End of the World as We Know It?: The Youth Vote & Climate Change

Dr. Adam Simon, Professor of Earth & Environmental Sciences and Program in the Environment, and Dr. Rebecca Hardin, Associate Professor, SEAS team up for a discussion with Democracy & Debate host Angela Dillard about the potential of young voters to alter the landscape of American politics, especially around issues related to climate change. Young voters are defined as those under the age of 30 and we know from a variety of studies that they are perhaps the most diverse generation that American society has yet to produce. Despite this diversity, they seem to share some characteristics, such as an acceptance of the science of climate change and the belief that climate change represents an existential crisis for human beings. This interdisciplinary and multifaceted conversation also touches on modes of activism among young voters, especially members of Gen Z, as well as the impact of debates about science in general in American political culture.

Additional Resources:

• “Millennials to the Rescue: Climate Change (Dis)Belief in the United States and the Future of Environmental Policy,” from The Politics of the Millennials by Stella Rouse and Ashley Ross.
• “Markeyverse of Onlines Fans Helps Take Down a Kennedy,” The Hill, September 5, 2020
• “The Role of Young Voters in 2020,” MPR, All Things Considered (April 27, 2020)”
• “Youth-Led Sunrise Movement Connects Climate and Racial Justice,” Cheddar, June 11, 2020