STUDENT AWARENESS ON ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

A Proposal

Presented to

The Faculty of the College of Business Administration

Pangasinan State University

San Carlos, Pangasinan

 In Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements of the Degree

Bachelor of Business Administration

By

Reyna Mae M. Arcilla

Ann Katrina B. Flores

Venus N. Ferrer

April 2018
STUDENT AWARENESS ON ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

Reyna Mae M. Arcilla

Ann Katrina B. Flores

Venus N. Ferrer
 Pangasinan State University

College of Business Administration

San Carlos, Pangasinan

April 2018
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE

APPROVAL SHEET

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER

1 THE PROBLEM

Background of the Study

Statement of the Problem

Significance of the Study

Scope and Delimitation of the Study

Definition of Terms

2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

Related Literature

Related Studies

Synthesis

Theoretical Framework

Conceptual Framework

3 METHODOLOGY

Research Design

Subject of the Study

Data Gathering Instrument

Data Gathering Procedure

 APPROVAL SHEET

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree, Bachelor of Science in

Business Administration this thesis proposal entitled “STUDENT AWARENESS OF
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES has been prepared and submitted by REYNA MAE M.
ARCILLA, ANN KATRINA B. FLORES, VENUS N. FERRER who are hereby
recommended for oral examination.

EVELYN B. LOMBOY

Approved by the Committee on Oral Examination

Chairman
 ABSTRACT

Title: STUDENT AWARENESS ON ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

Researchers: Reyna Mae M. Arcilla, Ann Katrina B. Flore s, and Venus N. Ferrer

Institution: Pangasinan State University – San Carlos Campus

Bayambang, Pangasinan
April 2018

Adviser: Evelyn B. Lomboy

Human population size is growing enormously. This means increase in demand

for food, water, home, electricity, roads, automobiles, and other commodities. These

demand exerting tremendous pressure on our natural resources that causes problems on

our environment like air pollution, global warming, acid rain, waste disposal, ozone layer

depletion and many more that affect every human, animal and nation on their planet. Our

environment is constantly changing. There is no denying that. However, as our

environment changes, so does the need to become increasingly aware of the problems

that surround it. With a massive influx of natural disasters, warming and cooling

periods, different types of weather patterns and much more, people need to be aware

of what types of environmental problems our planet is facing. This study investigating

and evaluating the extent of university student’s environmental awareness and the depth

of their understanding and knowledge about the environment that surrounds them.

Knowing the fact that university environment is not an isolated entity in separation from

the larger environment known as community. The community and university are both

dimensions of larger environment-that includes various ecosystems. This study focuses

on measuring the knowledge of university students on environmental awareness and

related issues in one hand and university’s commitment to green education agenda in

another hand. This study will utilize survey questions that applied in other educational

institutions. The purpose of this study was to determine students’ awareness on

environmental issues and how they can protect it to avoid it from worst. Another purpose

on this study was to determine its effects in human health and the things we should do

and we shouldn’t do. Human health might be at the receiving end as a result of the

environmental degradation. Areas exposed to toxic air pollutants that can cause

respiratory problems.

Environmental crisis is real. Now the time has come when we should be careful.

If human society has to endure not just for another centaury but thousands and thousands

of years, we need to imbecile a way of life that can be sustained. The growth of human

beings and plants life can only develop fully in friendly environment that is conclusive to

growth. Since, the present problems result largely from ignorance and different trend of

continued misuse of the environment can, however, be altered by creating awareness

among people of how man’s activities effect the environment for good or ill. We cannot

expect improvement unless attitudes of people change and unless a better generations.

Our great need of today is knowledgeable citizens who are conscious of their surrounding

and willing to take necessary, social, economic and political steps to assure a better

environment for the fulfillment of need and wants of every citizen on the earth. Keeping

in view the importance of environment the present study was undertaken to study the

awareness among students towards environmental issues.

 Chapter 1

THE PROBLEM

Background of the Study

The world today is vastly different from what it was before urbanization and

industrialization had taken its toll on the world. Since the turn of the new millennium the

issue of the environment has suddenly evolved into a widespread issue which is greatly

discussed throughout the world. No longer are humans living in a world where the

environment is serene or stable but rather becoming unrecognizable and diminishing

before our eyes. The plant, trees, and flowers are life forms which God has created for us

to enjoy its beauty but it is now solely up to us many other organization to protect,

preserve, and respect how fragile our environment really is. Over the last few decades,

the exploitation of our planet and degradation of our environment have gone up at an

alarming rate. As our actions have been not in favor of protecting this planet, we have

seen natural disasters striking us more often in the form of flash floods, tsunamis and

cyclones. Our Mother Earth is facing a lot of environmental issues. Environmental issues

are the problems with the planet system that have developed as a result of human

interfere or mistreatment of the planet. The environmental issues like global warming,

acid rain, air pollution, urban sprawl, waste disposal, ozone layer depletion, water

pollution, climate change, overpopulation, and many more that affects living things on

earth. Our planet is poised at the brink of a severe environmental issues. Current

environmental issues make us vulnerable to disasters and tragedies, now and in the
future. We are in a state of planetary emergency, with environmental problems piling

up high around us. Unless we address the various issues prudently and seriously we are

surely doomed for disaster. Current environmental problems require urgent attention.

