Perception of Post-Secondary Students on Environmental Practices in Selected Communities in the Philippines: Implications to Climate Change Action

Abstract

Climate change contributes to disasters in the Philippines. Most human activities have had negative consequences on the environment, exacerbating global warming. Humans contribute to climate change and global warming by burning fossil fuels, cutting down trees, engaging in improper waste disposal, using electricity, and driving a car. This study assessed the environmental practices of communities in Nueva Ecija, Philippines, and their implications for climate change. Respondents were selected using convenient sampling. A questionnaire delivered online was used to elicit their responses then analyzed the data using SPSS. This study revealed that most post-secondary students do not litter but sometimes burn their trash in an open dump. Most of them used LPG as their primary source of fuel for cooking. Rice production is always the same as producing food waste in food production. Garden waste was sometimes produced. Plastic containers are commonly produced as recyclable wastes. They often dispose of wastes in controlled and regulated open dumpsites by their municipality or city. Due to the pandemic, special wastes like face masks and face shields are disposed of daily. Generally, despite no littering behavior, the respondents never burned their trash or threw it on any body of water. They perceived to disagree that these daily community activities contribute to climate change. Lastly, less than half of them affirmed that there are initiative programs at the barangay level to lessen and eliminate community activities that cause climate change.