A child runs through trees left by Extinction Rebellion demonstrators in Westminster on Oct. 8, 2019 in London, England. Peter Summers / Getty Images News / Getty Images
By Lora Shinn
Sex. Drugs. Global extinction. When difficult subjects come up, it's not easy being a parent — especially when that subject is climate change.
<p>But a parent, teacher, or caregiver is often the first and best source of trusted information for children. These are also the people who can help them <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/stories/banishing-climate-change-blues" target="_blank">cope with the Big Feelings</a> that inevitably ensue upon realizing future climate change–related difficulties.</p><p>How do you do so without creating an anxious — or perhaps worse, despondent — child?</p><p>"Similar to other tough topics like sex and drugs, approach climate change in a developmentally sensitive way," said Wendy Greenspun, a New York–based clinical psychologist engaged in climate issues. By doing so, you set up a baseline for kids to take in more complex information as they grow and become ready to exercise their own voices on behalf of their generation's future.</p>
Introducing the Concepts to Young Children (Ages 0–6)
<p><strong>Inspire environmental wonder in little ones.</strong></p><p>Since younger children won't easily understand concepts such as <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/stories/greenhouse-effect-101" target="_blank">greenhouse gases</a> and <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/stories/what-you-need-know-about-ocean-acidification" target="_blank">ocean acidification</a>, start out with a more straightforward message: Living things grow and thrive when we care for them. Children learn through doing, so try planting seeds or caring for animals as a way to <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/stories/how-raise-environmentalist" target="_blank">raise young environmentalists</a>.</p><p>Noticing, appreciating and celebrating the seasons builds a good foundation for understanding climate change, suggests Ronnie Citron-Fink, a former schoolteacher and now the editorial director of <a href="https://www.momscleanairforce.org/" target="_blank">Moms Clean Air Force</a>. On hikes, note how leaves fall from trees in autumn, then sprout again in spring. Point out migrating birds or butterflies that come and go with the seasons.</p><p><strong>Recognize small actions demonstrating respect for the planet.</strong></p><p>In the short- and long-term, it's beneficial to instill the idea of cleanup responsibility. "It's thinking about the impact you have — if you make a mess where plants and animals live, it can hurt them, and if you clean up, it helps them," Greenspun said. Additionally, though the idea of "sharing" can be challenging for people of any age, young children should be encouraged to share Earth's space with other living things.</p><p>Likewise, praise kids when they take initiative. That could be as simple as saying "Thank you for turning off the lights, that's helping the planet." Many of us forget to take this step, said Robin Gurwitch, a professor and clinical psychologist at Duke University Medical Center and the Center for Child and Family Health. "When people most important to us notice our actions," she said, "we're more likely to do again and carry it forward."</p><p><strong>Keep their faith in humanity alive (it might help restore yours, too).</strong></p><p>"For most children under age 5 or 6, the world is a good place, with people taking care of it," said Mary DeMocker, author of <em>The Parents' Guide to Climate Revolution: 100 Ways to Build a Fossil-Free Future, Raise Empowered Kids, and Still Get a Good Night's Sleep</em>. Remind kids that so many grownups care about kids' futures and about nature, and they are working to protect both. "They need to know the adults are in charge, and they've got this," DeMocker added.</p><p>In the same vein, avoid processing your own anxieties while talking to young kids, who easily pick up on our emotions. While important to be open about your climate change concerns, do it out of your kids' earshot, by talking with other parents or <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/stories/resistance-your-backyard" target="_blank">banding together with fellow activists in your community</a>.</p>Teaching the Basics to School-Age Kids (Ages 6–12)
<p><strong>Explain the science, simply.</strong></p><p>First, gauge what your kids may already know. If they're familiar with the term <em>climate change</em>, ask them to tell you what they've heard about it. Kids sometimes overhear strange ideas, as we know from some of <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/trump-lies#sec-climate" target="_blank">the lies</a> circulated by climate change deniers in our own government. Acknowledge these false claims for what they are, explaining that some people care more about making money or hanging onto power than about the health of our planet. This may be a tough discussion, but it will help you recognize and validate the outrage that kids may feel at older generations.</p><p>Once you've dispelled the myths, you can explain the more abstract idea of climate change by using the blanket analogy. Gurwitch suggests describing it this way: "Our world is protected by a layer surrounding the Earth, like a blanket that keeps it at just the right temperature. With global warming, there are more and more blankets being put around the Earth. We can't just toss them off. So we're figuring out how to change back to the right kind and number of blankets."</p><p><strong>Emphasize how we're trying to solve the problem.</strong></p><p>Pivot to the positive changes we're making immediately after discussing the challenges. "Children can be frightened if they don't know there are adults who care about climate change and are trying to fix problems," noted Greenspun. "It can help battle the sense of helplessness and powerlessness."</p><p>Let them know that there are, in fact, millions of adults who are working to protect kids, to answer our own questions about climate change, and to figure out the steps we will take to get to where we need to be, together.</p><p>DeMocker suggests offering kid-friendly examples of innovations and solutions, too, including <a href="http://www.pandagreen.com/show-342.html" target="_blank">Chinese solar farms designed in the shape of pandas</a> and <a href="https://www.playgroundenergy.com/" target="_blank">playgrounds that create energy</a>. Some of these solutions will be relatable to your child — like the <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/stories/green-your-school" target="_blank">Turn It Off campaign</a> students have championed to decrease emissions produced by idling drivers, and the Meatless Mondays initiative <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/stories/new-york-city-students-are-taking-climate-change-starting-lunchroom" target="_blank">sweeping school cafeterias</a> to lessen the climate impact of weekday lunches.</p><p><strong>Discuss the power of personal action.</strong></p><p>In grade school, children understand cause and effect, so it's a good time to talk about what kids can do to decrease carbon emissions, with your help. Maybe this is biking or carpooling to school, <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/stories/how-shop-energy-efficient-light-bulbs" target="_blank">switching out incandescent light bulbs for energy-efficient LEDs</a>, or setting up <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/stories/composting-way-easier-you-think" target="_blank">a home composting system</a>. One note of caution, though: Kids of all ages notice adult inconsistencies. If we talk about the importance of recycling but don't <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/stories/reduce-reuse-recycle-most-all-reduce" target="_blank">cut single-use items out of our daily routine</a>, we may face some tough questions.</p>Holding Open Discussions with Preteens (Ages 12–14)
<p><strong>Encourage climate change questions — even if you can't always answer them.</strong></p><p>Tweens are driven by scientific curiosity, awareness, and a sense of civic responsibility. When they're seeking answers to big questions, you can embark with them on the hunt. Start teaching children about how to find trusted resources for climate science information — and what disinformation is out there. However, there's no need to follow every web link. "If we're not careful, the information can become overwhelming and swamp us," Gurwitch said, and can lead to a sense of futility or unrealistic expectations.</p><p><strong>Engage children's personal strengths in expressing their concerns.</strong></p><p>Maybe your middle-schooler loves polar bears or is worried about air pollution. Communicate that small acts to spread awareness can have ripple effects and encourage them to speak out. Some children feel comfortable <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/stories/13-year-old-gives-us-hope-future" target="_blank">giving presentations to other kids</a>, others will prefer to work on poster campaigns and <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/stories/landlocked-vienna-humpback-spreads-powerful-message" target="_blank">group art projects</a>, and others might perform <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/onearth/watch-these-young-spoken-word-poets-take-climate-change" target="_blank">spoken-word poetry</a>. Invite outgoing kids to join a rally with you. DeMocker, whose family lives in Eugene, Oregon, began attending climate protests with her children at this age, joining symbolic kayak blockades of the <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/onearth/bomb-train-derailment-sparked-resistance-columbia-river-gorge" target="_blank">Columbia River</a> to protest fossil fuel exports. "We modeled simple living, but also civic engagement," she said.</p>Branching Out With Teens (Ages 15–18)
<p><strong>Don't be afraid to let your teen educate <em>you </em>on climate change.</strong></p><p>After all, when it comes to climate change, your teen may be more aware of the latest research on fossil fuels and <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/stories/green-your-college-dorm-room" target="_blank">lighting alternatives</a> than you are."We can all learn from our children and listen to them," Greenspun said. Many of us might react defensively, due to guilt or frustration over not doing more. "We all need to have the humility to step back and look at parts of ourselves we don't necessarily like to look at," she said.</p><p>So if your vegetarian teen confronts you over burgers, ask questions and reflect back their thoughts: How did you decide to become a vegetarian? How do you feel to live in a family with meat-eaters? Can you think of some solutions or compromises?</p><p><strong>Share news articles with your teens about their peers making a difference.</strong></p><p>The Youth Climate Movement is flourishing, and there are many inspiring examples you can point to spotlighting young people <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/onearth/friday-school-out-and-climate-strike" target="_blank">standing up for their generation's future</a>. "It's empowering for teens to see that the government and people are taking them seriously," said Citron-Fink. "It shows them that their voices matter."</p><p>This will also help encourage teens to channel climate outrage and worry into action and to focus on the things they can have control over. That's important for their mental health, since as Greenspun pointed out, "Obsessing over all the things we don't know and can't do anything about often contributes to stress and anxiety."</p><p><strong>Discuss coping strategies — what to do when you feel scared, angry, and overwhelmed.</strong></p><p>It might be a breathing practice, talking to a friend or grandparent, or going for a walk. "Review with kids what they've found helpful in the past, when they've gone through something hard," Greenspun said.</p><p>On the other hand, some teens might act as if they don't care about climate change. "There might need to be a little more digging to find out what that's really about," Greenspun said. "Underneath the bravado of not caring, there's often a lot of fear and sadness."</p><p>It's also important to focus on the good news: If humans are to blame for getting into this crisis, humans can also get us back on track. And the latest reports on climate change all emphasize that <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/stories/our-land-key-solving-climate-crisis" target="_blank">we do have solutions in reach</a>. "Reassure kids that the scientists say we still have time to avoid the worst climate impacts," DeMocker said. "Scientists are telling us how to turn this around," she added — and many of us are listening.</p>From Your Site Articles
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A lot of people are talking about climate change, and a lot of people are very worried about it. Children and grown-ups are protesting and you might hear some scary things about the future. People don't know yet how things will turn out in 10 years, 20 years or a 100 years from now.
