Baby Boomers are making it harder on the earth than Millennials in terms of contributing to global warming.

 

Researchers at Germany’s Max Planck Institute, led by Emilio Zagheni, using data from the United States, examined carbon dioxide emissions by age group and found that people in their sixties tend to produce more CO₂ than anyone else. This can be attributed to older people having more disposable income, which allows them to travel more and have larger living spaces, all of which indirectly contribute to the release of greenhouse gases.

 

A person’s CO₂ production tends to peak between ages 63 and 65, at nearly 15 tons annually. In contrast, a twenty-something on average contributes about 10 tons a year. After 65, CO₂ production declines, as oldsters travel less and even buy fewer new clothes.

-Noel Brinkerhoff

 

Why Grandma and Grandpa Deserve Some of the Blame for Climate Change (Wolfgang Merkel, Die Welt)