Survey of young people aged 16-25 from all US states shows concerns across political spectrum
The overwhelming majority of young Americans worry about the climate crisis, and more than half say their concerns about the environment will affect where they decide to live and whether to have children, new research finds.
The study comes just weeks after back-to-back hurricanes, Helene and Milton, pummeled the south-eastern US. Flooding from Helene caused more than 600 miles of destruction, from Florida’s west coast to the mountains of North Carolina, while Milton raked across the Florida peninsula less than two weeks later.
“One of the most striking findings of the survey was that this was across the political spectrum,” said the lead author, Eric Lewandowski, a clinical psychologist and associate professor at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine. “There was no state sample where the endorsement of climate anxiety came in less than 75%.”
The study was published in the Lancet Planetary Health, and follows a 2021 study covering 10 countries. Both the previous and current study were paid for by Avaaz, an advocacy group.
Then you lil fuckers need to get out and vote.
It’s always amazed me that young voters tend to be the most unreliable voting bloc. I was a young, early-20s idealist, and I made sure to go out and vote. Hopefully they step it up this November.
I think there are voter suppression efforts that target youth. Plus they’re likely struggling to get by and may feel like they can’t spend hours/all day voting.
There’s also a huge amount of political cynicism. It’s easier to just think that there can be no change, and that my one vote doesn’t matter, and that all politicians are evil. I saw this way too much during my college days.
They won’t, there’s nobody to inspire them like Bernie, just pro-fracking, genocide-sponsoring Democrats and even worse Republicans.
Or even worse, people like you who do everything they can to disparage the only party that might possibly do something good…
You think you’re being sly, but it’s just cringe.
And that’s the problem. Why do they need someone to inspire them when they should also be interested and invested in their own future? Can’t say the same thing is happening in my country, generally even the most politically apathetic person at this age range (me included) understands the importance of it but somehow this seems like a wild idea in the US?
I’m always amazed that old people think voting is going to solve the climate catastrophe.
You understand that with a super-majority in congress, we get to make the rules, right? Companies can only do what is legal in the countries they operate in.
If we decide to take 90% of the money from fossil fuel companies and divert them to clean energy, reduce our DOD spending by 50% and funnel it into scientific research, NASA, etc. then we have a shot.
We are the people, and the government is intended to be a reflection of that. Not the gerrymandered, voter suppressed state it’s in today.
And overwhelming majority of Boomers don’t care, but that hurricane insurance check better be on time or so help them they will go full metal Karen!
I see a lot of complaints about boomers but I never see a strategy from younger people about what they themselves are planning/doing to make the world a better place.
When I was in my teens and 20’s I heard the same complaints about how older people left us a ruined world. And then everyone proceeded to do exactly Jack shit about it, myself included.
But at least I voted, every election, every time.
That’s funny, I didn’t.
I was young X, and we were brutally bulled and abused by Boomers.
The problem is: The boomers were idiots, they never had to learn anything, things were simple, the economy was good, why would they have to think, their parents gave them everything on a silver platter.
The GG were awesome btw, learning from them was like learning from wise elders, especially in engineering. The problem was Boomers didn’t understand anything but were so overconfident that they actually knew everything, and when you tried to explain to them where they were wrong they considered it an attack and again went full metal Karen.
I always try and take advantage of double sided printing when it is available. And my partner and I both drive reasonable vehicles and not oversized gas guzzlers.
As far as addressing the boomer problem, I’ve been just waiting for them to age out as the ones I know don’t respond well to logical or rational arguments. The boomers I know that are supporting Trump lack critical thinking skills and struggle with abstract thinking. This has made them easy prey for conservative media that for one seeks to short circuit any higher order thinking by triggering fear responses in their viewers.
If I had three wishes, I’d use one to try and fix this problem by massively expanding our education system. We are saddled with an antiquated system designed for a time when factory workers were needed and scheduling had to be done around farm labor availability. So I live in a progressive city and our state is finally doing free school meals. How insane that in 2024 there’s a need for free meals in a rather rich country and also a good chunk of our population are opposed to giving out free food.
Believe it or not, the people who were complaining about the problems may not be the same exact people who are causally continuing cause problems.
You want a plan? Just stop putting CO2 into the atmosphere and work backwards from there to adjust industry and society. Some industries will simply need to be shut down.
`> bUts THats NoT A plAn!
Yes it is. You can’t have your cake and eat it too. Too many people think you can have an active, ever consuming economy that exists within a finite system for an indefinite time scale.
Lol voted? Why?
The first election i could vote in was reagan vs mondale. what a joke. And then bush vs dukakkis, fucking who cares. And then the obviously full of shit lying clinton. And dole and his diapers. And nepo baby moron bush junior vs tipper gore trying to ban heavy metal’s husband? Clowns. That was a genx voting life early on.
I didnt start taking politics seriously really until after 9/11 and watching the whole country go fascist. United we stand my ass. Started voting, campaigning, volunteering then.
I wonder how many will vote for conservative candidates who do not care about the climate crisis or choose not to vote. My guess is quite a few. Unfortunately.
What? Do you realize how terrible voter turnout is in the US?
How much do you want to bet it would double if there was a candidate at the debates who was serious about stopping carbon burning?
There is one candidate who is a lot more serious than the other. Maybe not serious enough, but still more serious.
“fuck them kids”
-boomers
I truly feel really bad for this younger generation. I think this is in the global consciousness of our youth worldwide and I regret that they are inheriting a poisoned world. As if slave wages weren’t enough reason alone to not have any children.
I am truly sorry for my part in this.
This was us 40 years ago. We’ve been here this whole time, complaining about destroying the earth, getting laughed at by people in power.
And now that the real fight - with billionaires and corporations - is coming into view, it’s in the collapse stages when it almost doesn’t matter. Almost.
Of course it always matters, it’s just we’re going to have a lot of suffering that was very, very preventable.