<p>But there are things we can do. One of the most important things, is to understand what the problem is, how we all play a role in causing it — and how we can all play a role in solving it.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/five-answers-for-kids-concerned-about-climate-change/a-51561183?maca=en-VAM_volltext_ecowatch-28485-html-copypaste" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Deutsche Welle</a>.</em></p>
1. Why are so many children skipping school?
<p>Kids are worried. They're not happy that the adults in charge — those who should be making our lives better — seem to be ignoring the problem of climate change, or just not doing enough to stop the world from getting too hot.</p><p>Students hope that by <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/berlin-climate-protesters-brave-icy-weather-and-waters/a-51463670" target="_blank">walking out of school with banners and megaphones</a>, and getting together with other people who want things to change, that their voices will be heard. They want the politicians, those people who make the big decisions, to get together and come up with solutions to climate change and find a way to fix the damage we've done.</p><p><em>[<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/global-climate-strikes-week-2640790405.html">Read how September's global climate strike was one of the largest global protests in history</a>.]</em></p><p>World leaders met and agreed that they would do that. But so far, they haven't done enough to stop our planet from getting dangerously hot.</p>2. And what exactly is climate change?
<p>That's a tricky one. Plenty of adults don't understand a lot of the details about climate change. It's a problem caused by "greenhouse gases."</p><p>A greenhouse is made of glass that traps the sun's heat but doesn't let it back out again, so that inside, it gets hotter. The same thing happens with the Earth's atmosphere, which holds in the heat from the sun to keep us all nice warm (out in space, we'd quickly freeze!).</p><p>But gases that come from factories, power plants and cars and get into the atmosphere are making the planet too hot.</p><p>Most of the energy we use to make things, keep the lights on and our homes warm, turn on the air-con and power transport, comes from burning fuels like oil, gas and coal. These are called fossil fuels and when they are burned, they release carbon. Once it gets into the atmosphere, it traps a lot of heat. </p><p>Cutting down trees can also make the world hotter, because trees take carbon out of the atmosphere and store it safely away.</p><p>When the planet gets hotter, how the weather changes is different from place to place — and hard to predict. You may have heard older people talk about how winters used to be snowy, or seen pictures of melting glaciers. In some places, deserts are getting bigger and in summer it can be too hot to go outside.</p><p>But in other parts of the world it can actually get colder, rainier or more stormy: For example, when the glaciers melt, all that icy water goes into the sea, making it colder, changing the flows of water and air — and the weather. And when it gets hot, more water evaporates, making more rain.</p>3. Is the world going to end?
<p>No — planet Earth is about 4.5 billion years old and it has been through lots of changes, getting hotter and colder at different times. But the animals and plants that live here now like the climate just the way it is. If it changes too much, many will die.</p><p>Unusual weather — too much rain or not enough, <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/mozambique-after-cyclone-idai-some-people-have-not-eaten-in-weeks/a-48425783" target="_blank">huge storms</a>, <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/europe-heat-wave-sparks-massive-wildfire-in-spain-record-temperatures-in-france/a-49382191" target="_blank">hotter summers</a>, <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/amazon-wildfires-leaders-pressure-brazil-to-quell-international-crisis/a-50132482" target="_blank">forest fires</a> and <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/venice-third-exceptional-flood-makes-week-worst-on-record/a-51286635" target="_blank">floods</a> — is also making it harder to grow the food we eat every day. In some places, <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/climate-change-compounds-hunger-conflicts-german-aid-group-says/a-49361846" target="_blank">there isn't enough food and water</a>.</p><p>Climate change could mean <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/climate-change-has-become-a-health-emergency/a-51209280" target="_blank">more people will become sick</a>. And some people have to leave their homes and look for a safer place to live, sometimes far away in another country.</p><p>To stop the world getting too hot, we have to change the way we live. People are comfortable living their lives a certain way, getting around in gas-powered cars and airplanes and finding everything they want in stores, and they may fear giving up that way of life.</p>4. But what does that have to with me?
<p><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/pollution" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pollution</a> can come from many things; nearly everything we do in our daily life has an effect on the climate. That's why we're trying to fly less, reuse our shopping bags and buy fewer things, or get our food from the farms closer to home.</p><p>Think about plastic water bottles. Before they show up in the store, somebody has to make the bottle, fill it with water and move it to the store by truck. And then, once we're done with it, we usually just get rid of it right away — by recycling, when we can, or just tossing it in the trash. All that has an effect on the planet, by creating more pollution in the air, using up fresh water and making more garbage.</p>5. So what can I do to help?
<p>We can make small contributions, like remembering to turn off the lights when we leave a room, eating less meat and composting our garbage. We can also walk places or go by bike, or go on vacations closer to home so we can take the train, which uses less energy and makes less pollution than a plane.</p><p>Everyone can make changes in their daily life that mean there will be less pollution. And while our choices alone aren't enough to fix the problem, they can help to convince companies and politicians to make bigger changes.</p><p>Just by asking these questions — and learning from books or from interesting TV and movies — and talking about climate change and the environment with other people in your life, you're helping to spread the message. And the more that people know about the problem, the better chance we have of doing something about it.</p>From Your Site Articles
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Activists highlighted the climate emergency outside Scottish Government headquarters at St Andrew's House in Edinburgh on Oct. 13, 2017. Usage of the term "climate emergency" spiked in 2019, according to Oxford Dictionaries.
By Jessica Corbett
Climate advocates and experts celebrated Oxford Dictionaries' announcement Wednesday that "climate emergency" is the Oxford Word of the Year 2019.
