Generation Z refers to the youngest generation and it entails individuals aged between 6 and 24 years. They were born when negative impacts of climate were being felt across the globe. These changes are becoming a matter of urgency since they are affecting many people. The need for more stringent measures is on the rise as the number and intensity of natural disasters such as floods, wildlife, hurricanes, and earthquakes continue to rise (Crichton et al., 2009). These issues have attracted the attention of the generation who they have identified climate change as the most challenging problem the world is facing today. This paper explains that climate change is the greatest issue affecting Generation Z and needs to be addressed.
Climate change is a major issue of concern to people born after 1997 since they cannot recall a time when the problem did not exist. They were born when measures to address global warming were the main agenda in regional meetings encouraging them to become part of the solution. The generation understands that the problem can affect their future implying that it is necessary to establish effective corrective measures (Nordhaus, 2019). Moreover, it is affecting their career choices since climate change has impacted many sectors of the economy negatively. Since everyone would like to study a marketable course, many young people are considering areas that are not directly affected by climate change. For instance, many are avoiding agriculture because it is one of the highly affected areas.
Most people in generation Z understand that climate change is an issue affecting everyone and not the government alone. This implies that every individual has a role to play in supporting beneficial changes and facilitating the reduction of the negative impact. Many young people are motivated to make a difference as they have a passion for nature (Crichton et al., 2009). Moreover, the problem is affecting their decisions on how and where to live. This is because many areas that were considered favorable are now being marked with endless natural disasters, which are life-threatening. Many young people are concerned about issues that can affect the quality of their future and are determined to offer solutions to the problem by being more responsible.
The US seems to have heard the cry of the generation as President Biden announced a policy of bringing back the United States into the Paris Climate Change. The generation understands that climate change can worsen in case effective measures are not taken to address it. They are concerned since the issue can escalate to cause devastating issues and compromise the quality of life. Natural disasters can overturn the economy, and destroy properties and the way of life (Henderson and Seekamp, 2018). This implies that all young people should be concerned about problems that affect their future.
In conclusion, climate change is increasing with time becoming the greatest issue of concern among the Generation Z population. It is affecting nearly every decision that a young person is making today including career choices, where to live, how to travel, and what to eat, and do. This implies that the generation has a big task ahead to address the problem and make the world a better place for them. Failure to take the necessary measures can cause many problems most of which are unbearable.
Reference List
Crichton, D., Nicol, F., and Roaf, S. (2009) Adapting buildings and cities for climate change. Routledge.
Henderson, M., and Seekamp, E. (2018). Battling the tides of climate change: The power of intangible cultural resource values to bind place meanings in vulnerable historic districts. Heritage, 1(2), pp. 220-238.
Nordhaus, W. (2019). Climate change: The ultimate challenge for economics. American Economic Review, 109(6), pp. 1991-2014.