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 nvironmental Defense released wide-ranging poll findings
last month comparing environmental attitudes of young adults
(500 18-25 year-olds), with those of the Baby Boom generation
who came of age around the first Earth Day (500 45-55 year-olds)
in 1970. Highlighting differences and similarities between the
generations, the results provide reasons for both hope and concern
about the next thirty years of environmental protection. The
poll, conducted by SWR Worldwide, has an error margin of 4.5%.
 A majority
of both generations believe environmental conditions to be worse
today than thirty years ago, and the younger generation is remarkably
skeptical about past progress, with 62% believing conditions
are worse today and only 29% seeing conditions as better. The
view of the 45-55 year-old group is more balanced, yet still
negative, with 52% seeing things as worse and 45% better.
On the more
specific question of air and water pollution (both of which rank
at the top of each group's environmental concerns) both groups
believe by wide margins that conditions continue to get worse
(Young: worse 71%/better 25%; Boomers: worse 62%/better 36%).
In a set of
answers providing more hope for the future, the two generations
believe individual action and public education can be powerful
methods of tackling environmental problems. Among 18 to 25 year-olds,
87% say individual action by all of us and education of the public
about environmental problems and solutions are the most effective
approaches. 84% of Boomers believe that individual action is
effective, and 88% believe public education can help address
environmental issues. Both groups refused to accept the proposition
that environmental problems are so big that individuals can't
make much of a difference (Young: can make difference 65%/can't
34%; Boomers: can make difference 64%/can't 36%).
In addition,
an overwhelming majority of Americans ages 18 to 25 (85%) and
Boomers (67%) indicated use of the internet for activities other
than email, with approximately one-third going on line at least
once a day. While a little less than one-in-three within each
generation has, to date, searched the internet for environmental
information, a strong majority in both groups believes that the
World Wide Web will have a positive effect on the environment
(Young: positive 60%/negative 9%; Boomers: positive 55%/negative
5%).
Clear majorities
of both generations have participated in an Earth Day event (Young:
62%; Boomers: 54%), and believe that Earth Day activities have
helped to make them more aware of environmental issues (Y: 69%;
B: 64%).
Environmental
groups enjoy, by far, the highest level of confidence of both
generations among groups and individuals tested. The ratings
are as follows (with total confidence rating for each group or
individual to do the right thing for the environment followed
by ratings for "a lot" of confidence in parentheses):
| Group |
Ages 18-25 |
Ages 45-55 |
Environmental
Groups |
95% (69%) |
92% (52%) |
| Industry |
74% (12%) |
80% ( 9%) |
| Democrats |
74% (12%) |
74% (11%) |
| Congress |
72% ( 9%) |
79% ( 8%) |
| Republicans |
59% ( 7%) |
64% ( 9%) |
"We undertook
this effort expecting to find significant differences between
the generations," said Fred Krupp, executive director of
Environmental Defense. "And while those exist, we were struck
more by the similarities. Baby Boomers and the Internet Generation
share the same concerns about the environment and agree that
individual actions can make the difference when it comes to protecting
the planet. A clear challenge for the next thirty years is finding
the ways through the internet and other means to engage these
individuals on behalf of the planet." 
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