<p>Oxford defines climate emergency as "a situation in which urgent action is required to reduce or halt <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-change">climate change</a> and avoid potentially irreversible environmental damage resulting from it."</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Climate emergency. Look it up.<a href="https://t.co/U9YTUIlwzr">https://t.co/U9YTUIlwzr</a></p>— Alex Steffen (@AlexSteffen) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexSteffen/status/1197243323217395712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<p>The term <a href="https://languages.oup.com/word-of-the-year/word-of-the-year-2019" target="_blank">beat out</a> other climate-related language on Oxford's shortlist, including climate action, climate crisis, climate denial, <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/eco-anxiety" target="_self">eco-anxiety</a>, ecocide, extinction, flight shame, global heating, net-zero and plant-based.</p><p>"When we were looking through the evidence, it was just clear that issues relating to the climate were running through all the different lexical items we were working with," Katherine Connor Martin, an editor at Oxford Dictionaries, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/20/arts/word-of-the-year-climate-emergency.html" target="_blank">told</a> The New York Times about the decision. "It reflects it was a real preoccupation of the English-speaking world in 2019."</p><p>Usage of climate emergency has "increased steeply" throughout the year, and "by September it was more than 100 times as common as it had been the previous year," according to Oxford's data.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjA5NTg1MS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxMTU3ODY5MH0.BGjPMmlWwcy7orYx_fk-QKhDNU8E2aGkLmLwBZxSnK4/img.png?width=980" id="d70c5" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="d27140c21bc825e8c06c1a3d3921b9b0" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
<p>Oxford's official annoucement, published <a href="https://languages.oup.com/word-of-the-year/word-of-the-year-2019" target="_blank">online</a>, offers futher details about the explosive use of the term by scientists, journalists and the public:</p><blockquote>One high profile example of this language development is the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/may/17/why-the-guardian-is-changing-the-language-it-uses-about-the-environment" target="_blank">changes made by The Guardian</a> in its reporting of environmental news in May. The newspaper stated that instead of <em>climate change</em>, its preferred terms are 'climate emergency, crisis, or breakdown' to describe the broader impact of climate change. The move prompted other <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/08/business/media/as-the-world-heats-up-the-climate-for-news-is-changing-too.html" target="_blank">media outlets to review</a> and update their own policies and approaches to reporting on the climate.<br><em>The Guardian</em>'s editor-in-chief Katharine Viner, who outlined the terminology changes, said: 'We want to ensure that we are being scientifically precise, while also communicating clearly with readers on this very important issue. The phrase "climate change," for example, sounds rather passive and gentle when what scientists are talking about is a catastrophe for humanity.'<br>Language choice in scientific reporting on climate science has been influential in this shift during 2019. With the publication of careful scientific analyses presenting the various consequences for the world's communities should people fail to take action — see the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's special report <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/" target="_blank">Global Warming of 1.5 ºC</a>, for example — an increasing number of climate scientists have urged their peers to 'tell it like it is' when communicating their research.</blockquote><p>Linking to the Times report on Oxford's announcement, meteorologist and science writer Eric Holthaus <a href="https://twitter.com/EricHolthaus/status/1197246458858262528" target="_blank">tweeted</a>, "We are in a climate emergency."</p><p>Genevieve Guenther, founder and director of digital activist group End Climate Silence, also shared the Times report on Twitter. "Damn right," she <a href="https://twitter.com/DoctorVive/status/1197257275200737281" target="_blank">wrote</a>.</p><p>A local English chapter of the global Extinction Rebellion movement acknowledged a spike in the term's usage in April, when XR activists <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/04/15/time-excuses-over-extinction-rebellion-protests-shut-down-european-cities" target="_blank">held</a> a series of marches, demonstrations and peaceful civil disobedience around the world to promote the movement's <a href="https://rebellion.earth/the-truth/demands/" target="_blank">three key demands</a> — including that governments declare a climate and ecological emergency.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The <a href="https://twitter.com/OxfordWords?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OxfordWords</a> word of the year is "climate emergency"! Good to see the graph with a massive increase in usage in April, following the <a href="https://twitter.com/ExtinctionR?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ExtinctionR</a> actions. A good start; now we need serious action. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ActNow?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ActNow</a> <a href="https://t.co/eCSL4kxotS">https://t.co/eCSL4kxotS</a></p>— Extinction Rebellion Oswestry & Borders (@ExtinctionReb10) <a href="https://twitter.com/ExtinctionReb10/status/1197178076691611648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<p>Some supporters of Oxford's decision noted that the announcement came two weeks after Collins Dictionary <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/nov/07/climate-strike-named-2019-word-of-the-year-by-collins-dictionary" target="_blank">named</a> "<a href="https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/climate-strike" target="_blank">climate strike</a>" its 2019 word of the year.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">First <a href="https://twitter.com/CollinsDict?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CollinsDict</a> named <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ClimateStrike?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ClimateStrike</a> the word of the year. Now <a href="https://twitter.com/OED?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OED</a> has named <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ClimateEmergency?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ClimateEmergency</a> its word of 2019.<br><br>STAY LOUD, it's working ✌️📢<br><br>“It reflects it was a real preoccupation of the English-speaking world in 2019.”<a href="https://t.co/468qy7oMmA">https://t.co/468qy7oMmA</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/GretaThunberg?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GretaThunberg</a></p>— Greenpeace Canada (@GreenpeaceCA) <a href="https://twitter.com/GreenpeaceCA/status/1197243213460803584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<p>As the Collins website <a href="https://www.collinsdictionary.com/woty" target="_blank">explains</a>, climate strike is "a form of protest that took off just over one year ago with the actions of Swedish schoolgirl Greta Thunberg and which has grown to become a worldwide movement."</p><p>The term "was first registered in November 2015 when the first event to be so named took place to coincide with the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Paris, but it is over the last year that 'climate strikes' have spread and become a frequent reality in many of the world's largest cities," according to the website. "Collins' lexicographers observed a 100-fold increase in its usage in 2019."</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/11/20/climate-emergency-look-it-activists-and-experts-celebrate-new-oxford-dictionaries" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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Trevor Noah appears on set during a taping of "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah" in New York on Nov. 26, 2018. The Daily Show With Trevor Noah / YouTube screenshot
By Lakshmi Magon
This year, three studies showed that humor is useful for engaging the public about climate change. The studies, published in The Journal of Science Communication, Comedy Studies and Science Communication, added to the growing wave of scientists, entertainers and politicians who agree.
<p>In March 2017, the American Psychological Association <a href="https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2017/03/mental-health-climate.pdf" target="_blank">published a report</a> defining <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/eco-anxiety" target="_self">eco-anxiety</a> as "chronic fear of environmental doom." The report referred to literature that described an increase in depression and anxiety caused by peoples' "inability to feel like they are making a difference in stopping climate change."</p><p>With psychological stakes this high, humor may seem inappropriate. But Phil McCordic — a Canadian actor, writer and producer of children's programming and the host of TVOntario's <a href="https://www.tvokids.com/school-age/science-max-experiments-large-0" target="_blank"><em>Science Max</em></a> educational series — thinks it could be a way to access "the attention of a lot of people you wouldn't have otherwise."</p><p>"Humor is so useful for children's programming because it grabs attention," says McCordic, who adds he believes this can be applied to adults too.</p><p>"Climate-change humor stops people from worrying about their politics and lets them take in the information ... Scientists don't always understand their audience. Getting someone to laugh is half of the work of getting them to understand."</p><p>McCordic's views are echoed by researchers such as <a href="https://bellisario.psu.edu/people/individual/christofer-skurka" target="_blank">Christofer Skurka</a>, assistant professor of film and media studies at the Bellisario College of Communications at the University of Pennsylvania. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/joc/jqx008" target="_blank">His research</a> has shown that humor is a useful tool for making 18- to 24-year-olds more politically engaged in climate change.</p><p><a href="https://www.colorado.edu/theatredance/beth-osnes" target="_blank">Beth Osnes</a> is an associate professor of theater at the University of Colorado at Boulder. <a href="https://sciencepolicy.colorado.edu/admin/publication_files/2018.10.pdf" target="_blank">Her research</a> shows that the creative techniques used in theater are a useful tool for climate-change communication. Osnes says that communicating climate change to young people using humor is "magical."</p><p>"Climate change isn't a laughing matter but sometimes you have to laugh at your pain to get to a solution," she said.</p>
<h2>Climate Comedy Has Wide-Ranging Applications</h2><p>The climate-change humor trend isn't isolated to research institutions. Using comedy to tackle climate-change debate is found in mainstream media, including in the comedy of comedian <a href="https://www.hbo.com/last-week-tonight-with-john-oliver" target="_blank">John Oliver</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMtFAi84ehTSYSE9XoHefig" target="_blank"><em>The Late Show</em></a> host Stephen Colbert.</p><p><a href="https://www.theonion.com/tag/climate-change" target="_blank">The Onion</a>, a landmark American satirical media outlet, has headlines that include "Report: If Earth Continues To Warm At Current Rate Moon Will Be Mostly Underwater By 2400" and "Sighing, Resigned Climate Scientists Say To Just Enjoy Next 20 Years As Much As You Can."</p><p>YouTuber Adam Levy, who earned a doctorate in atmospheric physics from Oxford University and operates under the handle <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/ClimateAdam" target="_blank">Climate Adam</a>, uses humor to make climate-change <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/science/">science</a> more accessible.</p><p>"Science should be serious! But it should also be funny, challenging, impressive and a range of other things," says Levy. "I want to make climate change less scary by tapping into that funny side."</p>
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<em>Lakshmi Magon is the Dalla Lana Global Journalism Fellow, Science Communicator, at the University of Toronto.</em>
</p><p>
<em>Disclosure statement: Lakshmi Magon does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond her academic appointment.</em>
</p><p>
<em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-little-humour-may-help-with-climate-change-gloom-125860" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.</em>
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‘I’m up Late at Night Worrying About Global Warming – Please Can You Put My Mind at Rest?’
