That’s among the findings in a first-of-its-kind survey of people aged 16 to 25 conducted by researchers at The University of Bath, NYU Langone Health, Stanford Medicine Center and other institutions. The peer-reviewed paper, which was accepted for publication Monday
by Lancet Planetary Health, surveyed 10,000 young adults in 10 countries.
“As bad as the storms are outside, the storms inside are even worse,” report co-author Lise van Susteren said in an interview. “Children don’t live in a cave. They’re more media savvy than we are. They know it’s not some campfire gone awry on the West Coast.”
The numbers: 83 percent said people have failed to care for the planet; 75 percent called the future frightening; 39 percent said they’re hesitant to have children.
Most worrisome in the big picture was a widespread mistrust of government. Among U.S. respondents, only 21 percent said government could be trusted, the worst showing of any country.
In India, nearly 3 in 4 teens and young adults said humanity is doomed. In Brazil, 78 percent said the government lies. Ninety-two percent of Filipinos called the future frightening.
“Climate anxiety in children and young people should not be seen as simply caused by ecological disaster; it is also caused by more powerful ‘others’ (adults and governments) failing to act on the threats being faced,” researchers wrote.
”