All Together Now
A study by William and Mary researchers shows that administrative support is vital for sustainability action.
A new study of over 1,700 American
college students reveals deep disparities on their knowledge, attitudes, and
behaviors about climate change. The study, conducted by researchers at the
College of William and Mary, compared student at universities who received high
or low grades on their levels of institutional commitment to environmental
sustainability. The study shows that the students' understanding, belief,
and actions are directly related to the climate change awareness and action
efforts put forth by the schools they attend.
This chart divides the responses of students at schools who had administrations supportive of sustainability efforts and those at schools who did not. In comparing the responses to four questions used to predict energy usage, three of the questions yielded statistically significant results that students at "A" schools are attempting to reduce their energy usage. Though students at "F" schools were found to turn their lights off slightly more frequently, this was the only result that was not statistically significant. When the responses of "reduced energy use" and "huge energy reductions" are combined, students at more sustainably supportive schools were over 50% more likely to claim to have made energy reductions since going to college (65.9% vs. 41.8%). The full report is available online at http://jtrobe.people.wm.edu
by Timmons Roberts
