© Kamla-Raj 2014 J Hum Ecol, 45(2): 167-175 (2014) Students’ and Teachers’ Awareness of and Attitude towards Environmental Pollution: A Multivariate Analysis Using Biographical Variables Olufemi C. Adejoke, Andile Mji and Murembiwa S. Mukhola Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa KEYWORDS Environmental Awareness. Environmental attitude. Pollution. Coal Mining ABSTRACT The purpose was through a multivariate analysis, to examine students’ and teachers’ environmental Awareness and Attitude in relation to selected biographical data. Participants were Grade 8 to Grade 12 students with ages ranging between 13 years and 23 years (M = 16.5 years, SD = 1.8) as well as their teachers with ages ranging between 23 and 57 (M = 40.6 years, SD = 9.8). All were from schools within a precinct of coal mines and electricity generating power stations; this being industry that characteristically releases large amounts of carbon dioxide into the air. The basis of this investigation was the researchers’ argument that it is important for students in their teenage years to know and be aware of environmental matters because they will grow to be conscious and responsible adults who will take care of their environment. The researchers therefore determined the participants’ biographical factors that had an effect on environmental Awareness and Attitude. An Awareness and Attitude scale comprising 24 - items on a 5 point Likert type format was administered to students and teachers in the first quarter of 2012. Among students, no gender effects were found however, significant effects with respect to age and Attitude, as well as grade level and Awareness were established. For teachers, on the other hand, no significant effects were established for all the biographical variables tested. More pleasing was that teachers had higher scores with respect to environmental Awareness and Attitude compared with their students. The researchers argue that these findings are important because it is the teachers who will hopefully pass the proverbial baton to their students, for them to embrace environmental issues in the air polluted area whence they reside. Address for correspondence: Dr. A. Mji Tshwane University of Technology, P/Bag X680, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa. Telephone: +27 12 382 9932. Fax: +27 865 600 315. E-mail: mjia@tut.ac.za INTRODUCTION The 21 st century has seen major develop- ments in terms of industrialisation throughout the world. A resultant effect of this has been the movement of communities from rural areas to urban centres. The influx and concentration of people in certain parts of the world has meant that increased amounts of resources are con- sumed. Also, this influx has brought strain that has impacted negatively on the environment. For instance, all over the world fossil fuels such as coal and crude oil are still the main sources of energy. These movements of large numbers of people have impacted negatively on the envi- ronment. For instance, the demand for fossil fu- els has meant that the world is producing un- sustainable levels of carbon emissions that are affecting the environment. The negative impact on the environment has resulted in concerns about climate change due to gaseous emissions as well as the effect pollution will have on water. Regarding the former, it is indicated that signifi- cant climate change may be expected due to the increase in the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide (Houghton et al. 1996). In respect of the latter meanwhile, water pollution is re- portedly the second most affected environmen- tal issue after air pollution (Gambhir et al. 2012) Global warming and climate change issues have necessitated that leaders of major nations in the world take action that would address these problems. Globally, the United Nations through the Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC) has hosted a number of conferences aimed at ad- dressing these issues. For instance, in Decem- ber 1997 the Kyoto Protocol was adopted in Ja- pan with the detailed rules for its implementa- tion adopted at COP 7 in Marrakesh in 2001 (UN- FCCC 1997). The process continued to Cancun in Mexico where it is reported “… far-reaching international response to climate change the world had ever seen to reduce carbon emissions and build a system which made all countries ac- countable to each other for those reductions” were reached (UNFCCC 2010). In December 2011 the United Nations Climate Change Conference