Image by Trent Haaland via Unsplash
Leading up to the event on 24 September in Brussels where the central question will be whether climate communication can overcome the bad news problem, this article series has been created to keep you updated about the program, the speakers and relevant news relating to the topics. Let's talk eco-anxiety, a growing problem that is especially hitting youth. The Independent recently covered new research showing that nearly two thirds of secondary school children in the UK are experiencing mental health symptoms associated with concern about the environment. Matt Buttery, CEO of parenting programme Triple P and honorary associate professor at the University of Warwick, stressed the importance of taking a calm stance and tone of voice during conversations with worried children. “Despite many children feeling powerless, it is essential for parents to stay positive and calm when talking about the environment and their children’s futures.”
Eco-anxiety – and how to make it go away
With an overwhelming amount of negative news about climate change and the environment, it is not surprising that many people, especially the young, are experiencing eco-anxiety. The cure: action and agency.
“The way to make eco-anxiety go away is by creating the sense among everyone in society that we are seriously tackling climate change,” says neuroscientist Kris De Meyer, Director of the UCL Climate Action Unit (CAU) and Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Earth Sciences at London University UCL.
Editor's Top Picks:
- To help children cope with climate-anxiety, climate education needs to empower them to address climate change, not only the scientific basics, write representatives of global nonprofit Education Development Center in an op-ed in The Hechinger Report.
- Forget climate anxiety: many people are in flat-out climate despair, writes TIME Magazine, and gives seven helpful tips on how to deal with it. From talking about climate change to analysing your carbon footprint, and maybe post on Facebook about the tree you planted.
- Starting with a daily practice of sustainability, our collective action can drive the necessary culture change for climate action. Heather White, with 20 years of experience in climate policy, explains how our action can ease eco-anxiety and show our children they are not alone in tackling climate change.
Find out more about the event, the speakers, and sign-up here.
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Tackling eco-anxiety is an important role of communicators, both because anxiety hinders action but also because we need to get out of this crisis with hope for the future. A better future includes a less anxious population.