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Noting that children may be affected by environmental contaminants in ways quite different from the way adults are affected, this report is the second on trends in measures reflecting environmental factors that may affect the U.S. children's health and well-being. A list of measures and key findings begins the report, followed by five main sections. Several measures throughout the report are analyzed by children's race/ethnicity and family income. Section 1 presents measures showing incidence of exposure to critical concentrations of contaminants in outdoor air, indoor air, water, food, and soil. Section 2 presents measures of lead, mercury, and cotinine (marker of environmental tobacco smoke exposure) measured in the bodies of children and women. Section 3 presents trends in asthma, other severe respiratory illnesses, childhood cancers, and neurodevelopmental disorders such as attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder and mental retardation. Section 4 concerns the emerging issues of mercury in fish and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Section 5 presents data specific to California and Minnesota. The final section of the report discusses improvements in the measures and data sources and new measures for inclusion in future reports. Major findings presented in the report include declines throughout the 1990s in the percentage of days with unhealthy air quality, median blood lead levels for children under 5, and median blood levels of cotinine; and overall increases in the percentage of children with asthma. The frequency of new childhood cancer cases has been stable since 1990. Recent data indicate that .6 percent of children are diagnosed with mental retardation and 6.7 percent of children are diagnosed with attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder. State data revealed that 32 percent of California public elementary schools have deterioration of lead-based paint, and 47 percent of Minnesota schools sprayed pesticides in classrooms. A glossary of terms completes the report. Four appendices include data tables and a list of environmental health objectives in the Energy Protection Agency's strategic plan. Each report section contains references. (KB).
Aboriginal children represent one of the fastest growing population segments in Australia, yet the lives of Aboriginal children in their environment has rarely been subjected to systematic and in-depth study. In this book, Angela Kreutz considers the relationship between the environment, attachment and development in indigenous children, examining theoretical constructs and conceptual models by empirically road testing these ideas within a distinct cultural community. The book presents the first empirical study on Australian Aboriginal children’s lives from within the field of child-environment studies, employing an environmental psychology perspective, combined with architectural and anthropological understandings. Chapters offer valuable insights into participatory planning and design solutions concerning Aboriginal children in their distinct community environment, and the cross-cultural character of the case study illuminates the commonalities of child development, as well as recognising the uniqueness that stems from specific histories in specific places. Children and the Environment in an Australian Indigenous Community makes significant theoretical, methodological and practical contributions to the international cross disciplinary field of child-environment studies. It will be of key interest to researchers from the fields of environmental, ecological, developmental and social psychology, as well as anthropologists, sociologists, and those studying the environment and planning.
Young Children and the Environment is a practical, future-oriented resource that explores how early childhood educators can work with children, their families and wider community to tackle issues of sustainability. Now in its third edition, this seminal text covers Early Childhood Education for Sustainability, as well as the science of sustainability, public health, children's wellbeing, ethics and a broad range of environmental management topics. 'Stories from the Field' present practical ideas for early childhood educators to support their own learning and teaching in sustainability, and international case studies provide examples of how sustainability is taught to young children across the globe. Young Children and the Environment is a call to action for those who work with children to put in place practices for a sustainable future. This book is a vital resource for students and practitioners looking for guidance on how to implement change for the future of children and the environment.
This second edition has been substantially revised and updated. It includes a new section exploring sustainability education in a variety of global contexts, researched and written by authors recognised as leaders in their own countries. It remains accessibly written with ample case studies, vignettes and 'Provocations' to engage readers.
In the first two volumes of the series we elected to cover a broad spectrum of topics in the environment and behavior field, ranging from theoretical to applied, and including disciplinary, interdiscipli nary, and professionally related topics. Chapters in these earlier vol umes dealt with leisure and recreation, the elderly, personal space, aesthetics, energy, behavioral approaches to environmental problems, methodological issues, social indicators, industrial settings, and the like. Chapters were written by psychologists, sociologists, geogra phers, and other social scientists, and by authors from professional design fields such as urban planning, operations research, landscape architecture, and so on. Our goal in these first two volumes was to present a sampling of areas in the emerging environment and behavior field and to give readers some insight into the diversity of research and theoretical perspectives that characterize the field. Beginning with the present volume, our efforts will be directed at a series of thematic volumes. The present collection of chapters is focused on children and the environment, and, as much as possible, we invited contributions that reflect a variety of theoretical and em pirical perspectives on this topic. The next volume in the series, now in preparation, will address the area of "culture and the environment. " Suggestions for possible future topics are welcome. Irwin Altman Joachim F.
This second edition of Young Children and the Environment is a practical resource that illustrates the difference that early childhood educators can make by working with children, their families and the wider community to tackle the contemporary issue of sustainable living. This second edition has been substantially revised and updated, with a new section exploring sustainability education in a variety of global contexts. Researched and written by authors recognised as leaders in their own countries, this section provides readers with international resources and perspectives to further their teaching about early childhood education for sustainability. The text engages with new curriculum initiatives that have placed greater emphasis on educating for sustainability, and equips educators with the knowledge to teach this revised content. It remains accessibly written with ample case studies, vignettes and 'Provocations' to engage readers and provide insights into how early childhood education for sustainability can occur successfully in practice.
Young Children and the Environment tackles one of the biggest contemporary issues of our times - the changing environment - and demonstrates how early education can contribute to sustainable living. An essential text for students in early childhood education and a practical resource for child care practitioners and primary school teachers, it is designed to promote education for sustainability from birth to 8 years. The text refers to national and international initiatives such as 'Sustainable Schools', 'Child Friendly Cities', and 'Health Promoting Schools' and explores their existing and potential links with early childhood education. Groundbreaking content draws on recent literature in the areas of organisational, educational and cultural change and environmental sustainability. Early childhood case studies and vignettes exemplify leadership in practice, and 'Provocations' are integrated throughout to inspire new ways of thinking about the environment, the wider world, young children and the transformative power of early education.