14 October 2019
Health + Wellness
sam thomas / iStock / Getty Images Plus
By Caroline Hickman
I'm up late at night worrying that my baby brothers may die from global warming and other threats to humanity – please can you put my mind at rest? – Sophie, aged 17, East Sussex, UK
<p>Dear Sophie,</p><p>Thank you for asking this really important question. I know from <a href="https://www.palgrave.com/gp/book/9783030117405" target="_blank">my work as a psychotherapist</a> and with the <a href="https://www.climatepsychologyalliance.org/" target="_blank">Climate Psychology Alliance</a> that lots of other young people are worrying about global warming and the climate crisis, too. There's even a term for it: "<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/article/b2e7ee32-ad28-4ec4-89aa-a8b8c98f95a5" target="_blank">eco-anxiety</a>."</p><p>I know that may not be much comfort, but it's important to remember when you are worrying about something – especially something as huge as <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-change">climate change</a> – that you are not the only one feeling this way. So, my first piece of advice to you is to carry on doing what you have done here – do not keep your worries to yourself: talk with people about this, because sharing worries does help to make them a little better.</p><p>If you are not sure who to talk to then maybe start by listening to <a href="https://www.climatepsychologyalliance.org/podcasts/381-podcast-navigating-youth-in-a-time-of-climate-change" target="_blank">these podcasts</a> by young people talking about how they coped with their eco-anxiety, and there are lots of <a href="https://youngminds.org.uk/blog/why-we-all-need-to-be-better-listeners/" target="_blank">good blogs</a> and <a href="https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/anxiety-and-panic-attacks/self-care-for-anxiety/#.XZ_IVi2ZM_M" target="_blank">advice</a> online that can help as well.</p><p>I also want to say that I am really impressed by what a caring big sister you are. You are worrying about your baby brothers but do not say that you are worrying so much about yourself. They are lucky to have such a loving and protective big sister as you.</p><p>Our loving relationships with family and friends are important to remember when we're worrying about things. Make sure that you ask others to look after you sometimes, then you can look after them in return when they need it – that always helps.</p>
<h2>Understanding Eco-Anxiety</h2><p>Eco-anxiety <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-rise-of-eco-anxiety-climate-change-affects-our-mental-health-too-123002" target="_blank">is being felt</a> more and more by people as they "wake up" to the climate and ecological problems that humanity is facing. But it is not just anxiety: people also experience feelings of grief, anger, guilt, fear, shame and panic – sometimes all in one day. This can be confusing, and create even more anxiety.</p><p>Sometimes, we worry about our feelings and tell ourselves that we should not be feeling them (or other people say this to us). But it's really important to remember that whatever feelings you're having – even if they're not nice to feel – are okay, you're not going crazy and there is nothing wrong with you. Your fears are a really healthy response to what is going on in the world.</p><p>Do not be self-critical, be kind to yourself and be proud – because these feelings show how much you care about your brothers, and the state of the world. That's why I sometimes call it "eco-awareness" or "eco-empathy," rather than eco-anxiety.</p>
<h2>Taking Action</h2><p>One of the best ways to deal with this anxiety is to take some action, so that we do not feel powerless and helpless. I suggest that you join a group that is organizing discussions or taking action to help protect the environment.</p><p>The school strike for climate groups are very supportive, but you could also suggest to your friends or classmates that you get together to talk about these things – maybe with a counsellor or teacher or another adult, or maybe on your own.</p><p>Between you, I am sure you can support each other and discuss how you can take positive action to use these anxieties and worries to make yourselves feel more powerful in the world. These things can start small, but they do make a huge difference to us all. These worries can be put to good use – and that's often the best way to put your mind to rest.</p>
<h2>Remember to Breathe</h2><p>Also – when you feel anxiety, it might sound silly, but <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/breathing-exercises-for-anxiety#lions-breath" target="_blank">remember to breathe</a>. We <a href="https://www.uhs.nhs.uk/Media/Controlleddocuments/Patientinformation/Stayinginhospital/Anxietyandbreathingdifficulties-patientinformation.pdf" target="_blank">often hold our breath</a> when we are anxious, and that makes it much worse. Here is a list of things I suggest to people to remember when they feel anxious:</p><ul><li>Stop: don't panic or let your thoughts run away with you into horrible fantasies. Do not let your fears control you, but do not shut them down either</li><li>Breathe: slowly in and out, count the breaths and count to ten on each in and out breath</li><li>Think: reassure yourself, ask yourself these sort of questions – am I panicking too much here? Can I calm my fears down? What can I do to help myself? Who else can I talk to?</li><li>Connect: with other people, for example by joining a community or group</li><li>Act: in some positive way, even if it is very small</li></ul>
<h2>Facing the Future</h2><p>The reason I have focused on how you can cope with your worries – rather than addressing your concerns about your baby brothers – is that we cannot promise that everything will be okay in the future. But what we can try do is make sure that you, me and everyone else is emotionally resilient enough to cope with whatever happens.</p><p>That means that we have to be good at listening to our feelings, be good at listening to other people too. We have to be kind to ourselves, to cope with a mix of feelings, to have empathy for other people and also ourselves, to be creative and also to be able to think when we are scared.</p><p>We also have to have a balance between thinking about worrying things, and also thinking about the good things that are around – these are just as important. So while I can't promise you that everything will be okay, I can promise that lots of people – including parents, psychotherapists and school strikers – will be working very hard and taking action to help people deal with things. And that means learning to build this emotional strength, together.</p><p>Then, in the future (whatever that looks like) you can teach these lessons to your baby brothers and help them deal with their fears. So, you will be helping them by helping yourself. That is the most important thing you can do to take care of them, and yourself, at the moment.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Should 'Eco-Anxiety' Be Classified as a Mental Illness?<br><br>The number of children sitting in their offices suffering from "eco-anxiety" is on rise!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ClimateChange?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ClimateChange</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tiredearth?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Tiredearth</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COP24?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COP24</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Health?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Health</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WednesdayMotivation?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WednesdayMotivation</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FFF?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FFF</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FridaysForFurture?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FridaysForFurture</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/RebeccaH2020?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RebeccaH2020</a> <a href="https://t.co/6RBSABBtih">https://t.co/6RBSABBtih</a></p>— Green Planet (@Elizabeth_Ruler) <a href="https://twitter.com/Elizabeth_Ruler/status/1174200744129568770?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 18, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<em><a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/topics/i-need-to-know-66587" target="_blank">I Need To Know</a> is a series by <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>, which gives teenagers the chance to have their questions about the world answered by experts. Send your questions – along with your first name, age and the area where you live – to <a href="mailto:ineedtoknow@theconversation.com" target="_blank">ineedtoknow@theconversation.com</a>.</em><br/>
</p><p>
<em>Caroline Hickman is a teaching fellow at the University of Bath.<br/>
</em><em>Disclosure statement: </em><em>Caroline Hickman is affiliated with The Climate Psychology Alliance.</em>
</p><p>
<em>Reposted with permission from our media associate <a href="https://theconversation.com/im-up-late-at-night-worrying-about-global-warming-please-can-you-put-my-mind-at-rest-124940" style="" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.</em>
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I’m a Psychotherapist – Here’s What I’ve Learned From Listening to Children Talk About Climate Change
21 September 2019
Insights + Opinion
Hackney primary school students went to the Town Hall on May 24 in London after school to protest about the climate emergency. Jenny Matthews / In Pictures / Getty Images
By Caroline Hickman
Eco-anxiety is likely to affect more and more people as the climate destabilizes. Already, studies have found that 45 percent of children suffer lasting depression after surviving extreme weather and natural disasters. Some of that emotional turmoil must stem from confusion — why aren't adults doing more to stop climate change?
<p>Talking with children gives a fresh perspective on the absurdity of doing so little about climate change, but it also exposes a troubling disconnect between what we say and what we do.</p>
<p><em>This story originally appeared in </em><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/im-a-psychotherapist-heres-what-ive-learned-from-listening-to-children-talk-about-climate-change-123183" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Conversation</a></em>. <em>It is republished here as part of EcoWatch's partnership with Covering Climate Now, a global collaboration of more than 250 news outlets to strengthen coverage of the climate story.</em><br/></p><script async="async" data-counter="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/123183/count?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" id="theconversation_tracker_hook" src="https://theconversation.com/javascripts/lib/content_tracker_hook.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
<p>Adults are often guilty of cognitive dissonance when it comes to climate change. The UK parliament <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-cant-expand-airports-after-declaring-a-climate-emergency-lets-shift-to-low-carbon-transport-instead-120740" target="_blank">declares a climate emergency</a> after voting to expand an airport. Scientists conclude that the Amazon rainforest is one of the world's best assets for <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/science-environment-49452736/amazon-fires-why-the-rainforest-helps-fight-climate-change" target="_blank">storing climate-warming gases</a> while large swathes of it are <a href="https://theconversation.com/amazon-fires-explained-what-are-they-why-are-they-so-damaging-and-how-can-we-stop-them-122340" target="_blank">burnt deliberately</a> to make room for methane-belching cattle. A vast <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/aug/29/adani-mine-would-be-unviable-without-44bn-in-subsidies-report-finds" target="_blank">coal mine is approved</a> near Australia's <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/great-barrier-reef" rel="noopener noreferrer">Great Barrier Reef</a> while its condition is downgraded from "poor" to "<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-great-barrier-reef-is-in-trouble-there-are-a-whopping-45-reasons-why-122930" target="_blank">very poor</a>."</p><p>Perhaps young people are simply less cynical and more capable of seeing clearly how irrational these decisions are. When I interviewed teenagers in the Maldives, one said:</p><blockquote>We saw online that people in Iceland held <a href="https://theconversation.com/iceland-is-mourning-a-dead-glacier-how-grieving-over-ecological-destruction-can-help-us-face-the-climate-crisis-122071" target="_blank">a funeral for a glacier</a> today, but who is going to do that for us? Don't they see that we will be underwater soon and our country will be gone? No one cares. How can you grieve for ice and ignore us?</blockquote><p>Because of sea level rise, people in the low-lying Maldives have more to fear from climate change than most. The sense of injustice that young people felt here was palpable.</p><blockquote>Climate change is like Thanos, wiping out half the world so the rest can survive … we are being sacrificed.<br></blockquote><p>There's moral clarity in the things young people say about climate change, but even at their age, there's a weariness. After all, young people use social media and are bombarded with bad environmental news as much as adults. Some may begin to normalise the mass extinctions they read about. A 10-year-old in the UK told me:</p><blockquote>It's normal for us now to grow up in a world where there will be no polar bears, that's just how it is for us now, it's different than it was for you.<br></blockquote><p>My dilemma was in trying talk to children about climate change without upsetting them even more. But I also wanted to know how they really felt, subconsciously. Rather than hearing them repeat what they're told in school or hear from adults, I wanted to hear what this generation — people who have never known a world without the looming threat of climate catastrophe — thought about what's happening to the planet and their futures.</p>
Healing the Generational Rift
<p>I asked the children to personify climate change — to see it as an animal and give it a voice. If climate change could talk, what would it say? I hoped that by externalizing that voice, they could talk more honestly than they otherwise would. Even so, I wasn't fully prepared for their responses.</p><blockquote>You created me, and now you must face the consequences… You spoilt the planet for the children and animals, now I'm going to spoil it for you… Adults have made the world a worse place, so now I'm here for revenge.<br></blockquote><p>Anger was the most common emotion that surfaced with this technique. These complicated emotions about climate change — perhaps difficult to express or articulate in conversation — surprised me, but they probably shouldn't have. Given the severity of climate change and biodiversity loss <a href="https://theconversation.com/climate-change-weve-created-a-civilisation-hell-bent-on-destroying-itself-im-terrified-writes-earth-scientist-113055" target="_blank">predicted in their lifetimes</a>, anger seems appropriate.</p><p>What was also uncovered in these conversations was an enduring empathy for the creatures they share the world with. These children could recognize their own vulnerability in the face of climate change, but it didn't eclipse their concern for the natural world. Instead, they expressed solidarity and empathy with other species. One said:</p><blockquote>Climate change is like the bug spray of nature, and people are the bugs.<br></blockquote><p>I believe children are bearing the emotional burden of climate change more courageously than adults, but we owe it to them to share it. Listen to your children when they talk about climate change, you'll learn more about how we should take responsibility for the mess, say sorry, and start to act.</p>
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This illustration can convey a representation of "eco-anxiety" — "chronic fear of environmental doom." AD_Images / Pixabay
As the climate crisis takes on more urgency, psychologists around the world are seeing an increase in the number of children sitting in their offices suffering from 'eco-anxiety,' which the American Psychological Association described as a "chronic fear of environmental doom," as EcoWatch reported.
