‘Eco-anxiety’ got you down? Fresno State professor offers tips for how to deal with it

As another Earth Day passes, it is appropriate to be worried. The Earth is heating up. But we seem unable to solve the climate crisis. Things appear hopeless. And some people are freaking out.

New categories of affliction have evolved, including “climate-anxiety” and “eco-anxiety.” A study of young people published at the end of 2021 found that almost half of those surveyed said that their feelings about climate change “negatively affected their daily life and functioning.” Three-quarters of the youth “think the future is frightening.” Eighty-three percent believe that “people have failed to take care of the planet.”

Eco-anxiety is defined by the American Psychological Association as “chronic fear of environmental doom.” This is connected to “eco-grief,” a sense of sadness about ecological devastation. Some authors are also talking about “eco-paralysis,” a kind of apathy that results from being overwhelmed by gloomy ecological news. “Eco-pessimists” go so far as to choose not to have children because they fear that the Earth’s future will be bleak.

This terminology is a useful addition to our vocabularies. As I’ve researched these concepts, I’ve come to see them in friends, students, and even in myself. There are moments in which it seems that we lack the wisdom or the will to fix our ecological problems. Alarm bells are ringing, but we don’t seem able to respond. It is easy to lose hope.

The recent report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was certainly alarming. The chair of that organization, Hoesung Lee, said, “This report is a dire warning about the consequences of inaction. It shows that climate change is a grave and mounting threat to our well-being and a healthy planet.” The secretary-general of the United Nations, António Guterres, underlined this in a recent speech, saying, “we are on a fast track to climate disaster.”

Maybe it really is time to freak out. But let’s be careful as we hyperventilate. Panic is not a useful response in a time of crisis. We should have learned this from the pandemic. Remember how people hoarded toilet paper? We need to take action. But we don’t want to overreact.

One danger of overreaction is apathy and despair. After an initial flurry of frantic energy, we find ourselves exhausted. And then what? When things don’t change, we become despondent. But if we lose hope, we are certainly doomed. Without hope, it no longer makes sense to roll up our sleeves and work on solutions.

Consider an analogy often employed in thinking about ecological problems — the lifeboat. If our lifeboat is taking on water and we’ve lost hope, we may stop bailing, throw our oars overboard, and simply let the boat go under the waves. But that’s obviously a disastrous outcome. The point is that cooperative action depends upon hope. Without hope, the disaster is truly inevitable.

Of course, hope cannot simply be willed into existence. Nor is it useful to embrace the optimistic illusion that everything always works out well in the end. Genuine hope requires that we first admit the truth and the possibility of disaster.

But that truth need not paralyze us. Instead, it can motivate us.

A useful example is Jane Goodall, the chimpanzee scientist and world-renowned conservationist. Goodall published “The Book of Hope” last year. At nearly 90 years old, Goodall remains hopeful, despite the Earth’s ongoing ecological and other crises. The book recounts the importance of hope in her life and work.

According to Goodall, hope is contagious. Hope is not passive, wishful thinking. Rather, it is engaged, communal action. Goodall explains that when we take action, we realize that we can make a difference. Our actions then go on to encourage and inspire others to get involved.

Goodall reminds us that there are reasons to have hope. Nature is resilient and can heal itself if given the chance. And human beings are clever and compassionate. Goodall also celebrates the enthusiasm and energy of youth. She concludes her book with a call to action. “Find your reasons for hope,” she says, “and let them guide you onward.”

If eco-anxiety is getting you down, read Jane Goodall. Then take a deep breath. Figure out how you can make a difference. And get to work.

This story was originally published April 24, 2022 at 5:00 AM.