Ecological Awareness Research Articles

Perceived Benefit, Policy Incentive and Farmers’ Organic Fertilizer Application in Protected Areas

The green production behaviors of farmers in protected areas (PAs) can reduce environmental disturbances and contribute to the effectiveness of PAs. Based on a survey of 708 farmers in Wuyishan National Park (WNP) and Crested Ibis Nature Reserve (CINR), we studied the influence of perceived benefit and policy incentive on farmers’ organic fertilizer application. Results: (1) Perceived benefit, subsidies policy, and propaganda policy significantly promoted farmers’ organic fertilizer application, with perceived benefit having the strongest effect, followed by subsidies policy. The influence of restriction policy was not significant. (2) Perceived benefit, subsidies policy, and propaganda policy indirectly influenced organic fertilizer application through ecological awareness. (3) In WNP, perceived benefit had the strongest effect on organic fertilizer application, and subsidies policy significantly enhanced farmers’ ecological awareness and influenced their behaviors. In contrast, subsidies policy had the strongest effect on organic fertilizer application, but did not significantly enhance farmers’ ecological awareness in CINR. These results offer valuable insights for promoting green production behaviors of farmers in PAs. This study implies that there must be a pathway for the realization of ecological value in ecological protection. Ecological value realization is the endogenous motivation for farmers’ sustainable green production behaviors. However, government subsidies and guidance are also essential in the early stage.

Eksplorasi Nilai-Nilai Edukasi Konservasi Mata Air pada Tradisi Ngalun Aik di Lombok Timur

The Ngalun Aik tradition has strong roots and has become an identity in the life of the people of Aik Dewa Village. On the other hand, the spring in Aik Dewa Village not only acts as a source of clean water for daily needs but also plays an important role in local rituals and beliefs related to survival. Therefore, the role of local traditions such as Ngalun Aik is becoming increasingly important to explore and understand in spring conservation efforts. This research uses a qualitative approach to gain an understanding of the educational value of spring conservation in the Ngalun Aik tradition. The respondents in this research involved six male and four female key persons, representing religious leaders, traditional leaders, community leaders, and groups of young men and women. Based on documentation, observation, and interview findings, it can be concluded that the Ngalun Aik tradition in Aik Dewa Village is not only a cultural ritual but also a strong educational platform about the importance of environmental conservation and natural resource management. Through ritual processions, people express their appreciation for water sources as sacred gifts of nature. This tradition teaches the educational values of maintaining water quality, sustainable water management, and environmental awareness to the younger generation. Ngalun Aik also strengthens cultural ties, spirituality, and ecological awareness in the community.

Portrayal of Ecological Crisis with Interventions in North East India: An Analytical Study from Nagaland Poetic Perspectives

ABSTRACT Ecological concerns and crises are the priorities in the 21st century throughout the world, Asian countries, and India respectively. This research study investigates the portrayal of environmental and ecological problems and issues in North East India through an analytical lens and perspectives rooted in the poetic descriptions and expressions of the North East Region. By nature, Northeast India is characterized by its unique cultural heritage and rich biodiversity confronting various ecological challenges. Some of the challenges range from habitat loss and deforestation to climate change influences and loss of tribal ecosystems, indigenous knowledge traditional practices, and so on. In this article, the researcher through an analytical examination of poems from North East Indian poets particularly from Nagaland highlights the intricate connections between ecological literature and traditional identity, shedding light on the North Eastern region's ecological concerns and the ways in artistically expressed through poetic discourse. In this study, the following Naga poetic expressions Monalisa Changkija, Temsula Ao, Nini Lungalang, and Easterine Kire are considered. Throughout this paper, the scholar examines how the poets from the Nagaland region try to understand, perceive, interpret, and respond to environmental problems portraying the role of literature in promoting ecological awareness, lobbying, advocacy, and stewardship.