The <a href="https://www.climatepsychologyalliance.org/" target="_blank">Climate Psychology Alliance</a> (CPA) told the <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/09/15/parents-told-not-terrify-children-climate-change-rising-numbers/?WT.mc_id=tmg_share_tw" target="_blank">Daily Telegraph</a> that they have seen kids treated with psychiatric drugs for eco-anxiety, and it is campaigning for eco-anxiety to be diagnosed as a psychological phenomenon despite its absence from the <a href="https://dsm.psychiatryonline.org/doi/book/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596" target="_blank">Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders</a>, the handbook for diagnosing mental illnesses.
<p>However, there is a caveat. The CPA does not want it classified as a mental disorder, because unlike other anxieties, the cause of worry is rational, as the <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/09/15/parents-told-not-terrify-children-climate-change-rising-numbers/?WT.mc_id=tmg_share_tw" target="_blank">Daily Telegraph</a> reported. </p>
<p>"A lot of parents are coming into therapy asking for help with the children and it has escalated a lot this summer," said Caroline Hickman, a teaching fellow at the University of Bath and a CPA executive, to the <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/09/15/parents-told-not-terrify-children-climate-change-rising-numbers/?WT.mc_id=tmg_share_tw" target="_blank">Daily Telegraph</a>. "The symptoms are the same [as clinical anxiety], the feelings are the same, but the cause is different. The fear is of environmental doom - that we're all going to die."</p>
<p>Writing in <a href="https://theconversation.com/im-a-psychotherapist-heres-what-ive-learned-from-listening-to-children-talk-about-climate-change-123183" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>, Hickman highlighted the existential despair young people in the Maldives feel. She notes that the Maldives may disappear by 2100 due to sea level rise. She gives an example that one teenager said to her. </p>
<p>"We saw online that people in Iceland held <a href="https://theconversation.com/iceland-is-mourning-a-dead-glacier-how-grieving-over-ecological-destruction-can-help-us-face-the-climate-crisis-122071" target="_blank">a funeral for a glacier</a> today, but who is going to do that for us? Don't they see that we will be underwater soon and our country will be gone? No one cares. How can you grieve for ice and ignore us?"</p>
<p>That sense of dread and doom is tricky for parents, who must validate children's feelings and discuss the importance of the climate crisis without upsetting them further. </p>
<p>"Listen to your children when they talk about climate change, you'll learn more about how we should take responsibility for the mess, say sorry, and start to act," Hickman wrote in <a href="https://theconversation.com/im-a-psychotherapist-heres-what-ive-learned-from-listening-to-children-talk-about-climate-change-123183" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.</p>
<p>To that have a discussion with your kids, Hickman has a four-step strategy for parents, which she shared with the <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/09/15/parents-told-not-terrify-children-climate-change-rising-numbers/?WT.mc_id=tmg_share_tw" target="_blank">Daily Telegraph</a>:</p>
<ol><li>Gradually introduce children to known facts.</li><li>Ask kids how they feel.</li><li>Acknowledge that the outcomes are uncertain.</li><li>Create actionable and doable steps together, such as reducing waste and choosing foods with a smaller carbon footprint.</li></ol>
<p>The climate crisis is particularly relevant for children, especially as the Global Climate Strike approaches this Friday. A new <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/context/washington-post-kaiser-family-foundation-climate-change-survey-july-9-aug-5-2019/601ed8ff-a7c6-4839-b57e-3f5eaa8ed09f/?tid=lk_inline_manual_4" target="_blank">poll</a> found that over 70 percent of American teenagers believe that the climate crisis is man-made and that it will cause harm to them and to their generation, according to the <a href="https://beta.washingtonpost.com/science/most-american-teens-are-frightened-by-climate-change-poll-finds-and-about-1-in-4-are-taking-action/2019/09/15/1936da1c-d639-11e9-9610-fb56c5522e1c_story.html" target="_blank">Washington Post</a>. </p>
<p>Fortunately, many choose not to slip into despair and take action, instead. </p>
<p>"Fear," said Madeline Graham, a 16-year-old organizer of a student protest planned for this week, "is a commodity we don't have time for if we're going to win the fight."</p>
<p>The poll found that that around 1 in 4 teenagers have participated in a demonstration, attended a rally, or written to public officials to express their concern about a warming planet. That is a very high level of activism for a constituency under the legal voting age, according to the <a href="https://beta.washingtonpost.com/science/most-american-teens-are-frightened-by-climate-change-poll-finds-and-about-1-in-4-are-taking-action/2019/09/15/1936da1c-d639-11e9-9610-fb56c5522e1c_story.html" target="_blank">Washington Post</a>.</p>
<p>Inspired by 16-year-old Greta Thunberg, an increasing number of teenagers are starting to skip school on Fridays to demonstrate for their future, which they argue is far more important than one day of school.</p>
<p>"People feel very guilty when a child says, 'You are stealing my future.' That has impact," Thunberg told the <a href="https://beta.washingtonpost.com/science/most-american-teens-are-frightened-by-climate-change-poll-finds-and-about-1-in-4-are-taking-action/2019/09/15/1936da1c-d639-11e9-9610-fb56c5522e1c_story.html" target="_blank">Washington Post</a>. "We have definitely made people open their eyes."</p>
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Residents watched from their roofs as firefighters fought the Peak Fire on Nov. 12, 2018 in Simi Valley, California. Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Do the daily climate change headlines make you feel stressed, afraid or powerless? If so, you're certainly not alone.
