In this work is the realm of lichens. Lichens are everywhere around us but generally unseen by many people. Lichens adjust and react to the circumstances of its surrounding: humid or dry. The responsive property of the lichens to humidity led to the investigation of this species in combination with the flexible properties of knitted textiles. The knit enhances the lichens’ properties in its stretchable, textural, and color possibilities. While activating the textiles through moisture, there is a change in haptic- and visual expression. Working towards a material library, the transformable properties of the textiles are being explored. Lichen in combination with knit is investigated in four categories: transformation, shape, texture, and dye. The lichen and the knit adapt their role according to the category and demonstrate the potential of their various collaborations in each category. In several countries, lichens are protected due to the increase in air pollution. Through visualizing and emphasizing these precious and unseen species, the changeable textiles aim to activate the viewer in rethinking human’s relationship to nature.

Environmental education (EE) and outdoor instruction are essential to understanding and addressing different environmental issues in school communities. This study investigated Mississippi teachers' perceptions on environmental education and outdoor instruction during 2020-2021. A state-wide survey and follow-up interview were conducted to examine their thoughts about environmental education and outdoor instruction and COVID-19 limitations in their classrooms and how that may affect their perceptions. Analysis was conducted using SPSS contingency and frequency tables, Chi-square Test of Independence, and content analysis of qualitative data. The results showed that Mississippi teacher participants believe that environmental education in Mississippi K-12 schools is very important and that outdoor instruction is a good way to learn environmental education. Many participants are interested in teaching classes outdoors but stated that they do not take their classes outside often. Results also documented that participants are concerned about the different limitations they face when teaching classes outdoors.

Consumers are increasingly becoming more sustainable and strive towards making sustainable actions and purchases. As a response, companies attempt to follow this trend by offering sustainable and eco-friendly products and services, however, this has increased the tendency of greenwashing techniques. Blockchain technology (BCT), a system that can provide transparent, traceable,and trustworthy information, can thus be the solution for this dilemma in order to decrease the risk of greenwashing. Hence, consumers can feel a lack of trust towards current products that are considered to be eco-friendly, while these actually could be non-eco-friendly, and consumers’ willingness to pay a higher price can be diminished - which is a problem that BCT potentially addresses. The purpose of this present study is to understand and assess the role of blockchain technology (BCT) towards Swedish consumers’ intention of purchasing clothing products that are considered to be eco-friendly.  In order to answer this purpose, Swedish consumers’ attitudes towards BCT are measured empirically in terms of a quantitative study, where a questionnaire was conducted and received a total of 71 respondents. The results highlight that, in the context of clothing product purchases, Swedish consumers currently are not purchasing eco-friendly clothing products and they do not strive to purchase these to a high extent. However, if BCT would be available before the consumer purchases the clothing product, results emphasize that consumers would be more prone to purchase eco-friendly products. Additionally, results reveal that consumers would feel a high level of trust towards clothing companies and their products if BCT would be available prior to purchase. Ultimately, it was uncovered that consumers are willing to pay a higher price for eco-friendly clothing products if BCT is available. This study thus provides insights about the advantages of utilizing BCT within the business, which is applicable to particularly clothing companies but also other companies in general.

Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) of exogenous origin refer to compounds that disrupt the regular functioning of the endocrine system responsible for maintaining hormonal balance in the body. These disruptors are prevalent in our surroundings and are present in various consumer products, including cosmetics, plastics, and pesticides. The means of action vary depending on the specific chemical and target hormone receptor. EDCs can mimic, obstruct, alter hormone production, transport, and metabolize, leading to a range of health risks such as metabolic disorders, immune system dysfunction, and endocrine-related cancers, as well as reproductive abnormalities. Interference with the production, transport, and function of hormones responsible for the menstrual cycle and pregnancy, including estrogen, progesterone, and luteinizing hormone, leads to reproductive problems. EDCs also cause permanent alterations in the development of the female reproductive system during fetal and early childhood stages. Some of the most widely known EDCs include bisphenol-A (BPA), phthalates, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which have been found in human tissue and fluids, such as urine and breast milk. Researchers continue to discover and analyze EDC prevalence and the effects on human health. While efforts have been made to reduce exposure to these compounds, they remain prevalent in the environment. There are lifestyle interventions that can help with the prevention and exposure to EDCs. Such interventions include healthier eating habits, avoiding the use of plastic containers containing EDCs, choosing safer personal care products, filtering drinking water, reducing exposure to air pollution, and supporting policies and regulations that promote the use of safer chemicals.

