(GDNS)- New research suggests the older people get, the less likely they are to support environmental causes. Part of the reason for this could be that the environmental movement is closely tied to young people.
Researchers analyzed data from the General Social Survey, a large questionnaire that’s been around since the 1970s, found people become less willing to fund environmental protections as they get older. This means support for protecting the planet has remained virtually flat over the last few decades.
Professor of Sociology at Washington State University Erik Johnson coauthored the report. He says this runs counter to the idea that nature-loving young people will age and replace older folks without those interests.
The shift may be due in part to the larger tax burden people face as they age, but Johnson and his coauthor speculate it may also be that many environmental groups aim their recruiting efforts at young people. And, Johnson says, young people are more likely to find messages encouraging them to protect the environment, such as through recycling at school. For working adults, that may not be the case.
The analysis suggests people should do away with the idea that younger generations will replace older generations and swell the number of environmentalists. It’s more likely that the movement will grow through a socialization process, where people are exposed more to these ideas.
