I would really wish that this received the same kind of attention from people in power, as it does from the younger generations.
Also, at least in the West, the general consensus is that even if the US were to cut emissions drastically it would hardly make a dent due to China and India. So you'd cripple the US economy, but China and India would continue at pace and become even more cost competitive. The only real solution is a global binding resolution with audits, similar to nuclear treaties...not a Paris Accord which was not binding and largely just fodder.
It's not an easy problem, it's certainly not as easy as the younger generation seems to think when it comes to fixing. Not only is the environment at stake, but so are people's paychecks and livelihoods. The Green New Deal did the movement no favors by being completely outlandish and unrealistic in a global economy.
It should not be allowed to ruin the world for other people as a living. If China and India keep doing that, we stop buying their stuff. However, if we keep ruining the world for a living ourselves, it is very hard to point fingers at others.
Also, there are still lots of money to be made in renewable energy and emissionless energy consumption. Tax what you want less of, give financial support to what you want more of.
"If China and India keep doing that, we stop buying their stuff."
This would cripple the global economy and throw millions into poverty.
So what are “young people” doing about the problem? They don’t seem to be rejecting the material lifestyle that causes CO2 footprints in the west to be 10x higher than say Bangladesh. In big cities like DC, transit ridership is decreasing as young people choose Uber instead. They’re not flocking to STEM majors, which frankly are the only thing that has any hope of addressing climate change. At most, they seem to realize they are going to be the generation that loses the game of musical chairs, and they’re angry about it but not willing to change their lifestyles over it.
And when it comes to people making personal changes, the free will is strong, but with the big life style changes we need, I do not believe we can rely on free will only. The changes have to be incentivized somehow from government side. The west is RICH. We can afford to invest in saving ourselves from a global catastrophe.
How? You punish bad behavior through taxes and fines, and reward good behavior through tax breaks and financial support.
Will it hurt the economy? Quite possibly. Can we afford it? I think we cannot afford the opposite.