Why Millenials Are Important For The Environment – Because Nature Rules

Nature rules – we do not get to rule nature. Millenials have understood this, and their efforts may save future generations.

Many of us feel like we have a special connection to the environment. The hills that we hike, the mountains that surround our hometowns, the parks that we visit, the wilderness our wildlife lives in, and the oceans we swim in have a special place in our hearts.

The environment affects virtually everything, so it’s important to be mindful of how we conserve it. Millennials seem to have grasped this concept with both hands. Due to an ever-increasing awareness of our environmental issues, younger people are concerned about the size of their carbon footprint, want to make a difference, and prioritize living green.

Carbon Footprints

Your carbon footprint is basically the amount of carbon dioxide and other carbon compounds emitted due to the consumption of fossil fuels. As a group, millennials tend to be pretty concerned with the impact they are having on the world and, specifically, the environment for future generations. Whether it’s taking public transportation, eating locally grown food, or just turning off the faucet when brushing their teeth, it’s something that millennials make a conscious effort in doing in order to help the environment.

They are not the only generation concerned with minimizing their carbon footprint, but they have been taught more about the science behind environmental conservation than older generations. With the recent political climate, environmental concerns and climate control have become a Democrat vs. Republican debate instead of an issue affecting everyone. Despite the divide, many millennials are making the decisions necessary to reduce their carbon footprint.

Increased Awareness

In reality, carbon footprints are not important for one generation or one political party to be aware of; they are important for everyone. Now that there is more scientific data and technology is becoming more advanced, we are finally getting a good idea of what is happening to our planet, why it’s happening, and how to fix it.

Millennials have been bombarded with studies, programs, initiatives, and documentaries about the environment. So, naturally, it’s something that millennials are more focused on than other generations that didn’t have the same awareness. They look into how weed killers may affect the environment, using menstrual products that are better for the environment, and are finding alternatives to plastic water bottles.

Millennials make many of their consumer decisions based on the environment, something that’s really changed the way advertisers and companies are now appealing to the millennial generation. They pay more for sustainable products, support companies that are local, and prioritize companies that give back — which are all decisions that have changed many corporate values for the better. In many cases, the millennial generation isn’t more compassionate; they are just more informed and make many of their decisions based on that information.

Making a Difference

Millennials want to make a difference, and that aspiration has affected how they spend money, how they choose a career, and how they vote. In order to provide an actionable plan for millennials seeking a way to make a difference in their environment, many organizations have been created that function on the volunteerism of millennials and others looking to make a difference. Some of those organizations are:

• World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms
• National River Cleanup Campaign
• AmeriCorps  
• Greenpeace
• Arbor Day Foundation

These are just a few examples of the many organizations that function because so many millennials and other environmentally conscious people are contributing time and money to their cause. Millennials are making a huge difference in their world just by working towards making a difference for the environment. Meanwhile, environmentally conscious organizations are providing the means for them to help. By focusing their decision-making on what will benefit the world and not just themselves, they are changing the way people think and the way that corporations need to appeal to consumers — not by hurting the environment in order to provide the cheapest product, but by offering a product that keeps sustainability in mind.

Living Green

One of the many ways to decrease the size of your carbon footprint is to live green. This means using renewable resources, recycling, and focusing on energy efficiency within our homes. Living green is so important to millennials that it’s become an important aspect that landlords have had to consider when making their rental spaces more marketable to them — yet another example of millennial preferences making an environmental impact. Insulating their homes, taking fewer baths, staying away from plastics, using energy-efficient appliances, and recycling whenever possible are just a few of the green living habits in a millennial’s home that can make a big change for the environment. Bigger renovations like renewable energy solar panels are rewarded additions in terms of tax breaks and the help it provides for the environment.

By prioritizing green living, millennials are making a difference for their world — even if it’s just one energy-efficient light bulb at a time. Because the millennial generation is so large and such a large portion of it cares about the environment, small changes like these are making big impacts.

Being mindful of the environment isn’t just so we can continue to go camping, lay in the grass, walk through the forest, or search for seashells in the sand — it’s much more than that. It’s to keep our wildlife safe; it’s to keep our drinking water clean; and it’s to ensure the livelihood of our future generations. Our environment affects how we eat, drink, breathe, and live.

The millennial generation is important for the environment because they’ve changed the expectations for sustainability already. This is not to say that other generations don’t care about the environment, but the millennial generation took no time to make big changes in their attitude toward green living.

For that reason, the millennial generation has made a name for itself as being an important force in keeping the environment in balance.