University of Connecticut
AC-6: Sustainability Literacy Assessment

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1UyLOkuf68k1aNjOVL_I2Uwn5QDuIRJbcjA-KdjAQRbQ/viewform?edit_requested=true What is UConn's Climate Action Plan? 1 point A document stating our university's commitment to promoting sustainability A petition written by UConn's student population urging promotion of sustainability on campus A framework for guiding our university towards carbon neutrality and a higher standard of sustainability on campus a and c Which of the following is true about the Spring Valley Student Farm? Check all that apply. 1 point It is connected with UConn Living Community EcoHouse It produces food for some of UConn's dining halls It is located near Whitney Dining Hall Cattle is raised at the Spring Valley Student Farm What is the primary source of UConn's energy? 1 point Eversource power company The CoGeneration Facility Wind power Norwich Public Utilities Which of the following are ecosystem services provided by a wetland? 1 point Water purification Flood protection Food cropping Wildlife Habitat a and d a, b and d Which of the following buildings at UConn have been LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified? 1 point Oak Hall Beach Hall Biology/Physics Building a and b How frequently should you recycle items while at UConn? 1 point Daily Once per week Once per month Never Which of the following items should be recycled? Select all that apply. 1 point Paper Plastic bottles Cans Electronics Newspapers Clothing Does UConn have mixed recycling? 1 point Yes No What is Footbal Green Game Day? 1 point A day where students wear green to a football game to support sustainability A day where student volunteers go to a football game to collect recyclables from tailgaters and promote environmental awareness A day where environmental student groups go to a football game together in order to support sustainability A game day where all football players wear green to demonstrate the university's commitment to sustainability Climate change may result in: 1 point Severe droughts Severe flooding Shifting in areas where crops can grow All of the above Which three countries have the highest populations in the world? 1 point US, China and Brazil China, India and the US China, Mexico and the US Russia, China and the US What does Connecticut's DEEP stand for? 1 point Department of Energy and Economic Promotion Department of Environment and Energetic Processes Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Department of Environment and Ecological Protection Which of the following elements are part of sustainability? 1 point Environment Social Economic a and b All of the above What percentage of food is wasted in the US? 1 point 5% 10% 20% 40% Why is the loss of major rainforest lands, such as those in the Amazon Forest, such a pressing problem? 1 point The trees provide food, medicine and shelter, which will be lost if they are not harvested sustainably The forests provide habitat for many important species Trees counter climate change by absorbing oxygen from the atmosphere a and b All of the above Which of the following strategies can you employ to reduce your environmental impact? Select all that apply. 1 point Taking shorter showers Turning the water off when brushing your teeth Only washing full loads of laundry Reporting leaking sinks to ResLife/landlord Which of the following is the largest contributor to pollution in the ocean? 1 point Oil leaking from boats Runoff from land sources Dumping garbage into the ocean Noise pollution from shipping traffic Why is buying local more sustainable than buying items imported from far away? 1 point a. Less energy is used to transport the items b. Well managed farms can conserve soil quality, protect water from pollution, and provide habitat for wildlife, like bees. c. Supporting small businesses helps local economies flourish d. All of the above What is the most major concern associated with the global decline of bee populations? 1 point Bees are consumed as food in many developing countries Biomagnification of chemicals as contaminated bees are consumed by birds, snakes and mammals Loss of pollinators, which are vital for the functioning of global agriculture Plants controlled by bees will become overpopulated Which fuel, when combusted, caused the largest emission (per unit fuel) of greenhouse gases? 1 point Oil Coal Natural gas Biofuels

The questions in the survey were written to test for a variety of different topics under the umbrella of environmental/sustainability literacy, ranging from the basics of ecosystems, to sustainability initiatives at UConn, and issues like food waste, sustainable architecture, and greenhouse gases. The process of creating the survey included drafting many questions, and then choosing a select group of these to include in the survey, in order to have a sample representative of many different categories of sustainability literacy.

The survey was distributed electronically via a link posted in UConn’s Daily Digest, an email with daily news that is emailed to students, in December 2016. This distribution system was used to reach a representative sample of students at the university. The assessment was administered as a multiple choice, electronic Google form.The post-survey was administered to the same cohort of students through the same format in February 2017, and will be sent out again in October 2017 to continue gathering data from new and current students.

In the initial survey, we received 77 responses. Key findings include the following: • 87% of students were aware of UConn’s Climate Action Plan • 76% of students knew that wetlands provide water purification, flood protection and wildlife habitat • 93% of students were aware that UConn has mixed recycling • 98% of student identified severe drought, severe flooding, and shifting in areas where crops can go as results of climate change • 90% of students knew that China, India and the U.S. were the most populous countries in the world • 72% of students identified DEEP as standing for Department of Energy and Environmental Protection • 96% of students knew that sustainability includes not only environment, but also social and economic stability • 69% of students were aware that 40% of food produced in the U.S. is wasted. In the follow up survey, 22 of the original 77 participants retook the same survey (~30%).

Although just over 2% of the student population answered our survey, the data represents the university population relatively well. Given the number of students that attend the university, having everyone take the Environmental Awareness Survey would be challenging and limitations would arise. The demographics in this data are based on year in university (freshman, sophomore, etc.), gender, and whether or not students live on or off campus. Notably, gender was skewed towards female, with more female responses than other options. It is hard to determine the percentage of students assessed by this survey, but the voluntary survey questionaire went out to the entire student population through the Daily Digest.