameworks that support school systems in expanding and improving environmental education programs.
State environmental literacy plans:
One of the most exciting trends in environmental education is linking schools, communities, and businesses to create change; ELPs offer a great opportunity to strengthen these partnerships.
We know that states are engaging a number of partners in ELP development and that the local community plays an important role in ELP implementation. In many states, EE professionals already serve to connect schools and communities; ELPs may offer the glue to cement the relationships between schools and their surrounding communities. Understanding how to build fruitful partnerships between formal and nonformal education efforts is critical and already being highlighted through the development and implementation of ELPs.
12 pages
To read or download the full report, go to http://www.naaee.net/sites/default/files/us/affiliates/SELP_final.pdf
North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE)
2000 P Street, NW Suite 540
Washington, DC 20036
202-419-0412
naaee.org
Web Site: http://www.naaee.net/sites/default/files/us/affiliates/SELP_final.pdf
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The Global Education Project | Staff
Resource type: Web Site - CD - Report - Research
Topics: Earth - Environmental Health - Water - Eco-systems
The Global Education Project is a Canadian non-governmental organization with a 15-year history of publishing fact-packed educational wall posters and producing live events to educate about important issues. The Global Education Project's previous poster on the Middle East is being used by over 200 colleges and universities in Canada, US, and internationally, as well as thousands of individuals and activist organizations.
In 2005, the Global Education Project's production team compiled an unparalleled collection of broad-based factual information on the state of the world's environment and distilled it into a series of jaw-dropping charts, maps, and graphs, now available on the wall poster Earth: A Graphic Look at the State of the World.
The information takes a bold look at a wide range of environmental issues-from climate change and species extinctions to debt, population, and food supply-giving a rare visual overview of the state of ecological and humanitarian conditions over the entire biosphere. It is an Executive Summary of the state of the planet.
This web site is the result of this work. The site (and the accompanying wall chart) are here to show you - in as clear, objective, and accessible a format as possible - the condition of the world -- both its natural and human elements.
EARTH: A Graphic Look at the State of the World summarizes the conditions of the world's natural ecology and human cultures, their interactions and impact on each other.
EARTH is published in three formats; a full color 27 x 36 wall chart, an interactive web site, and a CD (with slide show, commentary, and printouts).
This integrated collection makes obvious the connections between apparently disparate topics core statistics on forests, soil, fresh water and ocean fisheries are side by side with the numbers on climate change, carbon dioxide emissions, wealth and power, food supply and oil supply, military budgets, population density, health, poverty, access to clean water and life expectancy.
Use this site to view the data, check out the wall chart, order a copy, or test your knowledge with the Earth Quiz. Also, we now have a fantastic monthly newsletter that profiles one urgently important topic each month.
Web Site: http://www.theglobaleducationproject.org/earth/index.php
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The Minnesota Report Card on Environmental Literacy: a baseline survey of adult environmental knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors | Hamline University's Center for Global Environmental Education, Dr. Tony Murphy
Resource type: Report - Research - Guide
Topics: Education - Research - Evaluation - Human Communities
A baseline survey of adult environmental knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors
Minnesota residents continue to encounter a variety of environmental issues. What knowledge and skills do they need to be able to solve these issues? It is clear that Minnesota needs an environmentally literate citizenry-one that has knowledge about, and attitudes toward the environment and the issues that in turn may affect behaviors related to the environment.
What does environmental literacy mean? People who are environmentally literate:
The Minnesota Report Card on Environmental Literacy www.mnseek.net/reportcard, 2002, documents the results of the first statewide survey, which was conducted in 2001, concerning environmental literacy of adults in Minnesota. It created a baseline of environmental literacy for residents of the state. Two more report cards have been written. The Second Minnesota Report Card was published in 2004 and The Third Minnesota Report Card was published in 2008. All can be found at www.mnseek.net/reportcard. Minnesota adults were surveyed for their knowledge about, attitudes toward, and behaviors related to the environment.
In The Minnesota Report Card on Environmental Literacy, questions on urban sprawl and fertilizer use were included along with general knowledge, attitude and behavior questions. The second report card (2004), had questions on water and in the third report card (2008) questions on energy and climate change.
