TORONTO — Federal NDP Leader Jack Layton says young people, motivated by a keen interest in the environment, have joined his party in droves in recent months.

"What I'm seeing in the last few months is young people joining our party through the Internet by the hundreds and hundreds and thousands," Layton said after delivering a speech Friday to the Rotary Club of Toronto.

He said the party has had about 40,000 new members over the last 12 months, about half of them under 35.

"This is very exciting for our party and for the political process."

Layton said about 9,000 members have joined since he was elected party leader in January. Well over half, he said, are young people.

During the speech to about 130 people, Layton said his son has tuned him in to the importance the environment holds for young people.

"He said you people in the NDP, you've got to become green, you've got to start to advocate for the environment, because otherwise me and my friends my age we're all going to vote Green because we're going to live on this planet longer than you, which was a bit of a sobering thought, but also true," said Layton.

"I think we see a lot of young people beginning to assert themselves around these issues."

Layton said the wind turbine in Toronto is like a "sculpture to the future."

It was manufactured in the Netherlands, he said, adding he'd like to see Canadian companies get involved in such turbines.