Chemistry issues in the investigation of students’ ecological awareness / Problematyka chemiczna w badaniach świadomości ekologicznej studentów

The development of chemical industry has brought civilization and economic benefits. Nowadays it is hard to image the everyday life without chemical products whose usage raises living standards. Unfortunately, the civilization development, where chemistry significantly contributed, caused unfavourable changes in natural environment. In order to stop further environment degradation, different initiatives are being taken up. They also concern activities in favour of chemical threats reduction. Particular role among those activities plays the concept of green chemistry which lists in the framework of sustainable development. One of the methods implementation of sustainable development rules is the properly conducted education in formal and non-formal dimensions. Education Decade for Sustainable Development announced by United Nations General Assembly, testifies its importance. The paper brings a closer current model of ecological (environmental) education on different teaching stages. A method of diagnostic survey was used in order to estimate the level of students` ecological awareness. The research is a continuation of our previous works. A survey was chosen as a research technique, and a questionnaire was a research tool. The questionnaire included 22 questions (closed and half-open ones). The research took into consideration only selected elements of ecological awareness. A special attention was paid to estimation of students` knowledge chemical threat aspects and protection of natural environment. Moreover, the paper presents historical outline of chemical industry development and its significance for civilization. The idea of green chemistry and its educational importance was shown as an example aiming at the reduction of chemical threats.