Midge Ure broadcast the need for famine relief in desperate Ethiopia to an unprecedented 400 million worldwide-and opened the eyes of millions of Gen Xers residing in developed nations to the horrors taking place in developing countries. In 1986, Gen Xers also experienced the aftermath of the explosion in the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. And in 1989, their same televisions showcased the devastation wrought by the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Prince William Sound, Alaska, and they were likely aware of events such as the Rio Summit of 1992.