The implications of the ecological footprint and renewable energy usage on the financial stability of South Asian countries

This study explores the complex relationships involving ecological footprints, energy use, carbon emissions, governance efficiency, economic prosperity, and financial stability in South Asian nations spanning the period from 2000 to 2022. Employing various methodologies such as cross-sectional dependence tests, co-integration analysis, and first- and second-generation unit-root tests, we use a panel Autoregressive Distributed Lag model, feasible generalized least squares, and Panel Corrected Standard Errors to ensure the robustness of our findings. We find noteworthy positive correlations between several variables, including heightened ecological consciousness, effective governance structures, increased GDP per capita, and amplified CO2 emissions. These relationships suggest potential pathways to strengthen the financial stability of the entire region; they also highlight the latent potential of embracing ecologically sustainable practices to fortify economic resilience. Our results also underscore the pivotal role of appropriate governance structures and higher income levels in bolstering financial stability in South Asian countries. Interestingly, we also find negative coefficients associated with the use of renewable energy, suggesting that escalating the adoption of renewable energy could create financial instability. This finding stresses the importance of diversification in energy strategies, cautioning policymakers to carefully consider the financial ramifications of potentially costly imports of renewable energy sources while seeking to reduce carbon emissions, emphasizing the need to strike a balance between ambitious sustainability goals and the pursuit of sustained economic robustness in the region. In considering the implications of these findings, it is crucial to consider each country’s broader socioeconomic context. Our results offer valuable insights for policymakers in developing renewable energy strategies.

Konservasi Eksosistem Pesisir Dan Pendidikan Lingkungan Melalui Pembibitan Mangrove Oleh Mahasiswa

This writing reviews the implementation of a student service program that focuses on mangrove nurseries, with the aim of supporting conservation through environmental education. The nursery process involves preparing the land, collecting mangrove propagules, and transferring the seedlings to the nursery. These steps aim to support ecological awareness among university students, so that they can become a generation that cares about the environment and understands Indonesia's strategic role as a maritime nation. This research also emphasizes the importance of periodic monitoring and maintenance of mangrove seedlings to ensure healthy and sustainable growth. The results of this study provide a practical view of the contribution of higher education in the formation of maritime character and ecological awareness through mangrove nurseries. The implication is to strengthen maritime character and increase ecological awareness among students and Indonesian society more broadly.

Exploring the Significance of Nature in Literature: Eco Critical Themes in the Selected Work of Barbara Kingslover

The present article deals with an analysis of the eco-critic elements in Barbara Kingsolver’s Flight Behaviour. The article explores the perspectives of eco-critical along with ecological speculations in order to deal with the climate change and cultural aspects of the novel. Critical, unlike the conventional eco-critic in literary genre, discards the genre constraints the last happenstances and becomes impressive for endless critical examination. Ecology offers the supreme impulse, which is concealed in traditional ecology. The eco-critical enclaves in the novel closely surround the aspects of the current world’s concerned environment, which is why the novel becomes appropriate to be analyzed as an ecocritical. The deteriorating environmental circumstances in the contemporary world and a much similar one in the novel provide an optimal space to study ecology beside ecocriticism. An ecocritical analysis of the text not only focuses on the need for ecological consciousness in the characters. But in a sustainable way of saving the earth for the future

Peran Pendidikan Agama Islam dalam Pembentukan Kesadaran Ekologis: Studi Integrasi Konsep Green Islam

