Intersection of Aging Population & Climate Change

Getting the growing population of older adults actively involved in issues of climate change requires moving away from a deficit- and loss-focused view of later adulthood. A new narrative should be adopted, recognizing the many contributions older adults can make to addressing the climate crisis. These contributions arise out of concerns for the health and well-being of the next generations and draw on older adults' legacy thinking, lifelong experiences, professional expertise, and ability to work in multigenerational contexts. Such a new narrative recognizes older adults as a "natural resource" and important "human capital."

Older adults make up 13% of the U.S. population, but are projected to account for 20% by 2040. Coinciding with this demographic shift, the rate of climate change is accelerating, bringing rising temperatures; increased risk of floods, droughts, and wildfires; stronger tropical storms and hurricanes; rising sea levels; and other climate-related hazards. Older Americans are expected to be located in places that may be relatively more affected by climate change, including coastal zones and large metropolitan areas. The authors performed an extensive literature survey and summarized key findings related to demographics; climate stressors; factors contributing to exposure, sensitivity, adaptive capacity; and adaptation strategies. The objective was to assess the vulnerability of older Americans and to identify opportunities for adaptation.

An aging society and a changing climate are two key policy challenges that need to be addressed to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and ensure a safe, secure, equitable, and sustainable future. Although many older people are healthy and socially and economically active, others are not, rendering them physically, financially, and/or emotionally less resilient in coping with a changing climate. Understanding the factors that contribute to older people’s vulnerability and resilience can therefore strengthen the capacity of government to prevent and minimize climate-related impacts on this demographic group.

The global population is ageing at a time when climate variability is increasing. It is argued that if we are to minimize the negative impact of environmental change on older people, interdisciplinary study of the convergence of the two trends, "climate gerontology", is needed. Climate gerontology can examine the unique challenges and needs of older people in coping with extreme weather events. It can contribute to our understanding of the everyday challenges of growing old in a changing climate and how we can achieve the "longevity dividend". It can lead the way to the development of effective policies to reduce their carbon footprint, protect older people from climate-related threats, and mobilize their wealth of knowledge and experience to address these.

The Climate Emergency Declaration was first issued in 2016 to set priorities to mitigate climate change. This alerts us to the fact that population ageing is not occurring in a vacuum – and it is at the intersection of this trend with the other mega-trends of the twenty-first century that some of the most important research questions lie. The convergence of climate change with the demographic trend of population ageing is clearly both complicated (knowable, predictable and controllable) and complex (unknowable nor predictable and thus difficult to control via interventions).

The world is both warming and aging. Taken separately, each trend presents its challenges. And, seen together, there is no question that global warming represents an especially serious threat to the well-being of global elders. Yet, elders also may be a population well-positioned to address the clear threat presented by climate change. Older adults possess both resources and perspectives that can be central features in advocacy and programmatic initiatives addressing the multiple dangers posed by a warming earth.

The author argues that today's elders, more than any other age group, bear responsibility for the threat of global warming and climate change, and they need to acknowledge that responsibility. This statement may sound shocking to advocates for the aging. The author states the need to reject excuses that would make elders into victims but never into responsible agents. On the contrary, among all age groups, elders bear major responsibility for climate change because they have contributed to it more than any other age group. Moreover, they are a critical force, with voting power and other resources, who could be agents for acting to prevent the damage that has come about, with that damage to afflict future generations beyond the generation of elders alive today.

The threat of global climate change is increasing the incidence of disease, extreme weather events, rising sea levels, and shortages of water and food. If atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gasses grow unabated, it is predicted that widespread ecosystem collapse will ensue. Older people are among those most at risk to climate change because some decreased mobility and changes in physiology, and often more limited access to resources. They are more vulnerable to the effects of temperature extremes and have a significantly higher mortality risk in extreme weather events. The changing climate further will increase vector-borne diseases, compromise agriculture, reduce the availability of fresh water, and decrease habitability of human population centers. Thus, older vulnerable populations will face adaptive challenges to their new environments. Equally critical to efforts to address climate change is expanding and promoting opportunities for older people to act on their own behalf and that of others.

This article presents the results of a multidisciplinary consensus conference held to recommend a research agenda on the relationship between aging and environmental sustainability and conservation. The intersection of these two topics has important implications for the health and well-being of older persons but it has thus far received little scientific attention. Major recommendations for research are detailed in this article as well as cross-cutting research themes affecting all areas, including racial and economic diversity, geographical region, cohort, and intergenerational linkages.

This article reviews implications of the climate crisis for older adults and those who work with them. This special issue highlights the role professional organizations need to play in responding to the climate crisis and ways gerontologists and climate activists can use their talents to ensure older adults are not only victims of climate change but also leaders of climate action. Each of us has a responsibility to become a climate literate professional in this era of climate crisis.

In this article, the author frames why we need to focus more attention on an important and growing resource, older adults, to help respond to a pressing and growing problem, climate change. Along the way, data is briefly reviewed on the growing consensus on the need for action, why the next few years are especially important, and strategies for moving older adults from anxiety to action on climate change.

In this introduction, the authors illuminate the intersection of a rapidly growing aging population and mounting concern about environmental sustainability. Noting that like the environmentalists, gerontologists too take the long view of life, and they discuss the pressing need for research practice and policy in this realm and lay out the diverse perspectives and practical strategies/programs included in the issue.

As the number of older adults increases, disproportionate impacts of climate change pose great challenges to healthy longevity. These inequities will be compounded in future generations. Large-scale climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies require often unavailable institutional, financial, and technical support. We need to quickly develop and implement new behavioral and social solutions to help increase public engagement. This article outlines promising institutional, policy, and cultural changes that focus on leveraging the prosociality of older adults and strengthening intergenerational bonds to combat and build resilience to climate change.

The natural environment has been a missing part of the context in public policy forums and educational programs when discussing the implications of an aging society. The authors believe that stewardship and the sustainability of natural resources should be considered in addition to economics and health care when addressing the themes of well-being and quality of life for future generations. This article presents on overview of the usage of the concept environment in aging studies and presents critically important concepts such as sustainability, stewardship, natural capital, carrying capacity, and ecological footprint in recognizing the relevancy of including the natural environment in discussions about our aging society. The authors propose directions for future research and discuss advocacy and organizational activities related to ecology and aging studies.