Awareness Of Environmental Conservation Research Articles

カヌー活動を事例とした野外レクリエーション活動家の環境保全意識と環境配慮行動の関係

The use of nature and its resources have diversified greatly in recent years. Amongst this diversification, the cooperation of the users in conserving the area is important for sustainable use of the nature. Outdoor recreational activities have been considered as one such sustainable use of nature, as they are related to environmental education and environmental conservation activities. In Japan, only a few studies focus on the relationships between the outdoor-recreation activities and their effects, in terms of 1) degree of environmental conservation awareness and 2) the environmentally friendly actions. The aim of this study is to examine the relationships between outdoor recreational activities and the two effects, by a review of previous studies and a questionnaire survey of canoeists, as an example for recreational outdoor activities. The review of previous studies showed that there was a tendency for the outdoor recreation to improve the environmental conservation awareness, but not the environmentally friendly actions. Furthermore, conservation actions conducted by canoe-organizations were effective. The questionnaire survey showed tendencies for increases in the degree of environmental conservation awareness and the environmentally friendly actions with the increase in the canoeing time. My study clarifies that canoeing has strong relationships with the environmental awareness, but transition to environmental-friendly actions can only be observed to a limited extend.

Soil and water conservation on the Loess Plateau in China: review and perspective

The Loess Plateau, China, has long been suffering from serious soil erosion. About 2000 years ago, larger areas were used for grain production and soil erosion was thus becoming severe with increase in human activity. Severe soil and water loss led to widespread land degradation. During the past decades, great efforts were made in vegetation restoration to reduce soil erosion. However, the efficiency of vegetation restoration was not as satisfactory as expected due to water shortage. China initiated another state-funded scheme, the `Grain-for-Green' project in 1999, on the Loess Plateau to reduce soil erosion and improve land quality. However, the control of soil erosion effectively by land-use modification raised problems. In this paper, the lessons and experiences regarding soil and water conservation in the Loess Plateau in the past decades are analysed first. Urgent problems are then elaborated, such as the contradiction between land resource and human population, shortage of water both in amount and tempospatial distribution for vegetation growth, weak awareness of the problems of soil conservation by local officials, and poor public participation in soil and water conservation. Finally, suggestions regarding soil and water conservation in the Loess Plateau are given. In order to control soil erosion and improve vegetation, a scientific and detailed land-use plan for the Loess Plateau has to be made, in the first instance, and then planning for wise use of water resources should be undertaken to control mass movement effectively and to improve land productivity. Methods of improving public awareness of environmental conservation and public involvement in vegetation rehabilitation are also important.

環境教育指導資料の重層的な継承

The philosophy of “Teacher's Reference Materials for Environmental Education (Elementary School Version)” published in 1991 and the junior and senior high school version in 1992 was based on the “Belgrade Charter” in 1975 and the “Tbilisi Declaration” in 1977. The concept of cross-curricular environmental education shown there was influenced by the British curriculum guidelines which raises children awareness of environmental education issues through each subject of the National Curriculum. On the other hand the “Period for Integrated Study” carried out from 2002, emphasizes environmental education under the learning view reform which makes much of the learning process instead of knowledge-inducting education. Furthermore the report “Environmental Education/Environment awareness in the Future-in the Cause of Sustainable Society” by the Central Council for the Environment in 1999 intends to foster problem solving ability through experience-type learning, and to achieve a sustainable society, and the enactment of the “Increase of Environmental Conservation Awareness and the Promotion of Environmental Education” law opened up a new vista of Japanese environmental education. Today's environmental education in Japan has been thus molded as a multilayered inheritance reflecting international movements.