Results for this report card are compared to survey results of Pennsylvania residents and United States citizens. It is important to conduct similar surveys in the future. By continuing to collect information about Minnesotans' knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors, we can track trends in environmental literacy and highlight any appropriate changes to our education efforts.
Survey Instrument
From August through November 2001, a random sample of 1,000 Minnesota adults answered a series of questions in a telephone survey conducted by the Wilder Research Center (St. Paul, Minn.). A copy of the entire survey is available in Appendix A. See Appendix C for the final frequencies of responses to each individual question. www.mnseek.net/reportcard
The Minnesota environmental literacy survey was developed with members of the working group (see acknowledgements page of the report). The survey instrument includes questions from various National Report Cards on Environmental Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviors conducted by the National Environmental Education Training Foundation and Roper Starch Worldwide. Questions were also developed specifically for this survey.
Data Analysis
Data from the survey interviews were analyzed using frequencies of occurrence and the Pearson Chi-Square, which tests the relationship between two variables and reports statistical significance. One set of variables in this report is the demographics (gender, age, education, location, income), while the other set is the questions from the survey.
Demographics
The respondents to the survey were divided according to specific demographics to allow for analysis of the data. The demographics selected were gender, age (18-34, 35-44, 45-64, and 65 and over), education (high school, some college, college degree), location (seven-county metro, other metro areas in the state, non-metro or rural areas), and income ($30,000 or less, $30,001-$50,000, $50,001-$75,000, and over $75,000). The Pearson Chi-Square determines a statistical relationship between two variables, in this case, demographics and the questions.
Organization of the Minnesota Report Card
The Second Report Card is divided into four parts. The first three discuss specific sections of the survey: knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. The final section offers an integrated perspective to the overall report and to Minnesota adults' environmental literacy.
It is important to remember that this survey and report are not an evaluation of the public, but rather a further collection of information concerning the knowledge about, attitudes toward, and behaviors related to the environment in Minnesota. This will be used with the previous report-and future reports-to track trends and changes in environmental literacy as Minnesota adults are surveyed again at various points in the future.
Acknowledgements
The Minnesota Report Card on Environmental Literacy was developed by Hamline University's Center for Global Environmental Education through a state Environmental Assistance grant. Dr. Tony Murphy, College of St. Catherine, was the principal author of the project.
For More Information:
To request a print copy of The Minnesota Report Card on Environmental Literacy or The Second Minnesota Report Card on Environmental Literacy - 2004 contact the MPCA Learning Resource Center at resourcecenter.pca@state.mn.us or 651-757-2120, 800-877-6300 toll free. All three report cards can be found online at www.mnseek.net/reportcard.
If you have questions concerning The Second Minnesota Report Card on Environmental Literacy contact Dr. Tony Murphy at apmurphy@stkate.edu or 651-690-8877 or Denise Stromme at denise.stromme@state.mn.us or 218-316-3888.
Web Site: http://www.seek.state.mn.us/publications/reportcard2002.pdf
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The Second Minnesota Report Card on Environmental Literacy: a survey of adult environmental knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors | Hamline University's Center for Global Environmental Education, Dr. Tony Murphy
Resource type: Report - Research - Guide
Topics: Education - Research - Evaluation - Water
A survey of adult environmental knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors
Minnesota residents continue to encounter a variety of environmental issues. What knowledge and skills do they need to be able to solve these issues? It is clear that Minnesota needs an environmentally literate citizenry-one that has knowledge about, and attitudes toward the environment and the issues that in turn may affect behaviors related to the environment.
What does environmental literacy mean? People who are environmentally literate:
The Second Minnesota Report Card on Environmental Literacy www.mnseek.net/reportcard, August 2004, documents the results of the second statewide survey, which was conducted in 2003, concerning environmental literacy of adults in Minnesota. The first survey (2001)created a baseline of environmental literacy for residents of the state. And the third report card was published in 2008, with the survey conducted in 2007. All can be found at www.mnseek.net/reportcard Minnesota adults were surveyed for their knowledge about, attitudes toward, and behaviors related to the environment.
