What is Climate Anxiety?
Written by Joanna Person-Michener
On July 28 something incredible happened. Sen. Joe Manchin and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer negotiated a reconciliation bill called the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which includes a path to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent by 2030. This is an enormous step toward ensuring our children have a livable future. Rev. Clint Schnekloth, the lead pastor at Good Shepherd Lutheran in Fayetteville, pointed out in a recent letter to the editor that climate change exacerbates "virtually all other social injustices."
The climate crisis threatens lives through the increased severity and frequency of disasters, but climate change also compromises our ability to grow enough food. The Food and Agriculture Organization report "The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World" of 2021 tells us the world is at a "critical juncture." The number of undernourished people has been rising sharply the last four years and the primary drivers are climate change, conflict and economic slowdowns. Arkansas farmers know that the intermittent drought and flooding, as projected in the National Climate Assessment, is challenging our state's food production.
The American Psychological Association tells us that climate change is leading to anxiety. Climate anxiety and eco-grief are normal responses, but climate change and related disasters can also contribute to mental health disorders like post-traumatic stress disorder. The Next Gen Climate Survey of 2021 surveyed 1,200 youth age 14-24 across the U.S. and found that 75 percent indicated climate change negatively impacts their mental health.
Seeing our government's inadequate response to the crisis has contributed to our anxiety, but the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 gives me hope that we can protect our livable world. If you have friends and family who live in blue states or districts, please encourage them to call and/or email their senators(s) and/or representative in support of this act. They can even use this handy tool: citizensclimatelobby.org/get-loud-take-action.
This blog post was taken from a letter to the editor published in the the Arkansas Democrat Gazette online.
Person-Michener, J. (2022, August 5). Opinion: Letters to the editor: Must act on climate. Arkansas Online. Retrieved August 6, 2022, from https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2022/aug/05/letters/?opinion
