Some People Are Suffering Alleviating Environmental Anxiety – But Their Fears Are Justified – Is It Increased Because of It?

Essay by Eric Worrall

If you want to help someone with eco-anxiety, do you have to start with reinforcing their delusions by agreeing with them?

Climate change and extreme heat are making us more worried

Published: August 11, 2022 4:50 am AEST
Kiffer George Card
Assistant Professor of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University

Globally, Heat waves are becoming more and more frequent in the summeras much of the world faces extreme heat.

The increased frequency and intensity of heat waves can cause a variety of emotional distress that affects people’s mental health. One such emerging form of distress is ecological anxiety, defined by the American Psychological Association as chronic fear of environmental destruction that comes from observing climate change. In other words, people are worried about what a changing planet means for them and future generations.

According to one landmark survey on ecological anxiety68% of adults reported experiencing “at least some environmental anxiety” and 48% of young adults said climate change negatively affects their daily lives and activities.

As a behavioral and social epidemiologist, I study how the environment – social and natural – affects individuals and their health. For example, recent research by my team at Simon Fraser University found that a small number of people experience debilitating levels of eco-anxiety that impair functioning and cognition, limiting their ability to live happy and healthy lives.

Worrying about the environment: a new coping mechanism for climate change

This Anxiety is normal and even justified. We are connected to the land, air and water around us. So when our environment changes, an initial sadness and anxiety is perfectly appropriate and may even be favorable for survival.

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As marked by IPCC report last year, the evidence that climate change causes a greater frequency and intensity of extreme heat events is more certain than any other recorded effect of climate change. Unfortunately, the same report predicts that global temperatures will continue to rise and their effects will only get worse.

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Read more: https://theconversation.com/climate-change-and-extreme-heat-are-making-us-more-anxious-187830

In my opinion, it is ridiculous to assert that the “initial anxiety and sadness” is justified, even if you accept IPCC climate science at face value.

Looking at all the predictions of climate catastrophes that have subsided, like the Great Barrier Reef prediction – a claim that looks completely absurd from a perspective. Recent news about record coral cover.

Look at Al Gore .’s silly prediction of polar iceor predictions of global warming, UN’s 30-year prediction that the world will end in 10 years. Guess what – we’re still here.

Or the truth The worst heat wave in instrumental record occurred in the 1930s, not in recent times. Or The death toll from weather-related disasters has plummeted, which, thanks to our fossil fuel wealth, helps us better forecast, plan, provide medical care, and build better housing. Or the truth The earth is getting greeneras ecosystems respond to global warming and CO2 fertilization.

CO2 and global warming by all reasonable metrics so far have been good for the health of our ecosystems and good for humans.

It is possible that people suffering from a debilitating climate are unable to listen to or evaluate contradictory evidence. But surely trying to get them out of a debilitating panic state must be a better plan than reinforcing their delusionsby telling them their fears are justified.