Ecological Footprint Awareness of Generation Z: A Case Study of Selçuk University Faculty of Science
Achieving a sustainable ecosystem requires a harmonious relationship between biological capacity and ecological footprint. However, in today's rapidly industrializing world, population growth and lack of awareness about ecological footprints negatively impact biological capacity. Consequently,...
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Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Journal of Advanced Research in Natural and Applied Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/4348091 |
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| author | Halil Osman Erbek Yunus Akdoğan Tenzile Erbayram |
| author_facet | Halil Osman Erbek Yunus Akdoğan Tenzile Erbayram |
| author_sort | Halil Osman Erbek |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Achieving a sustainable ecosystem requires a harmonious relationship between biological capacity and ecological footprint. However, in today's rapidly industrializing world, population growth and lack of awareness about ecological footprints negatively impact biological capacity. Consequently, global ecological limits have been exceeded, straining the planet's carrying capacity. Human dominance over nature drives biodiversity loss and contributes to climate change, disrupting ecosystem balance, overconsuming natural resources, and causing environmental degradation. Industrialization and rapid urbanization have significantly increased resource consumption, leading to a sharp rise in greenhouse gas emissions—central to the carbon footprint and primary causes of climate change—that critically affect air quality, ecosystem stability, and biodiversity protection. Environmental factors directly influence human well-being, economic activities, and the health of all living organisms while reshaping the ecological order. This study aims to provide a fresh perspective on ecological awareness and inspire actionable steps in terms of building a sustainable ecosystem through a survey assessing the ecological literacy of Selcuk University Faculty of Science (SUFS) students. The survey reveals students' environmental awareness levels while examining its impact on their ecological behaviors. The general evaluation shows that SUFS students exhibit high awareness levels in the Ecological Footprint Awareness scale; however, scores related to recycling and transportation are lower than other dimensions. This indicates that targeted training for recycling and transportation is necessary to enhance overall awareness levels regarding ecological footprints. The findings will serve as a valuable resource for identifying strategies to improve environmental consciousness while emphasizing individuals' roles in fostering a sustainable future. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-975041f23bfe44d0b5e2b9bd9939198f |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2757-5195 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Advanced Research in Natural and Applied Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-975041f23bfe44d0b5e2b9bd9939198f2025-02-05T18:13:02ZengÇanakkale Onsekiz Mart UniversityJournal of Advanced Research in Natural and Applied Sciences2757-51952024-12-0110498199510.28979/jarnas.1581216453Ecological Footprint Awareness of Generation Z: A Case Study of Selçuk University Faculty of ScienceHalil Osman Erbek0https://orcid.org/0009-0000-2259-5023Yunus Akdoğan1https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3520-7493Tenzile Erbayram2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3275-120XİSTANBUL ESENYURT ÜNİVERSİTESİSELCUK UNIVERSITYSELÇUK ÜNİVERSİTESİAchieving a sustainable ecosystem requires a harmonious relationship between biological capacity and ecological footprint. However, in today's rapidly industrializing world, population growth and lack of awareness about ecological footprints negatively impact biological capacity. Consequently, global ecological limits have been exceeded, straining the planet's carrying capacity. Human dominance over nature drives biodiversity loss and contributes to climate change, disrupting ecosystem balance, overconsuming natural resources, and causing environmental degradation. Industrialization and rapid urbanization have significantly increased resource consumption, leading to a sharp rise in greenhouse gas emissions—central to the carbon footprint and primary causes of climate change—that critically affect air quality, ecosystem stability, and biodiversity protection. Environmental factors directly influence human well-being, economic activities, and the health of all living organisms while reshaping the ecological order. This study aims to provide a fresh perspective on ecological awareness and inspire actionable steps in terms of building a sustainable ecosystem through a survey assessing the ecological literacy of Selcuk University Faculty of Science (SUFS) students. The survey reveals students' environmental awareness levels while examining its impact on their ecological behaviors. The general evaluation shows that SUFS students exhibit high awareness levels in the Ecological Footprint Awareness scale; however, scores related to recycling and transportation are lower than other dimensions. This indicates that targeted training for recycling and transportation is necessary to enhance overall awareness levels regarding ecological footprints. The findings will serve as a valuable resource for identifying strategies to improve environmental consciousness while emphasizing individuals' roles in fostering a sustainable future.https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/4348091ecological footprintbiological capacitysustainability in the ecosystemclimate changeecological awareness |
| spellingShingle | Halil Osman Erbek Yunus Akdoğan Tenzile Erbayram Ecological Footprint Awareness of Generation Z: A Case Study of Selçuk University Faculty of Science Journal of Advanced Research in Natural and Applied Sciences ecological footprint biological capacity sustainability in the ecosystem climate change ecological awareness |
| title | Ecological Footprint Awareness of Generation Z: A Case Study of Selçuk University Faculty of Science |
| title_full | Ecological Footprint Awareness of Generation Z: A Case Study of Selçuk University Faculty of Science |
| title_fullStr | Ecological Footprint Awareness of Generation Z: A Case Study of Selçuk University Faculty of Science |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ecological Footprint Awareness of Generation Z: A Case Study of Selçuk University Faculty of Science |
| title_short | Ecological Footprint Awareness of Generation Z: A Case Study of Selçuk University Faculty of Science |
| title_sort | ecological footprint awareness of generation z a case study of selcuk university faculty of science |
| topic | ecological footprint biological capacity sustainability in the ecosystem climate change ecological awareness |
| url | https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/4348091 |
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