Steven N.More than two thousand young Hungarians between the ages of 13 and 25 took part in a representative poll conducted by UNICEF Hungary. The organization wanted to know what young people thought about climate change and how it impacted their lives.
The survey revealed that:
- 90% of respondents are anxious to some degree, and 33% are extremely anxious about climate change.
- 60% regularly think about climate change, and 15% do so on a daily basis.
- 35% of young people think climate change is the most important problem today, and 21% believe it is the second most important problem.
- Only 11% of young people not in school and who have at most a vocational school degree think climate change is the most important problem, suggesting that higher-educated young people care more about the issue.
- In addition to feeling anxious and fearful, a third of respondents are angry, while 15% feel helpless when they think about climate change.
- 84% of respondents said they would like to learn more about climate change and sustainability in school.
- More than half of younger Hungarians do not believe it will be possible to avoid major problems associated with climate change, while 90% of them feel that they have already encountered the effects of climate change in their own lives, and 18% constantly feel its effects.
The poll also revealed that nearly all respondents would be willing to either give up or do something to mitigate the effects of climate change – only 3% of respondents said that they did not think solving climate change was their responsibility. [Telex]
The climate worries of Hungarian youths are valid, because the country experiences steadily rising extremes in climate-related problems but no solution oriented political/social action.