“When you know the science of (climate change), it can still seem abstract. It’s there, it lingers, maybe it becomes an intrusive thought every now and then.
“When you know the science , it can still seem abstract,” she explains. “It’s there, it lingers, maybe it becomes an intrusive thought every now and then. But when it’s happening to you in real time, that’s when the anxiety is at its highest. People died in that storm. I have a friend whose tree fell straight through their roof into their bedroom. That’s horrifying. That’s the stuff that keeps you up at night.
“I honestly fear my future, for my future children. I’m passionate about science, so this is always in my awareness. You want to one day bring children into the world, but what do you bring them into? If the predictions are that maybe in 50 years we’re going to be in a burning ball of fire, what do you do? What do you do then? Do you just decide not to continue?”Article content
Eco-anxiety, stresses Sarah Kennell, national director of public policy with the Canadian Mental Health Association, is not a formal diagnosis listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM. But it can contribute to ones that are. And, she says, it’s affecting more people, especially youths.
A study published last fall in Science journal concluded that children born in 2020 will experience two to seven times more extreme weather events, such as heat waves, compared to people born in 1960.Article content “There are a lot of papers being published now in really well-respected medical journals like the BMJ that show that across all age groups, across all nations, whether they are more developed or lower-and middle-income countries, people have eco-anxiety and are really worried about their futures because of the environment. It’s prevalent across all age groups.”Article content
“It helps us establish control,” says Kennell. “In the face of anxiety, it’s really important for us to re-establish those elements in our life that we do have control over.”Article content
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Tour de France fans tackle eco protesters who blocked race routeThe eight climate protesters wore shirts that read \u0022we have 978 days left\u0022
Read more »
Tour de France fans tackle eco protesters who blocked race routeThe eight climate protesters wore shirts that read \u0022we have 978 days left\u0022
Read more »
Stock up Your Kitchen With These Eco-Essentials | Elle CanadaHelping the planet out every day in a plastic-free way—here are 10 eco swaps you can make in your kitchen right now.
Read more »
Globe Climate: Brutal summer heat waves forecast the need to better prepare for a hotter futureAlso: Can kelp combat climate change?
Read more »
Alberta has role to play in global food security crisisThere are many contributing factors, including climate change, severe weather, infrastructure issues and political policy roadblocks.
Read more »
Alberta has role to play in global food security crisisThere are many contributing factors, including climate change, severe weather, infrastructure issues and political policy roadblocks.
Read more »