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.
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.
In my state (CA) everyone gets a mail in ballot by default. I wonder what the rates are here? I bet not great.
I’m always amazed that old people think voting is going to solve the climate catastrophe.
If you get a large enough majority? Hell yeah it will.
Have them all demand to raise taxes on oil company profits to 90% to fund renewables, it’ll be just like when we broke big tobacco.
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.