Energy, environment, and education relationship in developing countries' policies:: A case study for Turkey

Energy is essential to economic and social development and improved quality of life in all countries. Because environmental problems result from energy-related factors, energy and environment are closely related concepts. Education plays an important role in making citizens conscious about energy, environment, and their relationship. Studies in last 2 decades have predicted that energy education will be a new discipline in both developed and developing countries. It is therefore especially developing countries that should take into account those studies and make some decisions about their energy, environment, and educational policy. Because there are similar traditional problems, particularly in developing countries, that are also familiar to other societies, the Turkish context deserves a special interest about this subject. In this study, the present energy situation and policies, the energy education requirement, the present education programs, and the necessity of educational substructure of Turkey are examined, and some suggestions are made about future projections.