False: Millennials are the highest contributors to global warming.

By: Gayathri Loka
January 19 2022

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No one particular age group is responsible for global warming. Research has found that millennials are aware and conscious of climate issues. According to National Geographic, "humans have caused most of the past century's warming by releasing heat-trapping gases as we power our modern lives. Called greenhouse gases, their levels are higher now than at any time in the last 800,000 years." According to NASA, global warming has been observed since the industrial age, which was when humans started to burn fossil fuel on a large scale. Each generation has seen a gradual rise in the Earth's temperature. However, people have become more aware of the threat of global warming over the years. A study by Pew Research Center showed that millennials are more likely to address global warming issues than the previous generations and personally address the issue. 28 percent among 13,749 U.S. adults said they had done something in 2020 to address climate change, such as donating money, volunteering, contacting an elected official, or attending a rally or protest. The same study highlighted that millennials (57 percent) support a move to phase out gasoline-powered vehicles, compared with smaller shares in older generations. A study by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science compared the contribution of different generations towards global warming. The report estimated the contributions of the past and present human generations to the increase of atmospheric CO2 and associated global average temperature increases. The study observed that the last and the current generation contributed approximately two-thirds of the present-day CO2-induced warming. As it takes a long time to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, global mean temperatures are expected to increase by several tenths of a degree for at least the next 20 years, even if carbon dioxide emissions were immediately cut to zero. A report by the New York Times stated that age is a significant determinant of emission rates. As people age, they are responsible for more carbon dioxide emissions because they drive more, for example, and use more electricity. It's also important to note, however, that separate research has revealed that human behavior and consumption are relatively small contributors to climate change. A report from Climate Accountability Institute found that just 100 companies were responsible for approximately 70 percent of carbon emissions. It is false to imply that millennials, or any one age group, are responsible for global warming.