Contrary to popular perceptions, Gen X’s youthful interest in environmental issues has yet to be equaled by subsequent generations of high school students. Millennials’ interest was markedly lower than Gen X’ers, despite former vice president Al Gore’s 2006 hit documentary An Inconvenient Truth bringing more awareness to climate change. Gen Z has brought interest in the environment back—but still not to the levels of the 1990s, when Gen X was young—and their interest actually waned between 2019 and 2021.