Some of the findings in the second report card include:
The Second Minnesota Report Card on Environmental Literacy follows a similar format to the previous report; however, it goes on to examine changes that occurred in the intervening period for questions used in both surveys. Comparisons are also made to Pennsylvania residents and United States citizens. These comparisons are based on similar studies performed by Pennsylvania and nationally. While some of the data from these surveys may seem old, they are important to include, as Pennsylvania is still the only other state to conduct a similar survey. See Pennsylvania report.
It is important to conduct similar surveys in the future. By continuing to collect information about Minnesotans' knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors, we can track trends in environmental literacy and highlight any appropriate changes to our education efforts.
Survey Instrument
From August through November 2003, a random sample of 1,000 Minnesota adults answered a series of questions in a telephone survey conducted by the Wilder Research Center (St. Paul, Minn.). A copy of the entire survey is available in Appendix A. www.mnseek.net/reportcard See Appendix C for the final frequencies of responses to each individual question.
The Minnesota environmental literacy survey was developed with members of the working group (see acknowledgements page of the report). The survey instrument includes questions from various National Report Cards on Environmental Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviors (referred to as National Environmental Report Cards in this report) conducted by the National Environmental Education Training Foundation and Roper Starch Worldwide. Questions were also developed specifically for this survey.
Data Analysis
Data from the survey interviews were analyzed using frequencies of occurrence and the Pearson Chi-Square, which tests the relationship between two variables and reports statistical significance. One set of variables in this report is the demographics (gender, age, education, location, income), while the other set is the questions from the survey.
Demographics
The respondents to the survey were divided according to specific demographics to allow for analysis of the data. The demographics selected were gender, age (18-34, 35-44, 45-64, and 65 and over), education (high school, some college, college degree), location (seven-county metro, other metro areas in the state, non-metro or rural areas), and income ($30,000 or less, $30,001-$50,000, $50,001-$75,000, and over $75,000). The Pearson Chi-Square determines a statistical relationship between two variables, in this case, demographics and the questions.
Organization of the Second Report Card
The Second Report Card is divided into four parts. The first three discuss specific sections of the survey: knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. The final section offers an integrated perspective to the overall report and to Minnesota adults' environmental literacy.
It is important to remember that this survey and report are not an evaluation of the public, but rather a further collection of information concerning the knowledge about, attitudes toward, and behaviors related to the environment in Minnesota. This will be used with the previous report-and future reports-to track trends and changes in environmental literacy as Minnesota adults are surveyed again at various points in the future.
Acknowledgements
The Second Minnesota Report Card on Environmental Literacy was developed by Hamline University's Center for Global Environmental Education through a state Environmental Assistance grant. Dr. Tony Murphy, College of St. Catherine, was the principal author of the project.
For More Information:
To request a printed copy of The Second Minnesota Report Card on Environmental Literacy - 2004 or The Minnesota Report Card on Environmental Literacy - 2002 contact the MPCA Learning Resource Center at resourcecenter.pca@state.mn.us or 651-757-2120, 800-877-6300 toll free. All three report cards can be found online at www.mnseek.net/reportcard.
If you have questions concerning The Second Minnesota Report Card on Environmental Literacy contact Dr. Tony Murphy at apmurphy@stkate.edu or 651-690-8877 or Denise Stromme at denise.stromme@state.mn.us or 218-316-3888.
Web Site: http://www.seek.state.mn.us/publications/reportcard2004.pdf
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The Third Minnesota Report Card on Environmental Literacy PowerPoint | Dr. Tony Murphy, St. Catherine University
Resource type: Report - Research - Slides
Topics: Education - Research - Evaluation - Human Communities
This is the PowerPoint presentation on The Third Minnesota Report Card on Environmental Literacy conducted by Dr. Tony Murphy, principal author of the three Minnesota Report Cards. It offers a summary and data from the 2008 Report Card. It can be seen and downloaded from http://www.seek.state.mn.us/publications/reportcard2008-presentation.pdf.
