The Era of Climate Anxiety

“You can feel it in the streets/On a day like this the heat/It feels like summer” — Childish Gambino, “Feels like Summer”

Summer once represented sunkissed hair, tanning by the beach and relaxation from the woes of the rest of the year. In his song “Feels like Summer,” Childish Gambino flips the notion of summer on its head. As global temperatures rise, there is little relief from the heat, drought and pollution long after summer has ended. Gambino isn’t the first artist to pen songs about the rapidly warming planet. The feeling that something is terribly wrong is shared by our generation and the artists that represent us. Wildfires scorch Alaska; the entire city of Venice, Italy is sinking beneath the waves; and, parts of the Yangtze River in China have dried up, leaving millions in drought. The Earth is in trouble. Summer, it seems, is here to stay. 

The European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service described 2022 as a “year of climate extremes,” with record-breaking heat waves in Europe, the Antarctic sea at its lowest sea level on record, deadly flooding in Pakistan and widespread fires in California.

The past nine years have been the warmest years since modern record keeping began in 1880, meaning that in 2022, Earth was warmer than it was in the 19th century by about 2 degrees Fahrenheit. 

“The reason for the warming trend is that human activities continue to pump enormous amounts of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere,” said Gavin Schmidt, the director of GISS –– NASA's leading center for climate modeling.

While there was a short reprieve in 2020 due to COVID-19, NASA scientists have determined that carbon dioxide emissions were the highest on record in 2022.

Our generation is acutely aware of the damage that we're causing to the planet. We've grown up with climate change in the news, plastic pollution in our oceans and wildfires burning out of control. It's hard not to feel a sense of grief and helplessness in the face of such overwhelming destruction. We turn to art, to music, to public figures who promise a better tomorrow. We turn against plastic straws and grocery bags. We turn against each other. Someone, anyone, has to do something.

This acute awareness has given rise to a phenomenon known as “climate anxiety,” the notion that the Earth is finite and that we are destroying it at an alarming rate. It can often be accompanied by feelings of grief and a call to action, but it's difficult to reckon with when we exist in a society that relies so heavily on consumption and capitalism. There is a dissonance between wanting the “American Dream” while also being aware of what that means for the Earth.

The American Psychological Association refers to climate anxiety as “the chronic fear of environmental cataclysm that comes from observing the seemingly irrevocable impact of climate change.” Google searches for climate change skyrocketed by 565 percent in 2021. People are paying attention. 

Celebrities and companies have built entire brands on climate justice, with Leonardo DiCaprio, Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and others lending their voices to the cause. Many outlets are calling climate anxiety the newest trend, but that couldn't be further from the truth. It's clear that climate anxiety is not a trend. It’s not going away anytime soon, and it's a topic that demands our attention.

“Wearing SPF 3000 for the ultraviolet rays/Made it to the island on the last of the outbound planes” –– Lorde, “Leader of a New Regime”

In her song “Leader of a New Regime,” Lorde sings about the survivors of a climate disaster escaping to a utopian land, presumably leaving behind millions of people who could not afford a coveted plane ticket. 

The American Dream is often associated with the pursuit of wealth and material success. But as we become more aware of the environmental consequences of our consumerist culture, it's clear that this version of the American Dream is unsustainable. Instead, we need to redefine the American Dream to include sustainability and social responsibility. This means prioritizing the health of the planet and the well-being of all people, regardless of their socioeconomic status.

Success is often measured by material possessions. This culture of excess has contributed greatly to the climate crisis. From single-use plastics to fast fashion, our consumerist society has normalized practices that are incredibly harmful to the planet. 

According to a report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), we have until 2030 to significantly reduce our carbon emissions to avoid catastrophic levels of climate change. This means that we need to make significant changes to our lifestyles, including reducing our consumption and waste.

As we grapple with the impacts of climate change, it's impossible to ignore the fact that future generations will be the ones most affected by our actions. The consequences of our collective inaction will be felt for generations to come.

For many young people, the knowledge that we are leaving a damaged planet for future generations can be overwhelming. The weight of this responsibility can be paralyzing, but it can also be a powerful motivator.

“Hills burn in California/My turn to ignore ya/Don't say I didn't warn ya” –– Billie Eilish, “All the Good Girls Go to Hell”

Billie Eilish croons in her song “All the Good Girls Go To Hell,” that despite the effects of climate change, people are still choosing to ignore the signs that something needs to change. This is partially because climate change does not affect everyone equally. 

In fact, Scientific American calls climate anxiety an “overwhelmingly white phenomenon.” We like to say climate change is the great equalizer, but in reality, indigenous and people of color are disproportionately harmed by climate change and its effects like pandemics, pollution and natural disasters. 

In 2019, 15 members of the US Climate Action Network discussed how they could create a large social movement to address the climate crisis, taking inspiration from past successful social justice movements. But just like the MeToo movement, the labor movement and the healthcare reform movement before it, the climate change movement caterers to and represents an undeniably white audience.  Miya Yoshitani, the executive director of the Asian Pacific Environmental Network (Apen), told Climate Home News that the intersection of poverty, racism and pollution has impacted communities of color for decades.

For instance, in California, a plan designed to reduce emissions by making companies pay for carbon credits effectively concentrated polluting industries near communities of color. Yoshitani called these “sacrifice zones.” The money raised would fund California’s clean energy transition, with a share given to provide affordable housing and water to vulnerable communities. But, Yoshitani said, the scheme was “trading communities’ health for money” and perpetuated racial inequality.

“The need for racial and economic justice to be at the heart of our work has been obvious for communities of color for a long time,” Keya Chatterjee, the executive director of the US Climate Action Network, told CHN.

It's important to recognize that climate justice is inextricably linked to issues of social and economic justice. A holistic approach to climate action must address the systemic injustices that perpetuate the climate crisis.

Ultimately, the solution to climate anxiety is action. It's easy to feel overwhelmed and helpless in the face of such a massive problem, but there are things that we can do to make a difference. We can reduce our carbon footprint by using public transportation, eating a plant-based diet and reducing our consumption of single-use plastics. We can also support politicians and policies that prioritize climate action and social justice.

It's important to remember that the fight for a sustainable future is ongoing. We may not see the effects of our actions immediately, but every small step we take toward a greener future is a step in the right direction. We need corporations, politicians and individuals working together to prioritize the health of the planet for all its inhabitants. Climate anxiety is a valid emotion, but there must also be hope that we can create a more just and sustainable world for future generations.

Cover Photo by Reid Dahill