Climate crisis breaks open generational rifts in US families

A sense of despair and outrage among young people over global heating is being met with indifference and dismissal among some older relatives

The climate crisis lingers in the back of Gemma Gutierrez's mind, a gnawing anxiety that blossoms fully when she reads about wildfires, flooding or other climate-related disasters. It's a nagging concern that clouds how the 16-year-old sees her future.

I have a sense of dread," says Gutierrez, who lives with her parents in Milwaukee. I dread that in my lifetime the clean water I have now or the parks I'm lucky enough to be able to go to won't be there any more. It weighs on my mind."