<p>A <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18027145" target="_blank">growing number</a> of people report feelings of loss, grief, worry and despair amid news that climate change is making natural disasters like <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/hurricanes">hurricanes</a> and <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wildfires">wildfires</a> <a href="https://www.phi.org/news-events/1339/climate-change-is-making-natural-disasters-worse-and-more-likely-how-do-we-protect-the-most-vulnerable" target="_blank">worse and more common</a>, that polar ice is <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2019/06/22/greenlands-ice-sheet-is-melting-unusually-fast" target="_blank">melting faster than we thought</a> and that <a href="https://www.vox.com/2018/10/8/17948832/climate-change-global-warming-un-ipcc-report" target="_blank">we only have 12 years</a> to prevent the most catastrophic effects of climate change.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2017/03/mental-health-climate.pdf" target="_blank">American Psychological Association</a> has come up with a term for these "resounding chronic psychological consequences" related to how we process the climate crisis: <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change-extinction-eco-anxiety-ice-melting-sea-level-wildfire-a8968011.html" target="_blank">eco-anxiety</a>.</p><p>Eco-Anxiety, which the APA describes as a "chronic fear of environmental doom," isn't listed anywhere in the <a href="https://dsm.psychiatryonline.org/doi/book/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596" target="_blank">Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders</a>, the handbook for diagnosing mental illnesses — but it has found its way into pop culture.</p><p>In an interview with <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/thom-yorke-interview-radiohead-anima-billie-eilish-2wnwqmxdw" target="_blank">The Sunday Times</a> promoting his new solo album, Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke said that uncertainty stemming from societal issues like climate change is contributing to a rise in people's anxiety and depression around the world. And a recent episode of the popular HBO drama <em>Big Little Lies </em>showed that children can be <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2019/06/28/climate-change-anxiety-is-now-part-growing-up-pop-culture-has-caught/?utm_term=.31888c34ca17" target="_blank">just as vulnerable to eco-anxiety</a> as adults, as the 9-year-old daughter of one of the main characters has a panic attack at school and faints in a closet following a lesson about climate change.</p><p>"Her class is evidently talking about climate change, and she's gotten the message that we're doomed," a school psychiatrist tells the main character afterward. A teacher adds that it's important for the children to "deconstruct" climate change "so they can process it."</p>
<p>Pop culture's absorption of eco-anxiety shouldn't come as a surprise — it's capturing the zeitgeist of a U.S. under an <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/trump-watch/">administration</a> that actively <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/27/us/politics/trump-climate-science.html" target="_blank">denies climate science</a> despite widespread public belief.</p><p>In December 2018, a <a href="https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/climate-change-in-the-american-mind-december-2018/" target="_blank">Yale University survey</a> found that nearly 70 percent of Americans are at least "somewhat worried" about climate change, 49 percent feel "afraid" and 51 percent said they feel "helpless." And a recent <a href="https://iop.harvard.edu/about/newsletter-press-release/spring-2019-harvard-iop-youth-poll-results" target="_blank">Harvard Public Opinion Project</a> report found that <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1v76HyyKfhaamPmOeviBHCWKRmBQ3iRjI1tnLTpUXHzw/edit#gid=1739501779" target="_blank">45 percent</a> of young Americans believe climate change is a "crisis and demands urgent action." One 2018 poll found that <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nearly-three-in-four-millennials-experience-ecoanxiety-300630657.html" target="_blank">three quarters of millennials</a> report that consuming negative media about climate change has had an impact on their mental health.</p><p>Even climate scientists and writers are feeling the effects of confronting the existential threat of climate change every day.</p><p>Peter Kalmus, a climate scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab, says that climate grief strikes unexpectedly, even on the job.</p><p>"In a millisecond, without warning, I'll feel my throat clench, my eyes sting, and my stomach drop as though the Earth below me is falling away," Kalmus wrote in <a href="https://www.yesmagazine.org/mental-health/the-best-medicine-for-my-climate-grief-20180809" target="_blank">Yes! Magazine</a>. "During these moments, I feel with excruciating clarity everything that we're losing — but also connection and love for those things."</p><p>Meteorologist and climate journalist Eric Holthaus <a href="https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/2018-2-march-april/last-words/eric-holthaus-got-those-climate-change-blues" target="_blank">said</a> he often finds himself "alternating between soul-crushing despair and headstrong hope" and that his "climate change blues" have affected his personal relationships and led him to seek therapy.</p><p>Unfortunately, <a href="http://www.anthropocenemagazine.org/2019/07/whats-the-connection-between-climate-grief-and-climate-action/" target="_blank">studies have shown</a> that <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2018/3/29/17173166/climate-change-perception-gallup-poll-politics-psychology" target="_blank">fear is not always a good motivator</a> and, especially in the case of an issue as large as climate change, it <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1075547008329201" target="_blank">does not inspire genuine personal engagement</a> on an individual level.</p><p>So what can you do to combat the symptoms of eco-anxiety?</p><p>In its <a href="https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2017/03/mental-health-climate.pdf" target="_blank">69-page report</a> on the mental health effects of climate change, the APA recommends that its practitioners support individuals' efforts to build resiliency, find personal meaning, and maintain connections to place and one's culture, among other things. Climate-centric publication Grist recommends <a href="https://grist.org/guides/umbra-apathy-detox/" target="_blank">turning apathy into action</a> by doing what you can on a personal level within your community.</p><p>University of Bath teaching fellow and member of the Climate Psychology Alliance Caroline Hickman says that our fear and anger are natural, appropriate reactions, but we can't get stuck there.</p><p>"In cases of people suffering from eco-anxiety and similar issues, the hope is to find paths towards a new world shaped by a deepening understanding of our relationship with the planet and how our future is ultimately entwined with the survival of other creatures," Hickman wrote in an article for <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/06/what-psychotherapy-can-do-for-the-climate-and-biodiversity-crise/" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>. </p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The Miraculous Hope of Climate Realists <a href="https://t.co/NrxG1s1Qfe">https://t.co/NrxG1s1Qfe</a></p>— The YEARS Project (@YEARSofLIVING) <a href="https://twitter.com/YEARSofLIVING/status/1081901963648876544?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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7 Everyday Tonics That Help Your Body Adjust to Stress and Anxiety
16 February 2019
Health + Wellness
Rimma_Bondarenko / iStock / Getty Images
By Tiffany La Forge
We've all been there — feeling like there's just some pep missing in our step. Thankfully, there's a natural (and tasty!) solution in your pantry.
<p>We're big fans of brewing up healthy concoctions, whether it's <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/best-medicinal-mushrooms-to-try" target="_blank">immune-boosting mushroom "coffee"</a> or <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/warm-milk-to-sleep" target="_blank">insomnia-fighting bedtime milk</a>.</p><p>So instead of reaching for that third cup of coffee for an energy boost or a nightcap to de-stress, we rounded up seven natural tonics filled with everyday ingredients that are known as powerful remedies for fighting fatigue, anxiety and stress. <strong>Think:</strong> apple cider vinegar, matcha, ginger and turmeric to name a few.</p><p>Keep reading to discover your new favorite flavorful drink.</p>
<p>As always, check in with your doctor first before adding anything to your everyday routine. While most of these herbs, spices, and teas are safe to consume, drinking too much in a day may be harmful.</p><p>So, with all of these amazing stress-fighting tonics to choose from, which one are you most excited to try first?</p><p><em>Medically reviewed by <a href="https://www.healthline.com/medical-team" target="_blank">Natalie Olsen, RD, LD, ACSM EP-C</a>.</em></p><p><em>Tiffany La Forge is a professional chef, recipe developer, and food writer who runs the blog </em><a href="http://www.parsnipsandpastries.com/" target="_blank"><em>Parsnips and Pastries</em></a><em>. Her blog focuses on real food for a balanced life, seasonal recipes, and approachable health advice. When she's not in the kitchen, Tiffany enjoys yoga, hiking, traveling, organic gardening, and hanging out with her corgi, Cocoa. Visit her at her blog or on </em><a href="https://www.instagram.com/parsnipsandpastries/" target="_blank"><em>Instagram</em></a><em>.</em></p><p> <em>Reposted with permission from our media associate <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/drinks-for-stress-anxiety" target="_blank">Healthline</a>.</em><em></em></p>
Drink ginger to sharpen your brain and beat stress.
<p><a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-proven-benefits-of-ginger" target="_blank">Ginger</a> has benefits beyond flavoring your favorite stir-fry recipe or easing an upset stomach. This powerhouse plant contains 14 unique bioactive compounds and antioxidant properties. These compounds have been found to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3253463/" target="_blank">sharpen cognitive function</a> in middle-aged women and may even protect the brain, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21197427" target="_blank">per a study in rats</a>, against oxidative stress-related damage.</p><p>Animal studies have also indicated that ginger can <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20363635" target="_blank">influence serotonin levels</a> and may <a href="https://www.ijper.org/sites/default/files/Doi%20-%20article%20id%2010.5530ijper.51.3s.4.pdf" target="_blank">treat and reduce anxiety</a> as successfully as benzodiazepine drugs.</p><p><strong>Ginger Benefits</strong></p><ul><li>improved brain function</li><li>antioxidant support</li><li>treatment for stress</li></ul><p><strong>Try It</strong></p><p><strong></strong>Brew <a href="http://www.healthlady.com/health-talk/homemade-ginger-tonic" target="_blank">this healthy ginger tonic</a> (hot or cold) for a dose of powerful antioxidants. Fresh ginger is the way to go, but if you're planning on supplementing, recommended doses vary.</p><p><strong>Possible Side Effects</strong></p><p><strong></strong>Ginger doesn't have many serious side effects. Just make sure you're not overdosing (more than <a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/265990.php" target="_blank">4 grams</a>) as it could irritate your stomach.</p>Brew maca to balance your hormones.
