In this article, Anne Gaviola details the findings of a 2019 study, which revealed teen girls most effectively express the urgency of the climate crisis to their parents, even when compared to adult experts and journalists parents see in the media. The North Carolina State University study focused on 238 American youths (ages 10-14) and their parents to measure parents’ level of concern about climate change to see who was most influenced by which informants. The study showed that the people who had initially been the least concerned about climate change — conservatives and fathers — were the most impacted by the conversations they had with their children about the issue. Young girls were shown to be the most effective and persuasive communicators in this age group. Gaviola notes that this is positive news for the young women and youth who are climate activists; their voices have the potential to make a large impact. Photo credit: Stephanie Zollshan (The Berkshire Eagle/Ap)
