A man who has not been a socialist before 25 has no heart.
If he remains one after 25 he has no head.—King Oscar II of Sweden
One of the observations about the 2022 midterms was how strongly young unmarried women voted for the socialist agenda of today’s Democratic party. I recall a video clip of two university students saying their vote was all about women’s abortion rights, and thinking these two nerds’ politics might be biased by their desire to get lucky some night. But beyond that issue is the campaign brainwashing of children regarding global warming/climate change.
Benjamin Khoshbin shines some light into this climate political grooming in his Real Clear Energy article The Electoral Case for Commonsense Environmentalism Somewhere Between “No More Meat” and “It’s a Hoax:” Excerpts in italics with my bolds.
We’ve all heard the adage, that a young person not thinking socialist has no heart, while an older person still a socialist has no head. It sounds true, but it’s not — young voters are no longer aging into conservatism. While Gen X and Boomers did trend more conservative as they aged, Millennials in the U.S. are becoming more liberal as they age, and are estimated to be the most liberal 35-year-olds in recorded U.S. history.
Based on their behavior in the 2022 midterms, Gen Z is likely to follow suit.
According to the Edison Research National Election Pool exit poll, 63% of Gen Z voted for Democrats in House races, compared to just 35% who voted for Republicans — a whopping 28-point gap. While many salient issues for young voters are likely driving this, one stands out: climate change.
Millennials and Gen Z are more concerned about climate change than any other generation. A Harris Poll survey of American 13–19 year-olds found that more than 8 in 10 teens believed that if climate change isn’t addressed today, it will be too late for future generations as some parts of the planet will become unlivable. Nearly 80% of teens in the survey also believed that protecting the environment should take priority over economic growth.
A deeper look into the 4H/Harris Survey
I have posted before on climate push polls designed to get results supporting a political agenda. What participants say is shaped by how questions and asked and answered. This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of 4-H from January 5 to January 18, 2022, among 1,500 respondents ages 13-19. The age cohort is interesting to show how successfully has been the educating of children regarding environmental concerns, and especially climate change. The survey content is here Environmental Impact Survey Exploring the impact of the environment on teens.
Indeed the title of the report refers not to impact upon nature, but rather the impact of envrionmental messaging upon impressionable teenagers. The survey itself consisted of stating preferred conclusions and offering agree/disagree options. Typically strong and somewhat agree responses are lumped together into agree percentages. Some Examples:
84% of teens agree, “I am concerned that if we don’t do more to protect the environment, humans and other species, wildlife will suffer and possibly go extinct.”
82% of teens agree, “If we don’t do more to protect the environment today, I expect to have to make future life decisions based on the state of the environment, including where I live, what kinds of jobs will be available, or if I will have children.”
56% of teens agree, “International governments are working towards global initiatives and policies to protect our planet.”
84% of teens agree, “Climate change will impact everyone in my generation through global political instability.”
84% of teens agree, “If we don’t address climate change today, it will be too late for future generations, making some parts of the planet unlivable.”
69% of teens agree, “I am worried that my family and I will be affected by climate change in the near future.”
77% of teens agree, “I feel responsible to protect the future of our planet.”
84% of teens agree, “We need more corporate action from companies today to improve our climate for tomorrow.”
83% of teens agree, “We need more legislative action from government today to improve our climate for tomorrow.”
79% of teens agree, “Protecting the environment should take priority over economic growth.”
Khoshbin: These findings should trouble Republicans. Young voters believe that climate change is an existential threat, but they mistakenly think that environmental protection and economic growth are mutually exclusive. In reality, since 2005, 32 countries — both developing and developed — have absolutely decoupled carbon emissions from GDP growth, having successfully grown their economies while simultaneously reducing carbon emissions.
My Comment:
That is not the only mistaken perception among these teens. Mind you, they were only exposed to the alarmist POV, and followed their hearts and feelings. Note the repeated 84% agreement percentage suggests a central tendency in responses with little if any consideration of nuances between statements. Basically this survey confirms that a narrative is embedded in these people.
An interesting contradiction appears here:
• Over 9 in 10 teens grew up engaging in a number of outdoor activities, yet today a majority of teens spend 5 hours or less outside per week – or less than 11 days a year
Another survey source indicates where children get information NEEF Teen Benchmark Survey National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF): Some relevant findings:
See Also
The Art of Rigging Climate Polls
YouGov Climate Push Poll: Still no Believer Majority
via Science Matters
January 31, 2023 at 09:52AM
