Hope, Responsibility, and Action: How do young people view environmental issues?
Many young people struggle to link their personal actions with global problems. Despite concern about environmental issues, those uncertain connections can create confusion on how to take relevant environmentally related action. Furthermore, young people tend to think that government, rather than individuals, is primarily responsible for the environment. This can result in a discrepancy between understanding the source of environmental problems and how individual actions—such as voting, attending political rallies, or recycling—might create change.