Climate Column: Helping our youth cope with climate anxiety
NATASHA JULIANA
ARGUS-COURIER COLUMNIST
November 7, 2024, 2:55PM
Eco-anxiety is defined as “a chronic fear of environmental doom” by the American Psychological Association. In 2021, the Global Study on Youth Mental Health and Climate Change by Lancet Planetary Health surveyed young people aged 16-25 years and found that almost half, 45%, said climate-related stress affected their daily lives.
They also found that 59% are “very or extremely” worried about climate change, that 75% believe “the future is frightening,” and that 83% think “people have failed to take care of the planet.”
“I don’t know how to balance out my emotions around the climate crisis and this chaotic unknown future, with the everyday stress of homework and daily life,” says one 10th grader quoted at the top of the California Environmental Literacy Initiative’s Call to Action. “I really wish we were better prepared at school for understanding climate change and developing solutions for a more sustainable future. It is so hard to really know what is going on when none of our teachers are talking about it.”
As the mother of a 20-year-old, I have had to navigate a lot of uncharted territory. For most of human existence, we’ve been able to draw from past experiences to inform our parenting decisions. But a lot has changed since I was a kid.
In my adult life, I’ve witnessed the rise of the internet, the invention of social media, and the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. For all of these, I had no childhood experiences to reference when making choices for my kid, but at least there was a discussion of how to protect our young ones from harm. When it comes to figuring out age-appropriate ways to face the climate crisis with our children, there has been very little conversation or expert advice.
“Children born today are likely to face seven times more extreme weather events than their grandparents,” warns The Economist. Firestorm, megadrought, heat dome, rain bomb, storm surge – these are the new words our children are learning firsthand.
And when a young person reads the Bloomberg headline, “13 million U.S. coastal residents are expected to be displaced by 2100 due to sea level rise,” they can’t automatically dismiss it as something beyond their lifespan – or at least not beyond the lifespan of their children.
Our number one parental goal is to keep our kids safe. But how do we protect them from all of this? Is it better to shelter them from the hard truths or to be honest about the planetary crisis? How do we raise them to be strong, resilient, helpful, and hopeful in this era of great uncertainty?
The Petaluma City Schools Science, Environmental Education, and Climate Action Committee meets monthly, bringing the community together so that we can help our schools understand the challenges ahead, search for best practices and ideal outcomes, and take next steps moving us all forward.
Leading the charge is Dan Ostermann, PCS’s college and career pathways coordinator. It is perhaps a surprising position to be tasked with, guiding the school district’s climate action strategies.
“I often say that we are in the future business,” says Ostermann. “Climate change is a huge factor affecting the future. And, of course, there’s the need for green workforce development.”
In October, the committee heard a presentation by Caitlin Severin, one of eight district guidance coordinators supporting the district. Titled “The Impact of Climate Anxiety on Youth Mental Health,” she gave recommendations on how educators and communities can best support our kids through these unprecedented times.
Severin boiled down the research on climate anxiety solutions to a few key takeaways:
Resilience building: Teach youth coping strategies such as mindfulness and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to manage anxiety.
Collective action: Studies show that youth who participate in group efforts report feeling more empowered and less anxious.
Hope for the future: Mental health professionals suggest focusing on hopeful, solution-based narratives to balance the fear and urgency of climate news.
When it comes to communicating with our teens, Severin suggests starting with “externalization.” Instead of asking about their own experiences and feelings, ask about their thoughts and perspective instead. “If they open the door to having a deeper conversation, then go there,” she advises.
Initiatives that feel productive and proactive at home can also help. Whether it’s riding bikes to school, being diligent about composting, or taking them to a beach cleanup with friends, family-based activities present opportunities for both empowerment and discussion.
Severin’s other pro tip for parents: “Teens love to be taken seriously. Have them educate you about something.” By valuing their perspective, we can increase their sense of agency and control.
The same ideas can help at school. Ostermann sees us moving towards a time where every topic could be taught through the lens of climate and environment. He also understands the importance of being good role models by practicing what we preach.
We have a long way to go, but the amount of progress made over the last year has been inspiring – from Climate Action Pathways for School’s paid high school internship program to prioritizing zero waste packaging and nutritious, local, regenerative food for the nearly 900,000 meals served each school year. All of these visible actions show our young people that we care about their future and we are working hard to protect it.
At one of our committee meetings last year, there were several high school students in attendance. At the end, we all went around the room offering a few words of gratitude. When it got to the teens, several of them said they were grateful to learn that adults cared about the state of the climate. They had thought we didn’t care.
I have held that revelation in mind ever since. Where did we go wrong that our kids feel like they’ve been left alone with this crisis? Is it because we were trying to shield them from reality? Is it because there aren’t enough adults publicly talking about and acting on the climate emergency? By pretending it doesn’t exist or passing it off to someone else to solve, we’ve left our most beloved and least empowered population holding the bag.
“Listen to your kids, validate what they are saying, and take action,” suggests Dr. Lise Van Susteren, a psychiatrist with expertise on the physical and mental health effects of climate disruption.
To everyone out there who is stepping up to help shoulder the responsibility for the future, thank you.
