Climate Change Views Differ By Generation Regardless Of Ideology
For decades, scientists and public health officials have warned that the warming climate is the greatest threat to human health globally. But efforts to address the issue have been hampered by, among other things, climate change deniers. Those who do not view climate change as a significant problem driven mainly by human activity and the continued use of fossil fuels are also often associated with a partisan divide. But a June 2021 Pew Research Center poll found that millennials (born between 1981 and 1996) and Generation Z adults (born between 1997 and 2012) showed “high levels of engagement” in addressing climate change, regardless of party affiliation or ideology. The poll found that among Republicans, generational differences in views about climate change are “quite pronounced.”
The study found that 49% of Gen Z and 48% of millennial Republicans say that action is needed now to reduce the effects of climate change, compared to only 37% of Gen X (born after 1964) and 26% of baby boomers (born after 1946) who say it should be a top priority.