Even though we live in an age of advancing technology and changing structure of science, especially in genetics engineering, there appears to be a great lack of understanding of these basic concepts by society in general. Society carries responsibilities to both living and non-living things; this lack of understanding may result in combined economical and environmental costs for everyone. Genetic modifications can produce enormous consequences. In North America, the focus of environmental education is on the issue of human sustainability, which follows a technocratic approach with the support of government. This paper points out the few published studies that provide insight into the nature of student understanding of human-animal relationships and investigates eighth grade students' perceptions of today's most pressing environmental concerns. (Contains 22 references.) (YDS)