The ideas of children about the environmental impact of vehicle emissions have been explored using a precoded questionnaire. The children were from British National Curriculum Years 7 (age 11/12 years), 9 (age 13/14) and 11 (age 15/16). Even in the oldest group only about half of the children appreciated the advantages of smaller, well-maintained cars ; this could have practical implication if not corrected in the adult population. Children seemed well aware of the environmental problems, smog, acid rain and global warming, to which vehicle emissions contribute, but these are part of an over-generalised model which children employ in which cars are envisaged as contributing to other problems such as ozone layer depletion. We suggest that the use of the generic term 'pollution' to describe a wide range of environmental insults and the use of the word 'environment' in a non-defined way might hinder children's differentiation of the different causes of separate environmental problems. The gaps in children's knowledge of the different components of vehicle emissions may reflect and exacerbate this difficulty. Ironically, children have a regard for the environmental and an interest in cars, and a combination of these enthusiasms may provide an opportunity for environmental education and curriculum science teaching. (A)
Abstract