Attitude

In general, humans tend to place themselves on a higher pedestal than animals and other living organisms. Because of this anthropocentric view, humans justify certain animal exploitative practices for their benefit, which has contributed to the ongoing environmental crisis. To better combat this crisis, it is crucial that focus is given to a new ethical framework grounded in environmental principles in which the responsibilities humans have to themselves, their success, and the abundance of wildlife is center.

Most of the scientific community agrees that climate change is a real, pressing issue. However, the subject of climate change remains controversial and politically charged to the rest of the population. The researchers in this study looked at how science, emotion, and politics intersect and inform communication, particularly with youth. Youth will have to grapple with the devastating realities of climate change if action is not taken, yet not much research has focused on youth voice on climate change action.

In order to successfully combat the ever-increasing challenges of climate change and to lessen the overall impacts, it is of the utmost importance for humans to shift toward environmentally-friendly behaviors. Environmental education (EE) has been proven to positively effect pro-environmental behaviors (PEB). Based on the role climate change has on the overall health of the environment, pro-climate behavior (PCB) is a subset of PEB. PCBs are individual actions that can support reducing energy and carbon emissions and other negative impacts of climate change.

As the world faces increased impacts from climate change, it is crucial to help young children connect with and value protecting the more-than-human (MtH) world. The term MtH is meant to be used as an inclusive view of the natural world, which embraces animals, plants, water, fungi, land, and more. Researchers have proposed that many nature-related problems the world faces now due in part to a larger disconnect between humans and the MtH world as compared to the past.

Government employees have immense power to influence policies that have environmental consequences, which can either support or detract from a sustainable future. Environmental pre-service training programs have proven to be effective in increasing pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors, but they have rarely been used or studied in governmental institutions.

Connectedness to nature (CTN) correlates to environmental engagement and pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors, which are important for developing a society that will conserve and restore the natural world. However, even as climate change and environmental crisis are becoming more prominent, some research shows CTN is decreasing among youth in comparison to past generations.

Connectedness to nature is a predictor for pro-environmental attitudes and actions. Children today are less connected to nature than prior generations. If the trend is not addressed, then the next generation may be less willing to combat environmental challenges. Early childhood educators have an important role in building nature relatedness (NR), a measure of connection to nature, for the next generation. However, there is a limited understanding of the various levels of NR in early childhood educators themselves, which is crucial for fostering NR in their students.

Ecocentrism is the belief that animals and nature are inherently valuable outside of their value for human benefit and is important for developing an environmentally responsible society and a more sustainable relationship between humans and nonhumans. In contrast to ecocentrism, anthropocentrism is the belief that human life and interests should be valued above all else. The current environmental education and education for sustainable development norms allow for pluralism, or letting students hold a range of beliefs about the environment like anthropocentric views.

Environmental animations (eco-animations) can play an integral part in a child's environmental knowledge, beliefs, perceptions, and concerns. Children today spend a large portion of their time consuming media, often through television shows and movies. Media is one of the main ways that children learn about the world, especially if they are not yet old enough to be in school. All these factors mean that eco-animations have a large impact on the way that children see the world and can be used as a tool to teach them about the environment and environmental issues.

Conservation education may help humans and wildlife coexist. In particular, education aimed at children may shape their long-term views of wildlife, and children's knowledge may even transfer to parents, amplifying the impacts of education across generations. One strategy often integrated into short conservation awareness programs is anthropomorphism, or attributing human-like traits to wildlife and other non-human animals. This approach can increase human connection to the species in question, which may in turn help solidify learning and promote conservation behaviors.