Preferred Water Resource Information Sources and Learning Opportunities in the Pacific Northwest

Mahler, R. L.

doi:10.4195/nse2018.07.0014

Cited by 12 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…The public considers water resources (both quality and quantity) to be the most important environmental issues in the four Pacific Northwest (PNW) states—Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington (Dunlap and Scarce, 1991; Mahler et al, 2004, 2005, 2010). These four states heavily utilize this water resource for agriculture (6 million irrigated hectares), commerce, power production, direct human consumption, food processing, and recreation.…”

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confidence: 99%

University Science-Based Education Positively Impacts College Student Views of Water Issues

Mahler

2019

Natural Sciences Education

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Core Ideas This study measured student opinions about water issues. Students participated in a paired‐survey instrument of an environmental science class. tSudent views of water resources were affected by gender and college major. Science‐based education changed preconceived water resource opinions of students. Most students entering universities in the United States have established views on water resource issues. The purpose of this 25‐year study was to measure the impact of science‐based education on student opinions of water quality, water quantity, and drinking water issues. A total of 8523 students enrolled in the introductory environmental science class between 1993 and 2017 at the University of Idaho provided opinions to specific water‐related statements by taking a repeated measures survey that was administered at the beginning (Week 1) and end (Week 15) of the course. Over 60% of students initially believed (Week 1) that water pollution had gotten worse in the last 25 years; however, by Week 15, 62.8% believed that water pollution had actually decreased. Males were more likely to consider water cleaner, safer, and more plentiful than females. A majority of students initially felt that bottled water was safer than urban tap water (66.1%); however, by the end of the course only 13.4% thought that bottled water was safer. The most important finding of this study was that through a science‐based education process, students learned and were willing to change their initial ideas about water issues to align with views that are most accepted by science. Consequently, as long as this and other similar courses at universities across the country are taught from a science‐based perspective, they effectively align student opinions with current scientific thought and improve student preparation for making sound decisions about the environment in an increasingly complex world.

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confidence: 99%

University Science-Based Education Positively Impacts College Student Views of Water Issues

Mahler

2019

Natural Sciences Education

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The public in the PNW are aware of the high quality and sufficient quantity of their water resource [1,2,3,4,5]. Studies have shown that a significant portion of public are interested in water and that they access water information on the Internet [6]. In addition to seeking out water information many individuals have made voluntary lifestyle changes to protect water quality [7,8,9].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Priority water uses from 1998 to 2017 for urban, suburban and rural residents of the Pacific Northwest, USA

Mahler¹

2019

Int. J. SDP

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Water is the most important and most debated natural resource in the Pacific Northwest. Researchers, educators and policy makers give a lot of attention to water resources in the region; however, the knowledge of actual water resource priorities of the public is lacking. Consequently, the purpose of this research study was to document how urban, suburban and rural residents living in the Pacific Northwest prioritize water resource issues over the last 20 years. A survey instrument was developed to ask the public about 10 common water uses in the region. This survey was statistically designed using the Dillman methodology and delivered to the public using a mail-based survey process in and 2017. Water uses in this study were the importance of water for: irrigated agriculture, aquatic habitat, commerce, drinking water, household landscapes, industry, power generation, recreation, snowpack and wetlands. Each water use could be categorized by survey respondents as very important, important, somewhat important, not important or no opinion. In 2017, drinking water, snowpack, wetlands, recreation, aquatic habitat, industry, commerce, power generation, household landscapes and irrigated agriculture were considered an important or very important use of water by over 95, 80, 79, 77, 76, 74, 64, 63, 52 and 47% of the public, respectively. Over time snowpack, recreation, wetlands and aquatic habitat protection have become more important to the public. Conversely, the importance of water for irrigated agriculture, power generation and commerce have become less important to the public. However, at least 45% of all respondents considered all ten questioned water uses important. Survey respondents were placed into three groups (urban, suburban or rural) based on the population of their home county. Rural residents considered the use of water for agriculture more important than both suburban (84 vs. 46%) and urban (84 vs. 35%) residents. Conversely, urban residents were more likely to consider the preservation of wetlands as very important, compared to suburban and rural residents. The demographic factors of gender, education and age also impacted how the public viewed the importance of different water-related issues. Females were more likely than males to consider most water uses important. Respondents with more formal education were more likely to consider snowpack and aquatic habitat important than those with less formal education. Younger respondents were more likely than older residents to consider wetlands and aquatic habitat important. The information from this study will be used to assist policy makers in their decision-making processes about water resource issues.

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“…Most students entering college in the United States bring with them a set of mores that have been strongly influenced by their parents and high school peers [13,14]. Unfortunately, many of these beliefs are not strongly rooted in science.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this way, students could base their responses and actions to issues on science rather than bias or simple beliefs. The 18 environmental issues covered in this course are: (1) population growth, (2) food resources, (3) ecology, (4) biodiversity, (5) non-renewable energy resources, (6) renewable energy resources, (7) nuclear energy, (8) water quantity, (9) surface water quality, (10) drinking water quality, (11) outdoor air pollution, (12) indoor air pollution, (13) acid rainfall, (14) ozone depletion, (15) global warming, (16) solid waste disposal, (17) sewage disposal and (18) hazardous waste.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

University student perceptions of the current and future role of non-carbon emitting energy sources in the world

Mahler¹,

Barber²

2017

Int. J. EQ

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This article documents university student perceptions of the role and viability of non-carbon emitting energy sources in the short term (1 to 3 years) and medium term (10 to 30 years) for Earth. Consequently, the perceptions of 7,980 students at the University of Idaho (Moscow, ID, USA) about the future of geothermal energy (G), hydropower energy (H), nuclear power (NP), ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC), solar energy (S) and wind energy (W) were measured between 1993 and 2016. All students were enrolled in the introductory environmental science class. Two survey instruments were used to gather this data. The first survey instrument evaluated six energy sources in 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014. The second instrument focused on questions about nuclear energy. In the first survey a significant portion of the students considered solar, wind and nuclear power to be viable nonemitting carbon energy sources in the medium-term (10 to 30 years) future. Also, students taking the survey in later years (2006, 2010, 2014) were much more likely to consider non-carbon energy sources viable in the near and mid-term than students taking the survey in 1994, 1998 and 2002. In general, 46.7% of students considered nuclear power a serious problem at the beginning of the course; however, at the end of the term less than 36% of students still held their initial negative opinion. In addition, a significant majority of the students changed from indicating that fossil fuels were preferable to nuclear energy, an opinion they held at the beginning of the course, to favoring or at least saying that nuclear power was no worse than fossil fuels at the conclusion of the term. The significant findings of this study were: (1) students considered both solar and wind energy viable alternatives that have the potential to be significant on a world-wide basis within 30 years; (2) students saw only a limited expansion of hydropower and geothermal energy in the next 30 years; and (3) once students were educated in an unbiased way -including both the pros and cons of using nuclear energy -they were more receptive to view the nuclear power option favorably.

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Preferred Water Resource Information Sources and Learning Opportunities in the Pacific Northwest

Cited by 12 publications

References 7 publications

University Science-Based Education Positively Impacts College Student Views of Water Issues

University Science-Based Education Positively Impacts College Student Views of Water Issues

Priority water uses from 1998 to 2017 for urban, suburban and rural residents of the Pacific Northwest, USA

University student perceptions of the current and future role of non-carbon emitting energy sources in the world

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