<p><a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/benefits-of-maca-root" target="_blank">Maca root</a> is increasingly popular lately — and for good reason. This native Peruvian plant has been shown to increase <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12472620" target="_blank">sexual desire in men</a> (and possibly <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20691074" target="_blank">sexual function</a>, too). It's also shown <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19781622" target="_blank">promising results</a> for boosting exercise performance in male cyclists.</p><p>This hormone balancer is also a strong supporter against stress. Maca's plant compounds (called flavonoids) may promote a positive mood and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24931003" target="_blank">reduce blood pressure and depression</a>(as shown in postmenopausal women).</p><p><strong>Maca Benefits</strong></p><ul><li>increased energy</li><li>balanced mood</li><li>reduced blood pressure and depression</li></ul><p><strong>Try It</strong></p><p><strong></strong>Simply mix <a href="https://www.iherb.com/pr/Navitas-Organics-Organic-Maca-Powder-16-oz-454-g/8260?gclid=CjwKCAjw_47YBRBxEiwAYuKdw_x7sLktLUd6cSppLlj_DHSQzveRqhGNGj8xvNFsqSu0SVzTP-h68hoCOK4QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds" target="_blank">maca powder</a> into your daily smoothie, cup of coffee, or hot cocoa (<a href="https://www.loveandlemons.com/maca-cacao-hot-chocolate/" target="_blank">here's a tasty recipe!</a>). You can also try this <a href="http://thefirstmess.com/2013/11/20/my-good-energy-drink/" target="_blank">Good Energy Drink</a> featuring the root. To truly see an effect, you may need to drink about <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24931003" target="_blank">3.3 grams</a> every day for 8 to 14 weeks.</p><p><strong>Possible Side Effects</strong></p><p><strong></strong>Maca is generally safe for most people unless you're pregnant, breastfeeding or have a thyroid problem.</p>Need a new pick-me-up? Switch to matcha.
<p>Sip <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/7-benefits-of-matcha-tea" target="_blank">matcha</a> for a clean, jitter-free buzz. Matcha contains flavonoids and <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/l-theanine" target="_blank">L-theanine</a>, which is <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15378679" target="_blank">historically known for</a> its relaxing effects. L-theanine increases the brain's alpha frequency band, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18296328" target="_blank">relaxing the mind</a> without causing drowsiness.</p><p>Combined with caffeine, L-theanine may have <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18681988" target="_blank">positive effects on mood</a> and cognition. Considering matcha is also packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and nutrients, it can be a powerful tonic for beating fatigue and boosting your overall health.</p><p><strong>Matcha Benefits</strong></p><ul><li>positive effects on mood</li><li>promotes relaxation</li><li>provides sustained energy</li></ul><p><strong>Try It</strong></p><p><strong></strong>Brew a cup of matcha tea with <a href="http://www.republicoftea.com/organic-double-green-matcha-tea/p/v00643/dpn/40051/?gclid=CjwKCAjwopTYBRAzEiwAnU4kbwhRunAxbHSTuMEb_fmC7nWbx1IguyNWvZG30rRic1-cWiIB93cdUBoCKIkQAvD_BwE" target="_blank">convenient tea bags</a> or whip up this <a href="https://www.rosiehope.com/facts/recipe-magic-matcha-tonic" target="_blank">Magic Matcha Tonic</a>using matcha powder. The caffeine in matcha is <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/matcha-green-tea" target="_blank">fairly strong</a>! You may be able to feel the effects within the hour.</p><p><strong>Possible Side Effects</strong></p><p><strong></strong>Just as you can be over-caffeinated on coffee, it's possible to drink too much matcha. While it may be healthier, stick to just one or two cups a day.</p>Try reishi for natural anxiety relief.
<p><a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/reishi-mushroom-benefits" target="_blank">Reishi mushrooms</a>, nicknamed "nature's Xanax," are a great natural way to de-stress. This mushroom contains the compound triterpene, which is known for its calming properties. It also possesses <a href="https://inforesights.com/phytopharmacology/files/pp4v2i11.pdf" target="_blank">anticancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-anxiety, and antidepressant qualities</a>.</p><p>This magic mushroom may also promote better sleep (as shown in <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22207209" target="_blank">studies on rats</a>), leaving you more rested and focused throughout your day.</p><p><strong>Reishi Benefits</strong></p><ul><li>promotes more restful sleep</li><li>has antidepressant and anti-anxiety properties</li><li>possesses powerful calming agents</li></ul><p><strong>Try It</strong></p><p><strong></strong>Use a spoonful of <a href="https://www.iherb.com/pr/OM-Organic-Mushroom-Nutrition-Reishi-Mushroom-Powder-3-57-oz-100-g/76398?gclid=CjwKCAjwopTYBRAzEiwAnU4kb9sSM_9NkrUEwgUZaeneEMbgiWagU6MPnDm1xRDCyRBLB8-Z6b0d1BoCW1AQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds" target="_blank">reishi powder</a> to make a warm, <a href="https://www.freeandnative.com/free-native-1/2014/3/4/healing-mushroom-tonic" target="_blank">healing tonic</a> or tea.</p><p><strong>Possible Side Effects</strong></p><p><strong></strong>While research around the benefits of reishi's is still lacking, what's available shows that they may be associated with liver damage. Other than that, the side effects are minor (such as an upset stomach). Talk to your doctor if you're considering supplementing with these mushrooms as people who are pregnant or breastfeeding, those with a blood problem, or anyone needing surgery should avoid it.</p>Reach for apple cider vinegar to boost energy.
<p><a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/6-proven-health-benefits-of-apple-cider-vinegar" target="_blank">Apple cider vinegar</a> has uses beyond that tasty vinaigrette. This vinegar can have a direct impact on your <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7796781" target="_blank">blood sugar levels</a>, helping you maintain even energy and preventing fatigue. Apple cider vinegar also contains <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8729685" target="_blank">essential minerals</a> like <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/potassium" target="_blank">potassium</a>, which has a direct correlation on our energy levels.</p><p><strong>Apple Cider Vinegar Benefits</strong></p><ul><li>controls blood sugar</li><li>maintains even energy levels</li><li>may help promote overall health</li></ul><p><strong>Try It</strong></p><p><strong></strong>Simply mix apple cider vinegar into warm or cold water or try making this <a href="http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/261767/apple-cider-vinegar-tonic/" target="_blank">Apple Cider Vinegar Tea Tonic</a>. After drinking <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7796781" target="_blank">1 gram</a>, you may feel the effects within 95 minutes.</p><p><strong>Possible Side Effects</strong></p><p><strong></strong>Large doses of apple cider vinegar <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/apple-cider-vinegar-side-effects" target="_blank">may cause some side effects</a>, including digestive issues, damaged tooth enamel, and throat burns. It may also interact with your medications, so talk to your doctor if you're planning to drink it regularly.</p>Try turmeric for overall mental health.
<p><a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/top-10-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-turmeric" target="_blank">Turmeric</a> lattes are all over the internet, but are they backed by science or just trendy? We're happy to report that turmeric stands up to its popularity — especially in terms of mental health.</p><p>Curcumin, the bioactive compound found in turmeric, has been linked to treating <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5503424/" target="_blank">anxiety</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23832433" target="_blank">depression</a>, and more — possibly due to it <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00213-008-1300-y" target="_blank">boosting serotonin and dopamine levels</a>. Research <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23832433" target="_blank">has suggested</a> that it may actually be just as effective as Prozac with far fewer side effects.</p><p><strong>Turmeric Benefits</strong></p><ul><li>boosts serotonin levels</li><li>can help relieve anxiety and depression</li><li>may be just as effective as antidepressants</li></ul><p><strong>Try It</strong></p><p><strong></strong>Try this refreshing <a href="https://www.savorylotus.com/anti-inflammatory-turmeric-tonic/" target="_blank">anti-inflammatory Turmeric Tonic</a> for something a little different. The results may not be immediate, but if you drink it <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23832433" target="_blank">1000 milligrams</a> daily for six weeks, you may start feeling a difference then.</p><p><strong>Possible Side Effects</strong></p><p><strong></strong>For the most part, turmeric is safe to eat. But you may want to avoid too much of it and make sure you're getting it from a trusted source. High doses of turmeric may cause kidney stones, and untrustworthy sources tend to have fillers.</p>Ashwagandha: Your new go-to adaptogen
<p>If you're not familiar with this <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/stress/smart-girls-guide-to-adaptogens" target="_blank">adaptogen</a>, it's a good time to learn. Adaptogens are naturally occuring substances that help our bodies deal with and adapt to stress.</p><p><a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/ashwagandha-health-benefits" target="_blank">Ashwagandha</a> in particular is a stress-fighting superstar. This adaptogen has been shown to aid in <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4270108/" target="_blank">anxiety relief</a>, fight fatigue, and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3573577/" target="_blank">reduce cortisol levels</a>.</p><p><strong>Ashwagandha Benefits</strong></p><ul><li>reduces body's stress hormone</li><li>relieves anxiety</li><li>prevents stress-related fatigue</li></ul><p><strong>Try It</strong></p><p>Sip <a href="https://ascensionkitchen.com/ashwagandha-sleep-tonic/" target="_blank">this Ashwagandha Tonic</a> to sleep sound and melt stress. It may take drinking two cups a day (with <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3573577/" target="_blank">150 milligrams of ashwagandha</a>) for a month before you feel the effects.</p><p><strong>Possible Side Effects</strong></p><p><strong></strong>There aren't enough studies to say exactly what the side effects of this herb are, but those who are pregnant will want to avoid it, as it can cause early delivery. Another risk of taking ashwagandha is the source. Untrustworthy sources tend to have harmful additives.</p>
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Katie Hayes, Blake Poland and Mark Hathaway
This summer, wildfires erupted in California, torrential rains flooded parts of Japan, and record-breaking temperatures led to a number of heat-related deaths around the globe. Disasters like these are augmented by climate change, and scientists say extreme weather like this will increase and worsen as climate change accelerates.