Following the evolution of green environmental practices, most communities put

their strategies in motion in order to minimize the environmental impacts and reach a

sustainability to hold positive attributes of environment (Parry, 2012). The causes of

these negative effects are manifested by colonization with the ongoing destruction of

environment for paving new lands. Climate change as in global warming we are facing,

External forces affecting the earth atmosphere by changing compositions and increasing

greenhouse effects. Species extinction, reduction of biodiversity, various forms of

pollution and pollutants, desertification, deforestation, poverty, lands erosion, disease and

hunger, migration and radioactive related disasters, population growth, to name a few.

First step in order to combat such degradation was to form the social movements which

then crystallized into environmentalism and green movements. These societies based on

Green politics, an ideology with goals of maintaining sustainable ecological

environmentalism which is already spread across the globe with some success in some

extents (Wall, 2010).

The interaction between people and the environment is complex, and influenced

by a variety of factors such as cultural and scientifically. Humans do not just exist solely

in environment, they constantly changing and transforming it. Many science fields are

already put into motion for assessing and incorporating human relationships.

One of the earliest notable recognition by the Philippine government of the

importance of sustainable development taking into consideration the environment was set
out in the 1987 Constitution which stipulates that “The State shall protect and advance

the right of the people to a balanced and healthful ecology in accord with the rhythm and

harmony of nature.” In 1991, the Philippines began to address the issue of climate change

in its thrust to achieve sustainable development with the formulation of the Philippine

Strategy for Sustainable Development. As a result, the country officially adopted

the Philippine Agenda 21 which serves as the nation's blueprint for sustainable

development. During the same year, government agencies and the Philippine Network on

Climate Change were convened to create the Inter-Agency Committee on Climate

Change (IACCC) led by the Environmental Management Bureau of the Department of

Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). The Committee aimed at harnessing and

synergizing the various activities undertaken by the national government and civil society

in response to the crisis posed by growing problem on climate change.

However environmental awareness has become an important means to achieve

environmental goals through conservation, green technology, laws and regulation, policy,

management, and behavioral change. Environmental education and awareness can begin

at the early stages of education; however, at the higher education level students not only

can learn and accumulate knowledge about environment, they can also develop

responsibility towards the 3 stewardship of the ecosystems and respect other species right

to a healthy environment. How people react and behave in return to environmental

problems is important in perceiving responses from individual groups. Behavior is the

fact that is one of important factors which determines the environmental awareness.

Students nowadays pay more attention to their environment and as futures decision-

makers of the society their attitude towards environmental protection and economic
priorities and issues and efforts are vital to one’s society and its developing cycles.

Although students will not always do what they say they will, their perceptions are

important steps towards action and behavior is an important element in forging

purposeful responses.

Statement of the Problem

The study is conducted to determine the level of awareness of students on

environmental issues that our Mother Earth’s now facing.

Specifically, this study seeks to the following questions:

1. What is the profile of the selected respondents in terms of the following?

 Age;

 Sex;

 Civil Status;

 Course;

 Section;

 Year level;

2. What is the level of awareness of students on environmental issues in terms

of:

 Climate change;

 Air Pollution;

 Water Pollution

 Toxic Waste
  Deforestation;

 Soil erosion and Degradation;

 Ozone Depletion

3. What do students really think about environmental issues?

Environment issues are one of the most serious challenges before the mankind in today’s

world. Mankind has been facing a wide range of problems arising out of the degradation

of environment. Not only the areas under human inhabitation, but the areas of the planet

without human population have also been suffering from these problems. The number of

problems arising out of environmental issues has been increasing and the intensity of

these problems has, at the same time, been aggravating with time.

Land cover change takes place due to multiplicity of a number of natural as well

as anthropogenic factors. All of them together bring about a change in the general

environment of an area. Manifestations of the natural forces like forest fire, volcanic

eruption, earthquake, tornado, tsunami, flood, meteor-fall, cloud burst etc. which occur

from time to time, cause serious damage to the environment. Human activities can

generate severe negative impact on earth systems resulting in environmental degradation.

The truth is that the present man-induced or anthropogenic factors are causing many

times more damages to the environment than their natural counterpart.

The list of necessary commodities of our everyday life has been growing longer

and longer as a consequence of population growth and the prevalence of the concept of

consumerism in the society. As such, there has been a continuous process of

manufacturing of goods through the utilization of the natural resources. Like a double-

edged sword, this very process is causing degradation of environment in two ways –
environmental pollution through industrialization and damage to natural environment and

habitat of various life forms through the exploitation of natural resources.

Significance of the Study

As this research is done, the general awareness of students for environmental

overall and specific conditions will be determined. At this scale, the issue concerning

several themes and scenarios regarding the health risks, environmental hazards, natures’

degrading among the implementation of environmental educational programs will be

analyzed and discussed that will reach to better understanding the situational awareness

of several student group within the university. The results then will suitable to use in

implementing such education and increasing the understanding of environmental

awareness by how students exactly know the surroundings and how to convince other

people to follow suit.

Scope and Delimitation of the Study

The respondents of this study are three hundred fifty students in different course

in Pangasinan State University for the academic year 2018-2019.

Definition of Terms
Awareness – The knowledge or perception of students in a situation or facts about

environmental issues.

Environment - are the circumstances and conditions that surround an organism or group

of organism or the social and cultural conditions that affect an individual or community.

Environmental Issues – It is the problems occurring every day which students encounter

not only by the students but all of us. Just like air and water pollution and toxic waste.

Environmental Education – The process that allows students to explore environmental

issues, engage in problem solving, and take action to improve the environment.