Space
Generation X disconnected from Effects of Climate Change
Brooke Miller
First Posted: Jul 20, 2012 07:45 AM EDT
A series of disturbing event that has been occurring where the people in U.S are trying to cope with a record shattering heat, a huge chunk of ice being split from the Greenland glacier and other natural disasters that are occurring due to climate change, the New Michigan study claims that the Generation-Xers are surprising blasé about climate change. They say that the Generation X is passionate of several other things while being lukewarm about climate change. Even in today's time it surprises the researches to find that most of them are uninformed about the causes and unconcerned about the potential dangers of global warming.
"Most Generation Xers are surprisingly disengaged, dismissive or doubtful about whether global climate change is happening and they don't spend much time worrying about it," said Jon D. Miller, author of "The Generation X Report."
This new report is a combination of the Gen X attitude towards drastic climate change in 2009 and 2011. This is the fourth report in a continuing series that describes the level of concern of Gen Xers about different aspects of climate change, including their sources of information on the subject.
"We found a small but statistically significant decline between 2009 and 2011 in the level of attention and concern Generation X adults expressed about climate change," Miller said. "In 2009, about 22 percent said they followed the issue of climate change very or moderately closely. In 2011, only 16 percent said they did so."
The study, funded by the National Science Foundation since 1986, now includes responses from approximately 4,000 Gen Xers -- those born between 1961 and 1981, and now between 32 and 52 years of age. The researchers noted that 5 percent of those surveyed in 2011 were alarmed about the consequences of climate change. While the remaining 18 percent said they were concerned about it. And the reamaining 66 percent said they weren't sure if global warming was happening and the 10 percent said they don't believe global warming is actually happening.
"This is an interesting and unexpected profile," Miller said. "Few issues engage a solid majority of adults in our busy and pluralistic society, but the climate issue appears to attract fewer committed activists -- on either side -- than I would have expected. Climate change is such a complex issue, education and scientific knowledge is important factors in explaining levels of concern."
The parents of minor children would be more concerned about the issue than young adults without minor children. While the Gen X adults used a combination of information sources to derive information on the plight of climate change, with talking to friends, co-workers and family members among the most common sources of information. The Gen X do not find the need to address to this alarming issue.
"The results of this report suggest that better educated young adults are more likely to recognize the importance of the problem, but that there is a broad awareness of the issue even though many adults prefer to focus on more immediate issues -- jobs and schools for their children -- than the needs of the next generation. These results will not give great comfort to either those deeply concerned about climate issues or those who are dismissive of the issue."
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First Posted: Jul 20, 2012 07:45 AM EDT
A series of disturbing event that has been occurring where the people in U.S are trying to cope with a record shattering heat, a huge chunk of ice being split from the Greenland glacier and other natural disasters that are occurring due to climate change, the New Michigan study claims that the Generation-Xers are surprising blasé about climate change. They say that the Generation X is passionate of several other things while being lukewarm about climate change. Even in today's time it surprises the researches to find that most of them are uninformed about the causes and unconcerned about the potential dangers of global warming.
"Most Generation Xers are surprisingly disengaged, dismissive or doubtful about whether global climate change is happening and they don't spend much time worrying about it," said Jon D. Miller, author of "The Generation X Report."
This new report is a combination of the Gen X attitude towards drastic climate change in 2009 and 2011. This is the fourth report in a continuing series that describes the level of concern of Gen Xers about different aspects of climate change, including their sources of information on the subject.
"We found a small but statistically significant decline between 2009 and 2011 in the level of attention and concern Generation X adults expressed about climate change," Miller said. "In 2009, about 22 percent said they followed the issue of climate change very or moderately closely. In 2011, only 16 percent said they did so."
The study, funded by the National Science Foundation since 1986, now includes responses from approximately 4,000 Gen Xers -- those born between 1961 and 1981, and now between 32 and 52 years of age. The researchers noted that 5 percent of those surveyed in 2011 were alarmed about the consequences of climate change. While the remaining 18 percent said they were concerned about it. And the reamaining 66 percent said they weren't sure if global warming was happening and the 10 percent said they don't believe global warming is actually happening.
"This is an interesting and unexpected profile," Miller said. "Few issues engage a solid majority of adults in our busy and pluralistic society, but the climate issue appears to attract fewer committed activists -- on either side -- than I would have expected. Climate change is such a complex issue, education and scientific knowledge is important factors in explaining levels of concern."
The parents of minor children would be more concerned about the issue than young adults without minor children. While the Gen X adults used a combination of information sources to derive information on the plight of climate change, with talking to friends, co-workers and family members among the most common sources of information. The Gen X do not find the need to address to this alarming issue.
"The results of this report suggest that better educated young adults are more likely to recognize the importance of the problem, but that there is a broad awareness of the issue even though many adults prefer to focus on more immediate issues -- jobs and schools for their children -- than the needs of the next generation. These results will not give great comfort to either those deeply concerned about climate issues or those who are dismissive of the issue."
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone