Youth are ubiquitously denied access to political and economic representation, severely diminishing their potential participation in effective environmental advocacy. Common models of civic and environmental education exclude principles of social inquiry; thus, they are often presented as procedural knowledge and disjointed facts, leaving students wondering in what ways the content is relevant to challenges they face on a daily basis. Although effectively disenfranchised, youth are bombarded with many ideas of "green consumerism." The myriad of product choice coupled with indirect access to the market place (through their parents' wallets) leaves most youth confused as to how their consumption impacts their greater communities. Ways to possibly reverse this startling trend are: to promote social inquiry, in addition to scientific inquiry, in public schools; to increase media attention regarding environmental issues; political endorsement of environmentally conscious behaviors and attitudes; and a grassroots movement in "what is cool."