The role played by Schoemansdal Environmental Education Centre (SEEC) in the development of environmental awareness to its neighbouring schools has been established, described and explored. Schoemansdal's role was evaluated in relation to what other environmental education centers around the world are doing as strategies of developing environmental awareness to their neighbouring schools and communities. Schoemansdal Environmental Education Centre acted as a case study and its findings are supplemented by valuable data from seventeen schools, which were selected in the Zoutpansberg West Circuit by the researcher. The sole aim was to enhance information gathered at Schoemansdal EEC with regard to its role of making the neighbouring schools aware of environmental issues. Although the research question has been adequately explored, the study does not claim to be exhaustive and without limitations. The recommendations made by the study, based on the findings will be of value to environmental officers, environmental educationists, teachers and education policy makers involved with EE implementation in formal education. / Educational Studies / M. Ed.(Environmental Education)

As a future preschool teacher I see myself as a part of creating the future of society. I think the environment and sustainable development is a part that feels important that children have with them in life. The purpose of the study was to examine whether and how preschool teachers work with environmental and sustainable development activities in various preschools and how children are involved in this work. The methodology for the study has been semi-structured interviews with active preschool teachers in three different preschools. The results of the survey show that preschools are working more or less actively with the environment and sustainable development in the business and that the children are involved in most of the work. However, it appears that other areas usually are given priority instead of working with environment and sustainable development, and that the work needs to be made more tangible for the children. All teachers in the study stated that the work with environment and sustainable development can be further expanded and must be clearly linked to the preschool curriculum for maintaining quest objectives. / Som blivande förskollärare ser jag mig själv som en del i att skapa framtidens samhällsmedborgare, då anser jag att miljö och hållbar utveckling är en del som känns viktig att barnen har med sig i livet. Syftet med studien var att undersöka om och i så fall på vilket sätt pedagoger arbetar med miljö och hållbar utveckling i verksamheten på olika förskolor samt hur delaktiga barnen är i arbetet. Metodvalet för undersökningen har varit semistrukturerade intervjuer med verksamma förskollärare på tre olika förskolor. Resultatet av undersökningen visar att förskolor arbetar mer eller mindre aktivt med miljö och hållbar utveckling i verksamheten samt att barnen är delaktiga i det mesta utav arbetet. Dock framkommer det att andra områden oftast prioriteras framför arbetet med miljö och hållbar utveckling samt att arbetet behöver göras mer konkret för barnen. Samtliga pedagoger i studien uppgav att arbetet med miljö och hållbar utveckling kan utökas ytterligare och måste utgöra en tydligare koppling till förskolans läroplan för att upprätthålla strävansmålen.

<p>Syftet med mitt arbete var att undersöka sexåringars miljömedvetenhet, samt hur de har tillförskaffat sig denna kunskap. Jag har genomfört kvalitativa intervjuer med samtliga 13 elever i en förskoleklass. Genom att diskutera kring 7 saker glasburk, läskedrycksburk, löv, papptallrik, plastmugg, tidning och äppelskrutt som vi lade ut i skogen under en månad fick jag kunskap om vad barnen trodde skulle ske med sakerna under tiden i skogen, var barnen skulle ha slängt sakerna samt hur de hade erhållit denna kunskap.</p><p>Barnen trodde att det var vädret som påverkade processen med sakerna i skogen. De utgår från vad de har sett och sätter in det i ett sammanhang. Det har lärt mig att utgå från barnens vardag när det gäller naturvetenskapliga fenomen.</p><p>När det gäller återvinning var kunskapen större om glasåtervinning än om plaståtervinning hos sexåringarna. Kunskapen om kompostering var obefintlig. Genom detta arbete tror jag att kompostering kan vara ett bra sätt att väcka miljöintresse hos barn.</p><p>Jag fann att mamman var en viktig kunskapsförmedlare inom detta område. 10 av 13 barn svarade att någon anhörig hade lärt dem det som de svarade i denna studie. Av dessa 10 barn nämnde 8 mamma eller mamma och pappa som anhörig. Två av barnen svarade att de hade erhållit kunskapen genom TV. Ingen av barnen nämnde förskolan eller förskoleklassen som kunskapsförmedlare.</p> / <p>The purpose of my study was to examine the environmental awareness of six-year-olds and how they have acquired this knowledge. I have carried out qualitative interviews with all the thirteen pupils in one pre-school class.</p><p>By discussing seven things, a glass jar, a soda can, a leaf, a paper plate, a plastic mug, a newspaper, and an apple core, which we put away in the forest for a month, I gained the knowledge of what the children thought would happen to the seven different things and where they had acquired their knowledge.</p><p>The children thought it was the weather that affected the process of the seven things. Their assumptions were based on what they see and put into a context. I have learnt to start from children’s everyday life when explaining scientific phenomena, to children.</p><p>When it comes to recycling, the fact was that the knowledge of recycling glass was more widely spread than the knowledge of recycling plastics among the six-year-olds. The knowledge of composting was nonexistent. As a result of this study, I think that composting might be a good idea in order to raise an environmental interest among children.</p><p>I found that mothers were important contributors to knowledge in this field. When questioned who had taught them what they knew in this field, ten of thirteen children answered that a close relative had taught them what they knew, i.e. what they had answered in the study. Eight out of these ten pupils mentioned their mothers or their mothers and fathers as this/these close relative/s. Two of the children said that they had acquired this knowledge through TV. None of the children mentioned day care centre, nursery school or pre-school class as contributors to any environmental awareness.</p>