In today's modern era, public awareness about the importance of ecology has decreased, this is proven by the decreasing level of public sensitivity in carrying out reforestation such as planting trees in the surrounding environment, therefore it is necessary to instill ecological awareness in students as the nation's youth so that they can care for the earth's ecosystem perfectly. This research aims to explore the role of Islamic religious education in forming ecological awareness through the integration of the green islam concept. Using a qualitative approach and a case study approach, this research was conducted in several madrasas and Islamic schools in Bondowoso which have implemented environmental-based education programs such as those implemented at SDN Jambesari 2 and MTs An-Nuqoyah Jambesari. Data was collected through observation, interviews and documentation. The research results show that the integration of ecological values ​​with Islamic teachings in the religious education curriculum can significantly increase ecological awareness among students. Students demonstrate a better understanding of their responsibilities towards the environment, which is reflected in behavioral changes such as saving energy and reducing plastic use. This research reveals that Islamic religious education that adopts the green islam concept can be an effective tool for forming a generation that cares more about the environment. Appropriate policy support and adequate resources are urgently needed to overcome these challenges and expand the adoption of Islamic-based environmental education programs. These findings provide important insights for the development of more inclusive and sustainable education policies.

Promoting Ecosystem Conservation and Food Security through Sustainable Harvesting of Edible Caterpillars in Kanchibiya District, Zambia

Insects play a vital role in enhancing food security and improving the livelihoods of rural communities. This study focused on the identification of caterpillar harvesting practices in Zambia, particularly in Chief Kopa’s village, Kanchibiya District, Muchinga Province, where the caterpillars of Gynisa maja and Gonimbrasia belina play a crucial role in food security. A mixed-methods approach was employed, utilizing face-to-face interviews and self-administered questionnaires to capture both qualitative and quantitative insights. Quantitative data, including caterpillar harvesting amounts and correlations with tree destruction, underwent statistical analyses, including ANOVA and post-hoc Tukey's HSD tests. The Chi-square test explored gender distribution across research sites. Qualitative data from open-ended questions during interviews underwent thematic analysis. The study sampled 100 respondents from six areas, and the results revealed significant differences in caterpillar harvesting amounts among villages. Post-hoc tests identified specific pairwise differences. The findings indicated that traditional harvesting methods persisted, with limited adherence to rules. A significant positive correlation was observed between caterpillar harvesting practices and evolving trends such as increased harvesting intensity, changes in harvesting methods, and environmental impact and tree destruction (p=0.001, r=0.917). The study contributed valuable insights into past caterpillar harvesting practices, proposing conservation strategies for enhanced food security and sustainability. The study proposes a multifaceted approach to balance ecosystem conservation with food security in Kanhaiya District, emphasizing the importance of sustainable caterpillar harvesting. Recommendations include developing community-based sustainable harvesting guidelines, such as rotational zones and harvest limits, alongside education programs to raise ecological awareness. It advocates for diversifying livelihoods and food sources to lessen dependence on caterpillars, ensuring gender-inclusive participation in these initiatives. Monitoring and further research are essential to adapt strategies effectively. These measures aim to preserve the ecosystem, ensuring the caterpillar's role in food security and offering socioeconomic benefits by fostering community resilience and reducing food insecurity vulnerabilities

Becoming an Active Subject: Women's Art Collective Eco-Artivism for Ecological Sustainability in Indonesia

Becoming an Active Subject: Women's Art Collective Eco-Artivism for Ecological Sustainability in Indonesia

Does Free Compulsory Education Matter for the Green Transformation of Agriculture? Evidence from Rural China

Education plays a crucial role in promoting green development by shaping environmentally friendly production behaviors and fostering low-carbon lifestyles. This research examines the impact of China’s free compulsory education (FCE) policy on agricultural green total factor productivity (AGTFP) using provincial panel data from 2002 to 2015. Additionally, it explores the impact mechanisms and regional heterogeneity. The results indicate that first, the FCE policy has a significantly positive effect on AGTFP, as confirmed through a series of robustness tests. Second, the FCE policy primarily influences AGTFP by increasing farmers’ awareness of green production and promoting the development of green technologies in agriculture. Third, the impact of the FCE policy varies across regions. It promotes green technologies in agriculture in developed provinces and fosters ecological awareness among farmers in less developed provinces. These findings offer valuable empirical evidence and policy implications for implementing education popularization projects and reducing agricultural carbon emissions in developing countries.

