Environmental Concern and Action: A View from the Border

Abstract

An online survey investigated environmental concern and action among 105 Latino social work students (85% female) residing in a high poverty region near the U.S.–Mexico border. Approximately 85% of the respondents reported being moderately or very concerned about environmental issues, but the respondents' level of environmental concern exceeded their self-reported levels of knowledge and attention regarding environmental issues. Rates of practicing five pro-environmental behaviors varied from a low of 27% who used renewable sources of energy to 95% who turned off unneeded lights. Level of environmental concern predicted only one pro-environmental behavior. To address gaps in environmental knowledge and behavior, social work educators can help students analyze the connections between the health of the natural environment and human well-being, identify obstacles to pro-environmental behavior, and propose changes in organizations and communities to encourage environmentally responsible behavior.

Keywords:

• Environmental attitudes
• Latinos
• environmental behavior
• environmental social work
• natural environment
• social work education

Notes

*p < .05.

*p < .05, 1-tailed.

**p < .01, 1-tailed.