The world’s consumption is increasing at an accelerating rate and it´s produced and consumed more goods and services than ever before. A large part of people's consumption consists of clothing that is bought and discarded increasingly leading to a number of environmental problems such as global warming, pollution, loss of biodiversity and the depletion of natural assets. One way to save the earth's resources is to buy used clothing, so called second hand, instead of new ones. The store chain “The Ants” (in Swedish “Myrorna”) has specializing in second-hand goods and sells, among other things, clothes. This study examined consumers' motive for shopping second-hand clothing on The Ants and examined whether this is related to consumers' environmental awareness and their choice to buy second hand clothes on The Ants. The shop staffs experience of the customer's environmental awareness was also examined. The methods that were chosen were surveys that The Ants customers filled out and interviews with store employees. The results showed that consumer´s motive to buy second-hand clothing on The Ants was mainly due to the cheap price and then because of their environmental awareness, customers were relatively environmentally aware and knew that the clothing industry contribute to environmental problems. The consumers felt that they received too little information about the problems and they would like to know more. The result also showed that consumers don´t act according to this awareness as very few of them asked questions to the staff about their clothing production or work with sustainable consumption and the environment. The Ants shop staff experienced the same thing since they rarely or never received any questions from customers about clothing and its environmental problems. Customers also bought more new clothes than second-hand clothing. / Konsumtionen i världen ökar i en allt snabbare takt och det produceras och konsumeras mer varor och tjänster än någonsin tidigare. En stor del av människors konsumtion består av kläder som köps och slängs i större utsträckning vilket leder till ett flertal miljöproblem som global uppvärmning, föroreningar, förlorad biologisk mångfald och förbrukning av naturtillgångar. Ett sätt att spara på jordens resurser är genom att köpa begagnade kläder, så kallat second hand, istället för nyproducerade. Butikskedjan Myrorna har specialiserat sig på second hand varor och säljer bland annat kläder. Denna studie undersökte konsumenters motiv för att handla second hand kläder på Myrorna samt undersökte om detta har ett samband med konsumenters miljömedvetenhet och deras val att köpa second hand kläder på Myrorna. Även butikspersonalens upplevelse av kundernas miljömedvetenhet undersöktes. Metoderna som valdes var enkäter som Myrornas kunder fyllde i och intervjuer med butikspersonal. Resultatet visade att konsumenternas motiv för att handla second hand kläder på Myrorna berodde främst på det billiga priset och sedan på grund av deras miljömedvetenhet, kunderna var relativt miljömedvetna och funderade ofta på klädindustrins miljöproblem. Dock ansåg konsumenterna att de fick otillräcklig information om ämnet och skulle vilja veta mer. Resultatet visar också att konsumenterna inte agerar utifrån denna medvetenhet eftersom ytterst få av dem ställde frågor till butikspersonal om deras klädproduktion eller arbete med hållbar konsumtion och miljö. Myrornas butikspersonal upplevde samma sak eftersom de sällan eller aldrig fick några frågor från kunderna om kläder och dess miljöproblem. Kunderna köpte också mer nyproducerade kläder än second hand kläder.

This study is a result of a participation in the Minor Field Study program where we interviewed inhabitants in Mahé, Seychelles, about environmental awareness and information sources and/or channels. Seychelles has a distinguished environment to preserve and protect for the sake of both human and nature and public awareness plays an important part in upholding this. Our aim with this thesis is to study the inhabitants' self-assessed awareness and perceptions regarding availability of information on environmental issues in Seychelles. Furthermore we hope that a by-product of our study will be an addition to the ongoing discussion and knowledge development regarding the global environmental and climate issues. Seven semi-structured interviews were conducted and T. D. Wilson's information behaviour model from 1996 was used as theoretical framework when analysing the material. The results show a varied range of self-assessed awareness and perceptions regarding environmental issues and the availability of relevant information and information sources and/or channels.

