Education influences knowledge about environmental issues in Washington, DC, USA

Abstract

2 9 ABSTRACT 10 We predicted that demographic differences in Washington, DC's population would influence people's 11 knowledge and perceptions about the interconnectedness of natural resources, climate change, 12 economics, and socio-cultural well-being, so we conducted surveys over three years to test that 13 prediction. We collected demographic data from 455 participants and asked them 26 14 questions/statements related to natural resources, climate change, economics, and health. We selected 15 education as the focal demographic category and participants were categorized based on their level of 16 educational attainment: 1) completion of high school or less (hereafter "high school"); 2) some trade 17 school or university education beyond high school up to and including completion of a trade school, 18 two-, or four-year degree (hereafter "post-high school"); and 3) completion of a Master's, professional, 19 or doctoral degree (hereafter "advanced education"). Answers to 14 of the 26 survey questions were 20 dissimilar across educational groups. People with advanced education reported the highest connection 21 with the natural community and were more likely to report that their personal welfare depended on the 22 natural community. Participants in the high school group were more likely to believe that humans do 23 not have much influence on natural resources and placed more trust in technology and human 24 achievements to control nature and ensure that earth will not become unlivable. Compared to those 25 with education beyond high school, those with a high school education were more likely to express an 26 interest in local environmental concerns over global, jobs over natural resources, and effects of 27 degraded local natural resources on income, health, and the environment instead of on cultural/social 28 practices, neighborhood aesthetics, and recreation. The results suggest ways in which educational 29 information and engagement in environmental issues should be targeted for stakeholders of different 30 educational background in order to increase knowledge and build effective partnerships that find 31 solutions for environmental problems. 42 environmental, and related economic, social, and cultural, problems may be more challenging if the 43 general public is under-or uneducated about the problems [10-12]. 44 Cities can have a profound influence on natural resources and pollution within a region as well 45 as globally, which in turn can negatively affect human well-being [13-15]. Therefore, effective solutions 46 for sustainably using natural resources, curtailing climate change, and improving the lives of people 47 must consider the role that cities can play [8, 16-17]. Some city governments have been more proactive 48 than others in addressing environmental problems and the well-being of the city's inhabitants. For 49 example, London (UK) and Beijing (China) have made efforts to electrify transportation, including public 50 buses and taxis, in order to improve air quality [18] and Portland, Oregon is con...

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