Gen Z Is More Fatalistic Than Boomers About Climate Change

Nov. 10, 2021 -- Members of Generation Z, oregon anyone calved aft 1996, are overmuch likelier than babe boomers to person fatalistic views astir behavioral adjustments to combat clime change, according to a survey of U.S. adults. Yet the 2 property groups are arsenic apt to marque specified changes.

Conventional contented puts the 2 generations successful opposing stances. Gen Z is represented arsenic a radical of Greta Thunbergs, crusading for wide societal changes to dilatory and reverse the effects of planetary warming. Meanwhile, boomers, oregon those calved aft World War II done the mid-1960s, are formed arsenic unwilling to wantonness SUVs oregon disposable coffee cups for the involvement of aboriginal generations.

For a clearer representation of generational attitudes astir clime change, researchers astatine Kings College London conducted a survey successful August 2021 of a typical illustration of 2,153 U.S. adults. (The investigators besides asked astir different issues, including the COVID-19 pandemic.)

One successful 3 Gen Zers agreed with a connection that changing behaviors to tackle clime alteration won’t marque immoderate difference, compared with 1 successful 4 baby boomers endorsing this sentiment. Yet boomers didn’t look to person religion successful their ain beliefs: They were acold likelier than respondents from different property groups to hold that radical ages 65 to 79 would presumption idiosyncratic changes arsenic futile successful the combat against clime change.

In opposition to this expressed pessimism, the percent of radical successful each procreation consenting to marque large manner changes to combat clime alteration were similar, including 60% of boomers and 61% of Gen Zers.

Across each property groups surveyed, astir two-thirds of respondents thought determination was much intergenerational struggle contiguous than a fewer decades ago. But lone 54% of boomers felt this mode compared with 72% of Gen Zers.

The results are a conscionable a snapshot of attitudes astatine a azygous constituent successful time. It’s imaginable that responses would look antithetic depending connected the timing of the survey.