Cultivating Ecological Awareness Through the Integration of Eco-Linguistic Themes in English for Specific Purposes: A Case Study of Higher Schools of Technology

Cultivating Ecological Awareness Through the Integration of Eco-Linguistic Themes in English for Specific Purposes: A Case Study of Higher Schools of Technology

Green branding in fast fashion: examining the impact of social sustainability claims on Chinese consumer behaviour and brand perception

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the ecological awareness of Chinese consumers towards fast fashion and examine the effect of social sustainability claims on green brand image and purchase intentions in China, considering China’s unique environmental policy landscape and its significant role in the global fast fashion industry. The study explores the role of altruistic values in promoting sustainability within the well-known fast fashion brand “H” and how they shape brand image, consumer satisfaction and brand equity.Design/methodology/approachThe study collected data from 257 Chinese participants and used a serial mediation model through the PROCESS macro in SPSS to analyse the correlation between green brand image, created through sustainability claims and consumer purchase intentions. The model also assessed the intermediary effects of brand image, satisfaction and equity.FindingsThe findings of the research indicate a direct and positive relationship between green brand image and consumer purchase intentions, emphasising the need for clothing and textile industry marketers to strategically promote altruistic values in their sustainability efforts and highlighting the importance of ecological awareness in shaping consumer behaviour in the Chinese context. This approach enhances green satisfaction and green brand equity and ultimately leads to higher green purchase intentions.Originality/valueThis study provides significant insights into the effectiveness of incorporating social sustainability claims in advertising to improve a brand’s green image and influence consumer behaviour. It emphasises the importance of altruistic values in sustainability strategies, offering valuable guidelines for marketers in enhancing green satisfaction and brand equity, thereby boosting consumer purchase intentions in the context of green branding and sustainability advertising. Focussing specifically on the Chinese market, this research sheds light on the impact of ecological awareness among Chinese consumers within the fast-fashion industry. Given China’s substantial role in shaping global fast-fashion production and its evolving environmental policies, this focus adds significant depth to our understanding of sustainability claims’ influence within this crucial consumer base.

Lateral behavior of wood frame shear wall using PVC wood-plastic composite (WPC) veneer panels

With the growing awareness of environmental protection and green ecology, there has been significant attention on the utilization of new energy-saving and environmentally friendly materials in building structures. This article proposes a novel structure for PVC wood-plastic composite wall panels. The structure comprises Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) wood-plastic composite materials as the facing panel and SPF (Spruce-Pine-Fir) dimensional lumber as the wall framework, connected using self-tapping screws. In this study, two standard composite wall panel specimens were subjected to testing using both monotonic loading and low-cycle reciprocating loading methods. Finite element models of the composite wall panels were created using ANSYS Workbench software for analysis, investigating the lateral performance of PVC wood-plastic composite wall panels. The analysis results indicate that PVC wood-plastic composite wall panels exhibit favorable shear strength, elastic lateral stiffness, and lateral deformation as shear walls. The shear wall model can be accurately represented in finite element software, with minimal discrepancy between experimental and finite element analysis results. Consequently, the utilization of PVC wood-plastic composite wall panels as shear walls holds promise for future applications in the structural field.

Performing yoga postures in an environmental education course: The potential of creating pedagogical places of contemplation for the empowerment of ecological consciousness

The present study attempts to answer if yoga practice belongs to environmental education and how it can contribute to the development of ecological consciousness in the framework of a holistic pedagogical paradigm. Twenty-three post-graduate students participated in an environmental education activity based on performing yoga postures inspired by nonhuman creatures and entities. The participants reflected on their experiences by recording their ideas and feelings. The results of the survey revealed that the participants experienced embodied environmental learning, highlighted a healing dimension of the educational process, and experienced a connection with creatures and entities of nonhuman nature at different levels. Yoga philosophy and practice as a contemplative learning method deserve to be explored more widely in the field of environmental education, and especially regarding the development of ecological consciousness.

