Many individuals find the reality of climate change to be daunting, despite the fact that world leaders are due to convene in Sharm el-Sheikh for another United Nations climate summit (COP27), which will begin on Sunday.
Just in this one year alone, there have already been heatwaves that broke records, terrible floods in Pakistan, and drought in East Africa.
It should not come as a surprise that fear over climate change is on the rise, especially among younger people, who have almost exclusively only experienced a world in which climate change has been a factor.
However, a number of scientists and environmental campaigners have told BBC News that these concerns may, in fact, be beneficial to the earth.
Prof. Lorraine Whitmarsh, an environmental psychologist at the University of Bath, believes that individuals who have a deeper understanding of the effects of climate change may be more inclined to take action.
Her investigation revealed a correlation between concerns about the environment and taking meaningful action, such as lowering one’s carbon footprint by recycling more, reducing the amount of waste one produces, or shopping at thrift stores.
When people talk about their own climate anxiety, they frequently indicate that it is linked to the large volumes of negative and often alarming news about the globe. This is a common statement.
“It seems to me that one can hardly avoid becoming concerned about the changing climate. It may be very daunting when we are continuously inundated with information about how there has been one crisis after another – melting ice caps, natural disasters – in the news and on social media “explains Roisin, who is 16 years old and is from County Antrim in Northern Ireland.
Recent research conducted by Save the Children in the United Kingdom revealed that seventy percent of children there are concerned about the state of the planet they will be left to inherit. Roisin is a member of the youth advisory board of the organisation.
Many individuals find the reality of climate change to be daunting, despite the fact that world leaders are due to convene in Sharm el-Sheikh for another United Nations climate summit (COP27), which will begin on Sunday.
Just in this one year alone, there have already been heatwaves that broke records, terrible floods in Pakistan, and drought in East Africa.
It should not come as a surprise that fear over climate change is on the rise, especially among younger people, who have almost exclusively only experienced a world in which climate change has been a factor.
However, a number of scientists and environmental campaigners have told BBC News that these concerns may, in fact, be beneficial to the earth.
Prof. Lorraine Whitmarsh, an environmental psychologist at the University of Bath, believes that individuals who have a deeper understanding of the effects of climate change may be more inclined to take action.
Her investigation revealed a correlation between concerns about the environment and taking meaningful action, such as lowering one’s carbon footprint by recycling more, reducing the amount of waste one produces, or shopping at thrift stores.
When people talk about their own climate anxiety, they frequently indicate that it is linked to the large volumes of negative and often alarming news about the globe. This is a common statement.
“It seems to me that one can hardly avoid becoming concerned about the changing climate. It may be very daunting when we are continuously inundated with information about how there has been one crisis after another – melting ice caps, natural disasters – in the news and on social media “explains Roisin, who is 16 years old and is from County Antrim in Northern Ireland.
Recent research conducted by Save the Children in the United Kingdom revealed that seventy percent of children there are concerned about the state of the planet they will be left to inherit. Roisin is a member of the youth advisory board of the organisation.
Now she spreads the message of “climate optimists” and publishes newsletters that focus on solutions and positive news.
She argues that “climate optimism is not just pleasant; it is important because in order for us to be sustained in our action and our advocacy, we need to believe in and have something that is worth fighting for.” ” COP27 Climate optimism is not just nice; it is necessary.”
She believes that there is a generational gap between many young people who want to focus on how the planet could be saved and the “older white man community” that focuses on how “the world is going to end.” Many young people want to focus on how the planet could be saved.
“I don’t want to entertain the idea that this is coming from a negative source. I believe that they too suffer from a great deal of worry, but unlike other people, they have found a really unique method to channel it “It is her opinion.
Caroline Hickman is a licenced psychotherapist who specialises in treating climate anxiety and has helped a substantial number of young people over the course of her career. She believes that being concerned about the condition of the earth is “very natural,” but that “giving in to hopelessness and ‘climate doomism’ is not the solution.”
It is essential to make a distinction between fears or concerns about climate change and the kind of acute clinical anxiety that is a problem for mental health.
Even though there is a high level of concern about climate change, particularly among young people, Professor Whitmarsh believes that the majority of people do not suffer from debilitating climate anxiety that necessitates treatment from a mental health professional. This is particularly true for young people.
