Julie France is a 34-year-old Millennial in Denver, a high-altitude Colorado city theoretically safer than other places from one of the most conspicuous ravages of climate change: hurricanes, such as Helene and Milton, the pair of hurricanes responsible for recently battering the Southeastern United States. Aware of climate change from a very young age, France has spent her life making choices about driving, meat consumption, buying locally and other carbon-sensitive issues with the global crisis in mind. She continues to be mindful of global heating as an adult, telling Salon that “it does impact my everyday decisions.”
France’s experience echoes similar decisions made by hundreds of millions of Millennials who are likewise aware of climate change — often painfully so — and must plan their futures accordingly. For decades, scientists and sociologists alike observed that Millennials have been growing up disenchanted with the future, being the first generation constantly aware of the changing climate. Now the next generations are also succumbing to that uniquely modern version of existential despair... but experts say hope is not lost for any generation.
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A recent survey study Lancet Planetary Health found, using data of more than 15,000 16-to-25-year-olds, that human-caused climate change is impacting the mental health of 85% of young Americans. This includes overwhelming majorities of Democrats and independents (96% and 86% respectively), as well as nearly three out of four Republicans (74%). The study comes with potentially serious political consequences, as respondents of all ideological persuasions wanted more government action on the environment.
More than three out of........