Exploring youth eco-literacy through lived experiences. ‘When you purchase a pair of jeans, you bear the burden of child labor in South Asia’

This study explores youth eco-literacy and its role in addressing the climate crisis, consumption, and socio-political challenges. Eco-literacy involves environmental understanding, skills, and critical perspectives, enabling active engagement and informed decision-making. Through geo-social lenses, I examine how Turkish youth participate politically, both online and offline, in climate change and consumerism dialogues, considering local, global, and planetary perspectives. The analysis focuses on young people’s interpretive agency, creatively expressing environmental ideologies and shaping values with a political stance characterized by reflexivity, agency, and commitment to daily activism and eco-friendly lifestyles. Qualitative data collection included discussions on daily environmental practices and essays on environmental citizenship, covering eco-literacy sources, responsible actors, and ecological awareness strategies. Findings illustrate how young participants address opportunities and disparities, utilizing the research environment for collective learning and action. The study further investigates young people’s showcase of their eco-literacies and advocacy for a public (eco) pedagogy beyond traditional education.

Dramatization of Agency and Ecological Consciousness in How Beautiful We Were by Imbolo Mbue and Oil on Water by Hellon Habila

This paper interrogates how authors deploy characters to represent ecological consciousness. The paper draws illustrations from Imbolo Mbue’s How Beautiful We Were and Hellon Habila’s Oil on Water to examine how agency is dramatized through characterization. The paper explores character agency within the subversive space of Bakhtin’s carnival laughter to represent their ecological consciousness. To ground the paper into an analytical perspective, the discussion identifies and discusses the distinct characterizations the two texts' authors employ to represent the characters’ ecological consciousness. The article argues that the writers of the chosen texts effectively use characterisation to create compelling ecological narratives that teach about the need to address environmental degradation. Additionally, the discussion reveals how the two writers depict ecological awareness via the characteristics of carnival shown by the characters. Furthermore, it is worth mentioning that characters have a crucial role in delivering sermons about the gruesome consequences of environmental degradation. As a result, the components of carnival, such as craziness, clowns, and heroic characterizations, are used to undermine and challenge the impact of environmental degradation

Gelatine Blends Modified with Polysaccharides: A Potential Alternative to Non-Degradable Plastics.

Non-degradable plastics of petrochemical origin are a contemporary problem of society. Due to the large amount of plastic waste, there are problems with their disposal or storage, where the most common types of plastic waste are disposable tableware, bags, packaging, bottles, and containers, and not all of them can be recycled. Due to growing ecological awareness, interest in the topics of biodegradable materials suitable for disposable items has begun to reduce the consumption of non-degradable plastics. An example of such materials are biodegradable biopolymers and their derivatives, which can be used to create the so-called bioplastics and biopolymer blends. In this article, gelatine blends modified with polysaccharides (e.g., agarose or carrageenan) were created and tested in order to obtain a stable biopolymer coating. Various techniques were used to characterize the resulting bioplastics, including Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA)/differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), contact angle measurements, and surface energy characterization. The influence of thermal and microbiological degradation on the properties of the blends was also investigated. From the analysis, it can be observed that the addition of agarose increased the hardness of the mixture by 27% compared to the control sample without the addition of polysaccharides. In addition, there was an increase in the surface energy (24%), softening point (15%), and glass transition temperature (14%) compared to the control sample. The addition of starch to the gelatine matrix increased the softening point by 15% and the glass transition temperature by 6%. After aging, both compounds showed an increase in hardness of 26% and a decrease in tensile strength of 60%. This offers an opportunity as application materials in the form of biopolymer coatings, dietary supplements, skin care products, short-term and single-contact decorative elements, food, medical, floriculture, and decorative industries.

“Thy function was to heal and to restore”: The Sounds and Rhythms of the River Ecosystem in William Wordsworth’s The River Duddon Sonnets

Abstract The writings of William Wordsworth evince a deeply ecological consciousness, a firm belief in the underlying connectedness of all living and non-living entities accounting for their continued existence. Such a consciousness becomes particularly evident in The River Duddon, A Series of Sonnets from 1820 as the poetic account of the river’s flow from its source in the mountains to its estuary between Morecambe Bay and the North Lonsdale coast. For not only does it constitute a core element of the Lake District, which Wordsworth deemed the best example of a region of eco-friendly and hence socially unified communities; it is also depicted, as will be elaborated in this paper, as an ecosystem consisting in a complex web of symbiotic interactions between the fluvial, vegetal, animal and human.Instead of focusing on verbal representations of such more-than-human interrelations through semiotic processes that appropriate their otherness and render them intelligible in solely human terms, however, this paper argues that Wordsworth’s “speaking monument” (Wordsworth 1954: 247, iii, l. 3) rather enacts these ecosystemic interactions on a vocal, aural, and rhythmical level. It thereby foregrounds the materiality and corporeality of poetic speech that precedes as well as grounds meaning and so connects the human to the river ecosystem in a pre-reflexive and somatic way. In this context, it will be pointed out how not only the speaker and other human characters participate in the Duddon’s web of reciprocal relations through rhythmical synchronisation and sonic attunement, but also how the reader becomes an active part in them through their vocal performance of the sonnets. The river’s autopoietic structure illustrated through the metaphor of the hydrological cycle, it will thus be shown, is thereby continued through the sonnet cycle as a direct organic product and hence integral component of the ecosystem that, by repeatedly giving rise to various idiosyncratic readings, will poetically contribute to the Duddon’s continued existence.

Becoming an Ecological Citizen: The Concept of an Ecological Citizen in the movie Avatar

Avatar intricately intertwines ecological resistance and citizenship themes on Pandora, presenting a rich avenue for ecological scholarship. Despite its cinematic prowess, there is a research gap in understanding the film's impact on ecological consciousness. This paper aims to explore Avatar within the context of environmental cinema, analyzing its portrayal of ecological themes. Recent trends in film studies demonstrate a growing interest in such intersections, making Avatar a pertinent subject for investigation. Experts like Levinas, Dobson, and Rousseau are selected for their profound insights into ethics, environmental citizenship, and the human-nature relationship, offering relevant, authoritative, and influential perspectives that align with the research goals. By examining existing literature on the urgency of ecological awareness and critical reviews, the paper aims to uncover the film's influence on ecological attitudes. The implications extend to environmental advocacy and education, emphasizing the potential of popular media, like Avatar, to shape attitudes toward sustainable coexistence and ecological citizenship. Integrating Avatar into educational curricula has the potential to enhance environmental literacy among students, fostering a deeper understanding of ecological issues and inspiring proactive engagement. By leveraging the film's themes of interconnectedness and ecological stewardship, educators can instill values of environmental responsibility and citizenship in future generations.

Psychological approaches to sustainability: Implementing intervention model for sustainable development in physical education

AbstractOne of the pending challenges facing Education for Sustainable Development is to change students' behavior in favor of sustainability so that these are lasting and even transferable to other people. This study analyzes how various psychological factors, including motivation, attitudes, beliefs and emotions, can be channeled to enhance social and ecological awareness through education. This paper presents an innovative approach to Sustainable Development (SD) in education, focusing on Physical Education. It highlights the intersection of Psychology, education and sustainability, showing how the first two can contribute significantly to lasting changes in students' behavior. Based on this, the Intervention Model for Sustainable Development in Physical Education (PESDIM), which combines psychological theories with specific educational strategies, is presented. In this model, which can be replicated in other educational disciplines, psychological theories are based on social interaction and norms, identity construction, motivation, beliefs and individual efficacy to improve awareness of sustainable development. The paper highlights the need for a holistic and practical approach to sustainability education in general and Physical Education in particular, stresses the importance of psychology and advocates for an educational transformation that holistically integrates sustainability into teaching methods and objectives.