Adults ages 55+ care about environmental issues and are taking actions to support climate change, according to recent research from the Mather Institute. The 2022 research brief, based on a survey of 658 people ages 55+ (60%, women; 73%, White/Caucasian; 60%, married),

shows that the majority believe that preserving the environment is a top priority, and they engage in a wide variety of environmentally friendly practices.

Among the survey respondents, 92% of recognize that climate change is real and believe it is a man-made problem. Sixty-eight percent believe that the earth is getting warmer mostly

because of human activity, such as burning fossil fuels. A quarter believe that the earth is getting warmer mostly because of natural patterns in the environment. Less than 10% believe that there is no solid evidence that the earth is getting warmer.

Over 60% of respondents noted that they engage in environmentally friendly practices and about a third said they do not often try. Those practices include separating most of their waste for recycling (80%); minimizing food waste (74%); and minimizing energy consumption (77%), water consumption (72%), and disposable items (67%). About half bought more environmentally friendly products (54%).

Less than 1% of respondents indicated they were "not at all" willing to live in ways that help protect the environment. The full brief delves more deeply into attitudes and behavior patterns.

To downloard the brief, published by the Mather Institute, click here