According to a survey, eight out of ten teenagers expect climate change to impact big decisions such as where they live and whether they have children. New surveyOriginally shared with Axios.
Driving the news:Harris Poll and youth development group 4-H found that only 45% believe that politicians and global leaders are taking meaningful actions to protect the environment.
- They do however show signs of hope. 77% feel they have a responsibility to protect the future of the planet, and 77% feel empowered to take action.
The big pictureGeneration Z teens are concerned about climate change and the environment. They see harms already occurring.
- Their attitudes influence the expectations of government leaders and corporate leaders. The polling shows that these trends are apparent across all racial and gender traits.
These numbers:84% agree that “if it doesn’t address climate changes today, it is too late for the future generations, making certain parts of this planet unlivable.”
- 84% of those surveyed believe that climate change will impact “everyone” in their generation because of geopolitical instability.
- 69% fear that climate change will affect their family in the near future.
- 62% believe that older generations have had a negative effect on the environment.
- They also see improvement in the local community. Only 55% of respondents say their community makes an effort to prevent environmental hazards and protect citizens.
The intrigue: How often young people interact with the environment appears to influence their emotional states and interest in the environment.
Pollsters asked teens about their happiness levels and time spent outside.
- Only 31% of youth who spend at least 1-5 hours outside per day rated their happiness as 8-10 on a 10-point scale. 42% rated it as extremely high.
- Youth who spend more than 11 hours outside each week have a different result: 51% are in the 8-10 range of happiness, and their stress levels drop to 30%.
Methodology: The Harris Poll was conducted for 4-H Between Jan. 5 and Jan. 18, among 1,500 respondents aged 13-19 years, the confidence interval was 95%. However, it did not disclose any margin of error.
