The recent release of two rankings of the environmental commitment of American colleges, provides the Greenbiz blog with an opportunity to again highlight a lesser known fact about young adults: while they consistently report the greatest commitment to green issues, Gen Yers — at least those living across the pond in the UK — are also the most wasteful of the generations:

The study, commissioned by IBM, found that young adults in Generation Y — the folks currently aged 18-24 — had both the highest levels of awareness of environmental issues, and were the biggest wasters of energy and water in the country.

“The good news is that Generation Y is showing clear concern for environmental issues,” said Jon Z Bentley, a partner in energy and environment at IBM Global Business Services. “The not-so-good news is that far too few are taking even simple, small steps to control their own wasteful use of resources.”

So if you’re environmentally aware and fretting over your peers’ refusal to turn off the tap while they’re brushing their teeth or print double-sided at the office, is it time to simply throw up your hands in despair? In its report on the college rankings Greenbiz suggests not and lays out two approaches to changing the behavior of young people: top-down and bottom-up. Looking at the colleges, the blog concludes, “taking the best of both options can lead to the best results.” Which suggests that there is something you green-minded Gen Yers can do at the office. You don’t simply have to wait for the boss to announce a plan to reduce carbon or your clueless co-workers to tune in. Bottom-up action is as important as top-down initiatives. Want more concrete suggestions on how to make an impact even if you’re not the top dog at work? Check out these posts from BNET:

Green Your Office Without Annoying Everyone ‘Green’ Font Cuts Costs and Saves Trees Go Green to Get Promoted

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