Web Site: http://www.seek.state.mn.us/reportcard
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The Third Minnesota Report Card on Environmental Literacy: a survey of adult environmental knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors | Anthony Murphy, Ph.D. and Andrea Olson, Ph.D., of the College of St. Catherine
Resource type: Report - Research - Guide
Topics: Education - Research - Evaluation - Energy
A survey of adult environmental knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors
Minnesota residents continue to encounter a variety of environmental issues. What knowledge and skills do they need to be able to solve these issues? It is clear that Minnesota needs an environmentally literate citizenry-one that has knowledge about, and attitudes toward the environment and the issues that in turn may affect behaviors related to the environment.
What does environmental literacy mean? People who are environmentally literate:
The Third Minnesota Report Card on Environmental Literacy (2008) documents the results of the third statewide survey concerning the environmental literacy of adults in Minnesota. http://www.seek.state.mn.us/publications/reportcard2008.pdf For the report cards, 1,000 Minnesota adults were surveyed by telephone for their knowledge about, attitudes toward, and behaviors related to the environment. The results of these statewide surveys have been summarized in report cards, where responses are broken down demographically and compared to related survey questions in studies performed in Minnesota, by other states, and nationally.
In The Third Minnesota Report Card on Environmental Literacy questions on energy and climate change were included along with general knowledge, attitude and behavior questions. The first report card (2002) included questions on urban sprawl and in the second report card (2004), questions on water. www.mnseek.net/reportcard
Some of the findings in the third report card include:
It is important to conduct similar surveys in the future. By continuing to collect information about Minnesotans' knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors, we can track trends in environmental literacy and highlight any appropriate changes to our education efforts.
Survey Instrument
From August through November 2007, a random sample of 1,000 Minnesota adults answered a series of questions in a telephone survey conducted by Marketline Research. A copy of the entire survey is available in Appendix A. www.mnseek.net/reportcard See Appendix C for the final frequencies of responses to each individual question.
The Minnesota environmental literacy survey was developed with members of the working group (see acknowledgements page of the report). The survey instrument includes questions from various National Report Cards on Environmental Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviors (referred to as National Environmental Report Cards in this report) conducted by the National Environmental Education Training Foundation and Roper Starch Worldwide, previous Minnesota report cards and other surveys. Questions were also developed specifically for this survey.
Data Analysis
Data from the survey interviews were analyzed using frequencies of occurrence and the Pearson Chi-Square, which tests the relationship between two variables and reports statistical significance. One set of variables in this report is the demographics (gender, age, education, location, income), while the other set is the questions from the survey.
Demographics
The respondents to the survey were divided according to specific demographics to allow for analysis of the data. The demographics selected were gender, age (18-34, 35-44, 45-64, and 65 and over), education (high school, some college, college degree), location (seven-county metro, other metro areas in the state, non-metro or rural areas), and income ($30,000 or less, $30,001-$50,000, $50,001-$75,000, and over $75,000). The Pearson Chi-Square determines a statistical relationship between two variables, in this case, demographics and the questions.
Organization of the Third Report Card
The Third Report Card is divided into four parts. The first three discuss specific sections of the survey: knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. The final section offers an integrated perspective to the overall report and environmental literacy research.
It is important to remember that this survey and report are not an evaluation of the public, but rather a further collection of information concerning the knowledge about, attitudes toward, and behaviors related to the environment in Minnesota. This will be used with the previous report-and future reports-to track trends and changes in environmental literacy as Minnesota adults are surveyed again at various points in the future.
Acknowledgements
The Third Minnesota Report Card on Environmental Literacy was written by written by Anthony Murphy, Ph.D. and Andrea Olson, Ph.D., of the College of St. Catherine, with funding from the MN Pollution Control Agency.
For More Information
To read and/or download The Third Minnesota Report Card on Environmental Literacy go to www.mnseek.net/reportcard.
If you have questions concerning The Third Minnesota Report Card on Environmental Literacy contact Dr. Tony Murphy at apmurphy@stkate.edu or 651-690-8877 or Denise Stromme at denise.stromme@state.mn.us or 218-316-3888.
Web Site: http://www.seek.state.mn.us/publications/reportcard2008.pdf
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