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Florence Jordan, member of Hull and East Riding FOE
A worried world
A worried world
Hull and East Riding member Florence Jordan reflects on the impact of climate anxiety in young people
Climate change could be irreversible by 2030...over a million species face extinction... 99% of coral reefs will be lost if we exceed 2 degrees Celsius of warming*. The truths of the climate crisis weigh heavily on the minds of (often) young individuals like myself. And even more so: where can we find hope and solutions?
83% of people believe humans have inadequately cared for our planet.*
Eco-anxiety is defined as a chronic fear of environmental doom, and its prevalence is increasing dramatically worldwide. With events like heatwaves, wildfires, cyclones, earthquakes, and rising sea levels becoming more frequent, the reasons for despair mount. The accumulation of waste in our oceans, the loss of biodiversity, and the unsustainable exploitation of natural resources contribute to a bleak outlook. It's no wonder that many young people are losing faith in humanity's ability to tackle these crises and are slipping into depression as a result. Not to mention anxiety, stress, anger, hopelessness, and a lack of motivation.
Eco-anxiety in young people: extra challenges.
Did you know? "55.7% of children and young people globally think the world is doomed".*
Such issues affecting mental health have become particularly prevalent in children. I can easily empathise: as children, we have seemingly no influence (I can't even get my parents to stop buying peanut butter containing palm oil) and no choice but to follow a system we feel is killing our beloved planet. Can you imagine the frustration?
I have spent my entire life revelling in the joys of nature, so the prospect of losing it positively sweeps me up in a wave of hopeless despair and leaves me deadened in a desolate desert of nightmares. Here's the thing though: feeling powerless wouldn't be such a problem if we felt that those in power, were doing a good job... or at least trying to... Because at the moment, I can't help but get the impression that our politicians are neither listening nor CARING. We are losing nature and temperatures are rising at a faster rate than ever before, innocent people are suffering and inequalities growing (not to mention all the countless other negative knock-on effects) so why isn't climate change at the top of every government's to-do list? Children and young people have enough on their plates to manage GCSEs, A-levels, family and friendship tensions, without having to worry about the future of their generation too.
All HOPE is not lost... (yet)
"What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make."
Dr Jane Goodall**.
Despite the rising fear and injustice, we must never underestimate the power we possess as individuals, however small it may seem. As human beings, we often crave immediate results and struggle with patience, especially when progress feels minimal. Yet, to secure the future of life on Earth, we must embrace our ability to influence change, maintain an optimistic view of humanity's inherent goodness, and, above all, remain relentless in our pursuit of our goals! Viewing the world as a sinking ship may appear true, but it does nothing to help us right it. Instead, if you have faith in our collective potential and are actively taking positive steps, not only will you feel empowered, but you will also significantly increase the likelihood of achieving salvation.
Don't give up-life will surprise you.
This summer, I made a promise to myself to do more for the issues I care about, namely the preservation of our beautiful natural world. A few days into my research I began to feel disappointed, I couldn't make my parents install solar panels, get rid of the boiler, or use the car less... Every week's shopping became a battle to eradicate non-seasonal produce.
I have to admit, I petered out a bit, what else could I do? By the time school restarted, I had nearly given up hope-the ship was as good as sunk, nobody was bailing it out, and I couldn't even find a bucket. I was mistaken. The first week after half term I received a mysterious invitation to meet some visitors (from something called "Let's Go Zero.") They wanted to speak with a member of the senior school's green team, and my teacher had put me forward. Can you imagine my joy? There I sat with our school's new "climate advisors" Talking about solar panels and reinforcing our recycling system!
My school had joined a program to go carbon neutral, and the green team would be working alongside Let's Go Zero to inspire passion and make changes! This has proved to me that I do have the power to bring about change, and so do you.
So, here I am. The list of actions for leading a more eco-friendly life said to join a local environmental group, so I did. Collaborating with like-minded people to implement action is empowering, and it gets more so every time.
Above: "You are not the only one feeling climate anxiety" From: https://www.self.com/story/what-is-climate-anxiety
Below: https://www.sciencearena.org/en/news/climate-anxiety-pathways-yet-to-be-explored-by-science/:
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