Millennials frequently accuse Boomers of selfishly trashing the planet. Are they right?
Unfortunately, yes. The basic science behind climate change has been known for decades. As I understand it, the government was on the verge of taking significant action to combat it nearly thirty years ago, but ideology and unenlightened self-interest intruded, and nothing was done. The results are already apparent, and will get worse over time.
Getting any electorate to support changing lifestyles when the benefit would inure mostly to future generations was always going to be a difficult task. You have to think, however, that the Boomers’ disdain for traditional values and emphasis on their own personal freedom made things worse.
The best argument that you can make for the Boomers is that the increase in greenhouse gas emissions during their lifetime is far more due to the largely unanticipated rise of China than anything they did on their own. That is true, but it feels inadequate. And so, the verdict must be, guilty as charged.