Last month, The Washington Post ran a story about college campuses offering therapy for climate change anxiety. The American Psychological Association found that nearly half of younger Americans say eco-anxiety affects their daily lives. And, globally, a study in The Lancet found that 59% percent of people aged 16-25 are very worried about climate change.

In this episode, Mike and Tamar respond to a question from a Bay Area pediatrician caring for teenagers with climate change anxiety and depression. Specifically, she asks how worried kids should be about climate change and if there’s any way to shift their emotions around it. 

With the effects of climate change all around us – massive flooding in Pakistan, unprecedented drought in China, catastrophic ice melting in Greenland, raging forest fires in California – it’s easy to get caught up in apocalyptic speculation and hysterical warnings. But Tamar and Mike say some of the facts can be reassuring and even empowering for young people. 

Resources:

American Psychological Association: Addressing climate change concerns in practice

The Lancet: on climate anxiety in children

The Washington Post: on colleges offering therapy for climate change anxiety

Have a question about food and climate change for Mike and Tamar? Leave a message on the Climavores hotline at (508) 377-3449. Or email us at [email protected]. We might feature your question on a future episode. 

Climavores is a production of Post Script Media. 

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