For many involved in fighting the changing climate, it's difficult to gauge what the average person outside of that effort knows about the state of the climate or to guess how much they care. But a new study published in Lancet Planetary Health sheds light on what the youth are thinking.
They're worried.
Specifically, this study — led by researchers from the NYU School of Medicine, College of Wooster (Ohio), Stanford University, Utah State University, University of Washington, George Washington University, and others — gathered responses about the climate from almost 16,000 American participants aged 16 to 25 across all 50 states. It is the largest study of its kind that has been undertaken, following on the heels of an initial international survey in 2021.
What has emerged from this research is a stunning consensus that spans the political divide.
A full 85% of the youth surveyed — 96% of Democrats, 74% of Republicans, and 86% independent or other — report worrying about "the impact of climate change on people and the planet," per the press release about these findings. In no state or state cluster did that number fall below 75%.
These aren't idle worries, either: 38% of respondents say "their feelings about climate change affect their ability to function daily," 69% say their climate concerns are a factor in where they're choosing to live, and 52% see it as a factor in whether they'll have children. Responses were stronger in areas affected by more types of extreme weather events.
"The findings from this study corroborate what I often hear from young people in my roles as clinician, researcher, and educator - youth are worried about climate change, disappointed with the action of government so far, and making choices about the future that are driven by anticipated climate impacts," said study co-author McKenna Parnes, PhD, in the press release.
Lead author Eric Lewandowski, PhD, and co-author Lise Van Susteren, MD, echoed that perspective in an interview with The Cool Down.
"Lise and I are both clinicians, and I think our origin in coming to this work comes from there," Lewandowski told The Cool Down.
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"Being in the trenches with kids, we have known that young people were suffering," Van Susteren added.
To Van Susteren, the perspective of the younger generation on the changing climate only makes sense.
"Being at the tip of the spear, as a young person, you're going to be the one that has to pay the piper in the end, so it's in your interest not to be in denial," she said. "And furthermore, it's an age that questions adults; that's the terrain."
According to Lewandowski and Van Susteren, the youth don't want to hide from the facts about what the world is facing. Indeed, there's a great need to talk about it.
"Young people want to have the opportunity to talk about this," said Lewandowski. "Over 70% of respondents said that they want the dangers to be talked about, they want other people to talk about how they feel about climate change, and they want … older generations to try to understand how they feel."
"This really confronts accusations that we are 'scaring people' and that we should not, as professionals, be talking about this so openly," said Van Susteren. "The reality is that young people want us very badly to talk about it, and indeed, are angry and upset when we don't."
As this study revealed, the youth of America also have a clear idea of what should happen next. A full 77% want the U.S. and world governments to enact a plan to stop the changing climate, per the press release, and a similar number want corporations and the education system to do the same.
"But also," Lewandowski said, "they refer to people of all sorts: families, professionals, faith leaders, mental health professionals — everybody here has a stake in this."
Until that kind of coordinated change can take place, Lewandowski counseled young people struggling with climate anxiety to talk about it and, where possible, to take action. Van Susteren agreed.
"In my work with young people, sometimes they don't want to talk about it because they don't want to make their friends sad or upset," Van Susteren said. "This tells them that most likely — 85% at least are likely to be feeling the way they do, and that they can find solace and solidarity with their peers."
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