Generational Differences in Environmental Awareness and Responsibility

Environmental awareness and sustainability is the literal evergreen issue of our time. The mystery of over-extended economic growth has caused environmental degradation and destruction on a scale that we are now feeling the consequences of The environment, destroyed by prosperity, is beginning to take its toll today. Extreme weather events, global warming and ecosystem issues have become visible not only as problems for our grandchildren, but also as conditions that make our own lives more difficult. Everyone is pointing the finger of responsibility elsewhere. The household sector and individuals tend to blame the corporations, and the business sector points to individuals as the place where the needs arise. In our study, we set out to examine the views of respondents from each generation, based on the results of a primary survey, on how individuals interpret their own responsibility for environmental degradation and the extent to which they consider their own lives to be sustainable. Our aim is to find and identify those generations who are most conscious of environmental issues, setting an example for other generations to turn the situation around, or failing that, at least stagnate, in favour of a liveable future.