Along the Rio Negro: Brazilian Children's Environmental Views and Values

Children in urban and rural parts of the Brazilian Amazon were interviewed in Portuguese on how they understand and value their relationship with the natural environment. Forty-four 5th-grade children (mean age = 13 years, 8 months) participated. Children in both locations were aware of environmental problems, believed that throwing garbage in the Rio Negro harmed various parts of the environment (i.e., birds, insects, the view of the river, and people who live along the river), and cared that such harm might occur. Moreover, children believed that throwing garbage in the Rio Negro constituted a violation of a moral obligation. Children supported the conservation of the Amazon rain forest. Additional analyses showed striking similarities between this Brazilian population and a population of African American urban children in the United States (P. H. Kahn & B. Friedman, 1995).