Climate Change Awareness: An Imperative for Environmental and Earth Stewardship

Authors

  • Elizabeth Akpanke Odey

    Department of Religious and Cultural Studies, University of Calabar, Calabar 540271, Nigeria
  • Anthony Okon Ben

    Department of Religious and Cultural Studies, University of Calabar, Calabar 540271, Nigeria
  • Alex Abang Ebu

    Department of Public Law, Faculty of Law, University of Calabar, Calabar 540271, Nigeria
  • Edor John Edor

    Department of Philosophy, University of Calabar, Calabar 540271, Nigeria
  • Edem Essien Udoaka

    Department of Commercial and Industrial Law, Faculty of Law, University of Calabar, Calabar 540271, Nigeria
  • Eni Eja Alobo

    Department of Public Law, Faculty of Law, University of Calabar, Calabar 540271, Nigeria
  • Miebaka Nabiebu

    Department of Jurisprudence and International Law, Faculty of Law, University of Calabar, Calabar 540271, Nigeria
  • Gabriel Etim-Ben Inyang

    Department of Commercial and Industrial Law, Faculty of Law, University of Calabar, Calabar 540271, Nigeria
  • Edet Louis Ajom

    Department of Philosophy, University of Calabar, Calabar 540271, Nigeria
  • Aboh James Ajang

    Department of History and International Studies, University of Calabar, Calabar 540271, Nigeria
  • Ellah Timothy Ogbang

    Department of History and International Studies, University of Calabar, Calabar 540271, Nigeria
  • Osmond Otora Agbor

    Department of History and International Studies, University of Calabar, Calabar 540271, Nigeria
  • Iorparegh Aer

    Department of Integrated Science , Federal College of Education, Obudu 552109, Nigeria

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/re.v8i1.11258
Received: 25 July 2025 | Revised: 10 September 2025 | Accepted: 17 September 2025 | Published Online: 6 January 2026

Abstract

The accelerating impacts of climate change, rising temperatures, extreme weather events, and biodiversity loss underscore the urgent need for widespread public awareness. This research explores why climate change awareness is not just beneficial but essential for effective environmental stewardship and the long-term health of our planet. The research proffers informed communities, encouraging sustainable practices, and driving policy advocacy, awareness serves as a model for collective action. This call to consciousness challenges individuals, institutions, and nations to recognize their role in shaping a resilient, sustainable future for the Earth. Methodology adopted in this research is a mixed-method design, involving both qualitative and quasi-experimental designs, which engages the use of focus group discussions and oral interviews to explore deeper insights into perceptions, biodiversity loss consciousness, and environmental depletion challenges. Also, applicable under the qualitative method is the secondary data collection mode, namely, reports from IPCC, government policy documents, and existing literature related to the context of the research. The empirical and scientific data analysis was presented from the data collected and was coded and subjected to analysis using a paired samples t-test. The study is grounded on the theory of “Value-Belief-Norm”(VBN) developed by Stern et al. The VBN theory posits that individuals are more likely to engage in pro-environmental behaviour when their values (especially biosphere and altruistic), beliefs (about environmental consequences), and norms (personal responsibility to act) align. The findings of this study underscore the critical role of climate change awareness in fostering environmental and earth stewardship. The paper recommends that Governments of the country (State and federal) should take urgent steps in sensitising the general public on the causes and impact of climate change.

Keywords:

Climate Change; Earth; Environment; Value-Belief-Norm; Stewardship

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How to Cite

Odey, E. A., Ben, A. O., Ebu, A. A., Edor, E. J., Udoaka, E. E., Alobo, E. E., Nabiebu, M., Inyang, G. E.-B., Ajom, E. L., Ajang, A. J., Ogbang, E. T., Agbor, O. O., & Aer, I. (2025). Climate Change Awareness: An Imperative for Environmental and Earth Stewardship. Research in Ecology, 8(1), 67–78. https://doi.org/10.30564/re.v8i1.11258

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Vol.8, Iss.1 (February 2026)(in progress)

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Copyright © 2025 Elizabeth Akpanke Odey, Anthony Okon Ben, Alex Abang Ebu, Edor John Edor, Edem Essien Udoaka, Eni Eja Alobo, Miebaka Nabiebu, Gabriel Etim-Ben Inyang, Edet Louis Ajom, Aboh James Ajang, Ellah Timothy Ogbang, Osmond Otora Agbor, Iorparegh Aer

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This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.

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