Essay by Eric Worrall
According to New York Licensed Psychologist Jennifer Keluskar, people suffering climate anxiety should set aside self doubt and wholeheartedly commit to environmental action.
The Psychology of Climate Change
Don’t let emotions stop us from saving the planet.
Posted July 7, 2023 | Reviewed by Davia Sills
Jennifer L Keluskar Ph.D.
Alone TogetherKEY POINTS
- The best way to deal with climate change anxiety is through environmental action.
- Feeling self-conscious about eco-friendly behavior can prevent people from taking action.
- Environmentally concerned people might need to confront their fear of being judged by others.
- Self-conscious emotions about environmentalism can be addressed through validation, openness, and flexibility.
Recently, I stopped by my town hall carrying a box of garbage. I was donating plastics to the Nex Trex Recycling Initiative, which uses disposables to create park benches. While some might think this was an ordinary errand, for me it required a dose of bravery. I had to go alone, with my hemp backpack in tow, and explain myself to the security guard with the quizzical look.
My motivation to help the environment is fueled by climate change anxiety, which has left me tossing and turning more nights than I would like to admit. While it’s a good thing that people respond to this kind of anxiety by engaging in environmental action, we should also consider how certain emotions might prevent us from following through with eco-friendly efforts.
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When it comes to acting in a way that shows I care about climate change, I also worry about being judged by others. I might not make an explicit point about why I want to walk instead of drive, but I don’t hesitate to show off my electric car or the solar panels on my roof. I guess on some level I feel society values consumerism, and therefore I am less concerned about being judged for stuff I bought. At the same time, research suggests that a cognitive bias known as the balancing heuristic leads people to believe they are compensating for the environmental damage they cause by purchasing goods labeled as “eco-friendly.”
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Read more: https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/alone-together/202307/the-psychology-of-climate-change
There is something disturbingly medieval about Jennifer’s prescription for climate anxiety.
The Children’s Crusade, a 13th century attempt to convert the heathen, after Saladin turned the tide against the Crusader states in the 12th century, was composed of anxious children who felt their parents had failed God.
The kids followed a boy who claimed to be guided by divine visions, who convinced thousands of other kids to leave their parents and join him on a peaceful mission to the Holy Land.
The poor kids never made it to Jerusalem. Many of those who survived crossing the Alps accepted Genoese offers of free passage across the Mediterranean, but the kids were deceived. Instead of taking the kids to Jerusalem, the Genoese took the kids to Tunisia, where they were sold to Berber slave traders.