“The Greatest Generation” are the group of people born between 1901 and 1927, shaped by the Great Depression in the 1930’s, and World War II in the 1940’s. The term, made popular in the United States by Tom Brokaw in his book of the same name, describes the outsized influence this group has exerted on world history.
Each generation exerts influence on future generations. This happens collectively in the form of general influence, including prosperity, medicine, peace and cooperation, and institutions. This kind of legacy occurs at the individual level as well, and can comprise accumulation and transfer of wealth, educational attainment, social status, career choices, and family location.
Until recent decades, few people considered global environmental health as something to be passed to future generations. Previously, the global environment was what it was, influenced by the gods, with little understanding how humans influence it. By contrast, today it is painfully clear that humans influence the global environment, and understand all too well what they do to harm it.
To our credit, we have taken lots of important steps to improve the environment, including the global banning of chlorofluorocarbons in 1985, which drastically reduced the erosion of the protective ozone layer. Vehicle gas mileage has improved, partially in response to CO2 emissions. There’s a long list of good.
Yet in many ways, the global environment gets worse, and the particles of carbon in the air, at least when it comes to global warming, may be the chief culprit. When my generation fades into distant memory I’m concerned we will be remembered as the ones who knew we could do more, but lacked the vision and courage to act.
At this point a feeling of helplessness often settles in, as we complain that our policy makers, corporations, and other institutions, aka ‘not us ourselves’, dither away the opportunity for change. And collectively, the opportunity fades for my generation to turn the tide.
At age 55, I personally believe I have about 30 more years to do something good about greenhouse gases in the environment. I’m not sure the institutions will manage to get it together, but I believe there are millions of people out there like me who desperately want to turn it all around. Beyond institutional advocacy, I believe we can band together to make it better, at significant scale. With individual smarts and group activity, we can make a real difference.
Before I die I want the greenhouse gas particle counts in the environment to be trending downward. I’ll be able to look my children in the eye and tell them I made a difference.
Who among my generation is with me?
This is the second in a series on the psychology of climate change.
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