O desenvolvimento da consciência ambiental no Brasil vem sendo pautado pelos princípios norteadores presentes nos fóruns ambientais mundiais e por seus desdobramentos institucionais através de legislações específicas, tais como o Plano Nacional de Educação Ambiental PNEA (1999) que prevê atribuições às modalidades formais e informais de ensino e os Parâmetros Curriculares Nacionais PCNs (1997) ao inserirem a proposta dos temas transversais, incluindo o meio ambiente, para os níveis fundamental e médio de educação. Mas, mesmo garantindo a penetração social do tema, a presença de legislações específicas tem se mostrado insuficiente para a clareza e efetivação da formação ambiental, o que pode ser observado nas pesquisas sobre o tema que se voltam ao diagnóstico de atitudes ecológicas em detrimento dos processos de aprendizagem. Tendo em vista a necessidade de explicar como ocorrem estes processos dentro da temática ambiental, esta pesquisa teve como objetivo geral dimensionar a consciência ambiental a partir de uma intervenção pedagógica dirigida, tendo por base a teoria da paisagem geográfica de Monteiro (2001) e os referenciais pedagógicos de Vigotski (2012, 2014) e Freire (2004). De forma complementar estabelecemos como objetivo específico produzir e testar a validade de uma proposta intencional de intervenção pedagógica para demonstrar a hipótese de que a abordagem sistêmica da paisagem geográfica (Monteiro, 2001) tem potencial na ampliação da consciência ambiental. O procedimento central da pesquisa caracterizou-se pela experimentação junto a dois grupos de jovens moradores nas proximidades das Áreas de Proteção Ambiental Capivari-Monos/SP e Bororé-Colônia, para os quais se diferenciou a abordagem dos conteúdos de ensino, sendo que um deles participou de aulas dentro da perspectiva sistêmica (MONTEIRO, 2001), e o outro teve os assuntos tratados de forma tópica, sem que fossem enfatizadas as relações entre os conteúdos. A mensuração da consciência ambiental foi realizada a partir de duas variáveis operacionais (VOLPATO, 2015), sendo a primeira qualitativa, avaliando a capacidade explicativa dos estudantes quanto aos fenômenos ambientais estudados, e a segunda, quantitativa, a partir da escala NEP (New Ecological Paradigm) (DUNLAP et al, 2000). A combinação de variáveis qualitativa e quantitativa revelou-se determinante para a maior precisão no dimensionamento da consciência ambiental, e identificação das causas associadas ao seu desenvolvimento dentro das proposições teóricometodológicas estabelecidas pela pesquisa. Outros resultados ficaram a cargo da demonstração de problemas quanto ao nível de alfabetização de jovens frequentadores do sistema público de ensino; da viabilidade de uma proposição curricular na temática ambiental a partir da teoria da paisagem; da diferenciação entre percepção e consciência ambiental; e da avaliação quanto à capacidade de mensuração da escala NEP dentro do estudo proposto. / The development of environmental awareness in Brazil has been guided by the principles present in the global environmental forums and by its effects through specific legislation, such as the National Environmental Education Plan (PNEA) (1999), which provides for attributions to formal and informal teaching and the National Curricular Parameters - PCNs (1997) by inserting the proposal of cross-cutting themes, including the environment, for the fundamental and medium levels of education. These actions guarantee the social penetration of the theme, however the presence of specific legislation has proved insufficient for the clarity and effectiveness of the environmental education, which can be observed in the researches on diagnostics of ecological attitudes to the detriment of the processes of learning. Considering the need to explain how these processes occur within the environmental theme, this research had the general objective to dimension environmental awareness through on a guided pedagogical intervention, based on Monteiro\'s (2001) geographical landscape theory and the pedagogical references of Vigotski (2012, 2014) and Freire (2004). In a complementary way, we established as a specific objective to produce and test the validity of an intentional model of pedagogical intervention to demonstrate the hypothesis that the systemic approach of the geographic landscape (Monteiro, 2001) has the potential to increase environmental awareness. The central procedure of the research was characterized by the experimentation with two groups of young residents near of the Capivari-Monos / SP and Bororé-Colônia Environmental Protection Areas, for which the approach to teaching contents was differentiated, one of which participated of classes within the systemic perspective (MONTEIRO, 2001), and the other had the subjects treated topically, without emphasizing the relations between contents. The measurement of environmental awareness was made using two operational variables (VOLPATO, 2015). The first one was qualitative, assessing the ability of students to explain the environmental phenomena studied, and the second, quantitative, from the NEP scale (New Ecological Paradigm) (DUNLAP et al, 2000). The combination of qualitative and quantitative variables was determinant for the greater precision in the dimensioning of environmental awareness, and identification of the causes associated with its development within the theoreticalmethodological propositions established by the research. We highlight other results as the demonstration of problems regarding the level of literacy of young people served by the public school system; the feasibility of a curricular proposition in the environmental theme from the landscape theory; the differentiation between perception and environmental awareness; and the evaluation of the measurement capacity of the NEP scale within the proposed study.