With the effects of human induced climate change starting to show themselves ever more presently, and the advice of scientific reports like the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change, or IPCC, differing so dramatically from the actions that governments are taking, it is no surprise that many fear for the future. In particular, young people are angered by the inaction of previous generations. The realisation that solving this crisis is a greater task than any one of us can achieve alone, and the apathy of large sections of the population, are adding to this drain on the mental health of many and leading to feelings of hopelessness for the future of our planet and its habitability.
For those of us without power or large influence, the fear we feel because of the climate crisis easily leads to a bleak outlook of the future. According to psychologists like Dr Patrick Kennedy-Williams (quoted in the Guardian, Feb 2020), it is the lack of means to change our dire fortunes which is leading to burnout and anxiety in, particularly young, people. The feeling of despair that many feel is impounded through influences that feel out of our control; the scale of the problem for one, but particularly the ‘business as usual’ approach from corporate and government elites, and the consumerism that is so prevalent in our societies. Polling data showcases this issue – the initiative Force of Nature (who focus on ‘mobilising mindsets for climate action’) on their website quote a recent YouGov poll which found that 70 per cent of young people feel hopeless in the face of the climate crisis, which perhaps results from the fact that only 26 per cent of young people know how to contribute to solving it – largely, it is something we feel powerless to stop.
It could be argued those in power are not taking the issue nearly as seriously as they should be. The latest IPCC report has stressed the urgency and severity of our situation, telling us that the only way to avoid warming of 1.5-2.0 degrees celsius (above pre-industrial levels) is by making ‘massive and immediate’ cuts in greenhouse gas emissions. The Paris agreement, quite the success in terms of international cooperation, which aims to keep these temperatures below 1.5-2.0 degrees, is a welcome initiative; yet many experts argue that under the current provisions of the agreement, we will not keep below these targets. For that, more urgent provisions need to be made.
Understandably then, people feel despair, as much from others’ failure to take the problem seriously as the seriousness of the problem itself; and many don’t take the problem seriously, unwilling to change their lifestyles to lower their carbon footprint. Should we even make personal changes, if others are not going to reciprocate them? Well, yes. We must own the fact that no one individual can ‘save the planet’, and not let it stop us – our actions should focus on setting an example to, and discussing these issues with, others. Our lifestyles obviously strengthen our bargaining position when discussing the climate, partly because it shows changes to be possible, and partly because we are seen as more serious and genuine advocates if we live in more environmentally friendly ways. Individual changes on a collective level do make a difference, so we should be striving for these and leading by example. Eating a more plant-based and locally sourced diet; walking, cycling and using public transport; and switching electricity provider to someone renewable like Octopus Energy are all easy, individual actions, among countless others, that we can take and encourage others to take to push for greener societal norms.
Fighting for top-down change too feels meaningless when undertaken alone. But when, as a group, we protest or vote, we stand more of a chance of influencing government. Of course, even in huge numbers, there is no guarantee of success; look at the marches against the Iraq war and against Brexit, for example. But that does not mean that we cannot collectively affect political processes; of course through voting and campaigning during election-time, but also by forcing issues into the public debate and getting governments to pay attention to them by protesting and lobbying politicians.
It is entirely possible that one could take all of these actions and yet still feel helpless – many feel they are playing their part yet influencing little. But we must accept that there are limits to what we can do; it is perhaps unsurprising that we often feel as though our impact is marginal. But we cannot lose hope, for those of us who feel this anxiety for the planet are in a way all that she has left; if those who have fear don’t act for helplessness, then who will act? Not those with no fear through apathy, that’s for sure. So, it must be us.