Children's Models of Understanding of Two Major Global Environmental Issues (Ozone Layer and Greenhouse Effect)

Abstract

This work sets out to quantify the dominant models that 13 and 14 year‐old children hold of the causes of the greenhouse effect and ozone layer depletion. In particular, it attempts to assess the prevalence of those ideas which, in the minds of some, link the two phenomena. It would seem that about twice as many children (around 80%) think that holes in the ozone layer cause the greenhouse effect than think the greenhouse effect causes ozone layer damage. The most common suggested connection (around 60% of children) appears to be that the holes in the ozone layer somehow allow more solar energy to arrive at the earth, no distinction being made between heat rays and ultra‐violet rays. Other, more bizarre, models, which assume global warming is a consequence of ozone depletion, seem to find at most 20% approval. Of those ideas which constitute a causal link in the opposite direction, the most common view appears to be that the greenhouse effect causes more smoke and pollution to rise, or causes it to rise to greater heights, and this damages the ozone layer. Other models are also identified and discussed.