Although it’s well established that climate change disproportionately affects the health of older adults, it is actually young people who will have to live with the consequences of climate change in the coming decades. As a result, young people are often seen at the faces of climate activism; think Greta Thunberg and Leonardo DiCaprio.
But there is also clear evidence that intergenerational unity – with people of all ages working together to address climate change – is the best way to minimizes harms to people and the planet.
How generations think about and work together on climate change is an important field of research and a major focus for Liat Ayalon, a professor in the School of Social Work at Bar Ilan University (BIU) in Tel Aviv, Israel and a leading international expert in the phenomenon of ageism.
In a recent study, Ayalon shed light on how people of all ages perceive each other’s climate activism, with an eye toward addressing generational barriers and promoting solidarity in working toward a healthier climate.
When it comes to climate change, there is a fundamental conflict between generations, Ayalon explained.
“The topic of climate change has a strong temporal component: What we do now affects us in the present but also in the future,” she said. “For older people, this means that they have to adjust their behaviors for the benefit of others – to ensure a future they may not be part of.
“For younger people, this means that they are going to experience the devastating effects of climate change even though they didn't benefit from exploiting the environment and maybe also didn't contribute as much to the current situation,” she said. “This creates tension that can manifest in generational blaming – younger persons blaming older generations and older persons internalizing the blame.”
Ayalon said she believes this fundamental tension is surmountable.
“Education is needed, not only about the impact of climate change, but also about the importance of pro-environmental behaviors and the benefits associated with them both to society at large and to the individual,” she said. “There is research showing that environmental volunteerism is beneficial for older people; they should be encouraged to take part in climate activism and understand the importance of personal engagement.”
Her previous research has found that older people felt responsible for younger people and wanted to show solidarity. Younger persons on the other hand, were more blaming towards older persons.
The bottom line is that people of all ages need to work together to address climate change, she said.
“This is a positive activity that can be engaging for both generations,” she said. “Younger people are working towards securing their future. Putting all hands on deck will be beneficial for society at large.”