<p>And it's impacting our mental health.</p><p>Given the scale of climate change, it makes sense that <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959378017305228?via%3Dihub" target="_blank">people are worried </a>about its impacts. And worry can lead to depression, anxiety, and persistent fear. While worry can be a motivator for action, it can also have the opposite effect, leaving us feeling powerless, overwhelmed and apathetic.</p><p>As research scientists who study the interaction between ecology and human health, we're interested in the ways that <a href="https://www.yesmagazine.org/mental-health/the-best-medicine-for-my-climate-grief-20180809" target="_blank">climate change impacts our mental health</a>.<a href="https://ijmhs.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13033-018-0210-6" target="_blank">People can experience everything from</a> altruism, a sense of personal growth, and strong sense of community to post-traumatic stress disorder, panic, and anxiety <a href="https://www.yesmagazine.org/issues/mental-health/what-wildfires-do-to-our-minds-20180807" target="_blank">after a climate-related extreme weather event</a>. While less is known about the positive mental health effects from climate change, the impacts of climate-related extreme weather on mental illness is better established. For example, one year <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2556982/" target="_blank">after Hurricane Katrina </a>struck New Orleans, researchers found an increased prevalence of PTSD, mental illness, and suicidal thoughts and plans. Research also suggests that climate change affects pre-existing mental health conditions. One study found that <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22391284" target="_blank">climate change exacerbated obsessive-compulsive disorder</a>, with participants expressing obsessive-compulsive tendencies over wasting water, gas, and electricity; and obsessive fears about flooding and drought.</p><p>Like the other impacts of climate change, mental health impacts disproportionately affect different groups. Researchers, like epidemiologist Anthony McMichael, have noted that climate change <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/climate-change-and-the-health-of-nations-9780190262952?cc=us&lang=en&" target="_blank">amplifies existing social inequities</a>. Indigenous people, the poor, seniors, children, and people of color bear the greatest burden of a changing climate.</p><p>So what is being done to address the mental health consequences of climate change? Recent scholarship—by us and others—shows that in many places, community-based responses are facilitating recovery, hope, and action.</p><p>Here are five community-based programs that are helping people confront—and cope with—the mental health consequences of climate change.</p><h4>1. REACH NOLA breaks down barriers to provide mental health care after Hurricane Katrina</h4><p>REACH NOLA is a New Orleans nonprofit collaborative of community-based faith groups, academics, health practitioners, and social service providers to address the mental health recovery of those impacted by Hurricane Katrina. In 2006, REACH NOLA established the <a href="https://aims.uw.edu/sites/default/files/ReachNOLA.pdf" target="_blank">Mental Health Infrastructure and Training Project </a>to respond to the mental health effects of the hurricane. MHIT is a mental health care capacity-building project that provides guidance on mental health care training and implementation in at-risk communities.</p><p>Research documents how MHIT <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3715308/" target="_blank">emerged after the hurricane </a>in the lower 9th ward. The neighborhood was one of the hardest hit in New Orleans and predominantly made up of low-income African Americans with little access to mental health care. Noting the mental health needs of the neighborhood and gaps in care, the president of the Holy Cross Neighborhood Association in the lower 9th ward teamed up with other organizations and mental health clinicians to found REACH NOLA and, subsequently, the MHIT project. Because the HCNA was already a trusted resource to neighborhood residents, it was able to help mental health clinicians reach community members in need.</p><p>Here's how they did it: Before health practitioners entered the community, HCNA community leads provided residents with information and education about depression and the potential for other mental health effects related to disastrous events like the hurricane. The aim was to dispel <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3715308/" target="_blank">pervasive stigmas </a>about mental health that would keep people from accessing help. Mental health practitioners then provided treatment to residents. They also trained lower 9th ward residents to offer mental health aid, who were then employed as community health workers in their neighborhood. This opportunity provided mental health services, employment, new career opportunities, and opportunities for residents to be stewards in their neighborhood's recovery.</p><h4>2. "Safe Spot" trains businesses and organizations in psychological first aid after a super flood</h4><p>Bridging community institutions with mental health care providers is a common approach to providing care after a climate-related disaster. The community of High River, Alberta, was left with mental health concerns long after government money and disaster response assistance dried up. In 2013, the town experienced a <a href="https://www.ec.gc.ca/meteo-weather/default.asp?lang=En&n=5BA5EAFC-1&offset=2&toc=show" target="_blank">super flood </a>that displaced the entire town of 13,000 people and resulted in four deaths. According to public health surveillance <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27526210" target="_blank">research</a>, as well as <a href="http://storiesofthehighriverflood.com/" target="_blank">stories from residents</a>, many townspeople reported anxiety, trouble sleeping, and post-traumatic stress disorder following the flood.</p><p>In response, the town is currently implementing a mental health initiative called <a href="https://www.highriveronline.com/local/building-citizen-capacity" target="_blank">Safe Spot</a>, which trains employees of business and agencies in <a href="http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/44615/9789241548205_eng.pdf?sequence=1" target="_blank">psychological first aid </a>to support community well-being. An orange dot in the windows of businesses lets community members know that they have a safe space to talk about, and seek support for, their mental health from trained community members. If someone is experiencing a crisis and they need support before they are able to access formal counseling or professional services, they can seek support from a local business or agency who has been trained in psychological community care. The idea is that every door is the right door to support community mental health and well-being.</p><h4>3. The Transition Town Movement provides a space for connection and environmental activism</h4><p>Transition Town initiatives throughout the United States, Canada, and around the world are part of a community-driven grassroots movement to help people cope with climate change, peak oil, and ecological degradation. At the heart of the movement is <a href="http://transitionnetwork.org/about-the-movement/what-is-transition/inner/" target="_blank">inner transition </a>work, which is based on the idea that the relationship that we have with the natural world is a direct reflection of the relationship we have with our inner landscape.</p><p>Individual community members are supported through their inner transitions by community groups. These groups provide a space for residents to talk about fears and concerns about climate change, support each other in building community resilience, and provide opportunities to explore plans to transition to a low-carbon future. According to a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0312407X.2013.781201?src=recsys&journalCode=rasw20" target="_blank">study </a>on the adoption of the transition model in 10 towns in Australia, researchers found it helped individuals develop lifestyle changes to reduce carbon emissions. They also found that developing an eco-spiritual connection helped individuals—especially women—incite action on climate change.</p><p>In the U.S., Transition U.S. is building a nationwide campaign to support community resilience and emergency preparedness. Called Ready Together, the campaign aims to prepare communities for environmental disasters—like climate-augmented extreme weather—through educational materials and action-oriented toolkits. The initiative is currently being launched with plans to include podcasts, webinars, workshops, and a Ready Together handbook to prepare communities for disasters. The campaign targets physical preparedness as well as mental health needs after a disaster.</p><h4>4. Transformative processes to reconnect people with themselves and their environment</h4><p>In some cases, communities are supporting individuals' spiritual growth to help them cope with climate change. The Work That Reconnects is a group process for cultivating spiritual growth first developed by Joanna Macy in the U.S. and now facilitated by trained educators around the globe. It's rooted in the belief that addressing climate change and other ecological crises starts with cultivating appreciation and gratitude for the Earth. At the same time, the facilitated groups provide safe places where people can share feelings of fear, doubt, guilt, and even despair. Recognizing that we experience pain about climate change because we are connected to all life and future generations—and understanding that we are not alone in experiencing this—can empower action.</p><p>The process employs a wide variety of meditative and interactive practices, many involving the use of the imagination to stimulate creativity and cultivate empathy. In a Work That Reconnects <a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1541344616680350" target="_blank">workshop </a>led by Mark Hathaway for undergraduate environmental studies students at the University of Toronto, one student wrote in their reflection that the approach "highlights the interconnectedness of the participants with one another, as well as with the greater world, which once again leads to an emotional connection." Another student wrote that the process built a sense of empowerment and helped them experience "the capacity to instigate change."</p><h4>5. One Earth Sanga: the online community that supports spiritual growth and ecological awareness</h4><p>Some community-based mental health programs also help people reckon with the inequality that's exacerbated by climate change. One Earth Sanga is an online platform that helps people respond to the climate crisis through Buddhist teachings and its EcoSattva training program. This platform was co-founded by two Buddhist environmentalists, Kristin Barker and Lou Lenard, and was created in partnership with the Insight Meditation Community in Washington state. The online platform provides a digital space to learn, reflect, and take action on climate change.</p><p>One of the teachings on this platform—and highlighted in its training program—is about confronting Whiteness and addressing privilege as a necessary part of confronting climate change. The equity training that One Earth Sanga provides can be an important reckoning for many who sympathize with people on the front lines of climate change but may not recognize the role privilege and Whiteness plays in shielding them from many of the social, emotional, physical, and mental health consequences of climate change.</p><p> <em>Reposted with permission from our media associate </em><em><a href="https://www.yesmagazine.org/planet/5-ways-communities-are-coping-with-climate-anxiety-20180822" target="_blank">YES! Magazine</a>.</em></p>
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