Skolstrejk is School Strike
14 September 2019
By Clare Press
...Fashion (click here) has been reluctant to examine its air-travel footprint, although British designer Katharine Hamnett raised the subject at the Copenhagen Fashion Summit in May 2019. “We shouldn’t be here; these conferences should be happening as webinars,” she said, sending yet more climate panic my way. “We should all be ashamed of our carbon footprint.” I’d jetted in from Australia....
January 13, 2020
As fires continue to burn (click here) along Australia’s south-east, it’s impossible to ignore how climate change can wreak devastation and disrupt lives.
Australia has always experienced bushfires. However, climate change means this year’s bushfires were so extreme in their ferocity and spread they could be seen from space. And this is just a taste of what’s to come.
I’m a marine scientist, and research the effects of climate change on coral reefs. Aside from bushfires, coral bleaching is one of the most severe manifestations of climate change in Australia. Watching corals turn white and die is just another daily reminder of the disasters our children will be up against.
Until now, my partner and I have both wanted to be parents one day. Now I’m not so sure. Here are the things I’m weighing up.
The forces at play
I am not alone in these family planning concerns. In September last year I hosted a Women in STEM seminar and photography exhibit showcasing female scientists at the University of New South Wales. One of the major points of discussion was how to plan for a family, knowing how climate change will affect the quality of life of the next generation.
Cases of “eco-anxiety” when it comes to family planning are on the rise. Many couples in my generation are rethinking what it means to start a family. Even Prince Harry and Meghan Markle said last year they’ll have only two children at most, for the sake of the planet....
April 3, 2017
By Zoe Schlanger
Depression, anxiety, grief, despair, stress—even suicide: (click here) The damage of unfolding climate change isn’t only counted in water shortages and wildfires, it’s likely eroding mental health on a mass scale, too, reports the American Psychological Association, the preeminent organization of American mental health professionals.
Direct, acute experience with a changing climate—the trauma of losing a home or a loved one to a flood or hurricane, for example—can bring mental health consequences that are sudden and severe. After Hurricane Katrina, for example, suicide and suicidal ideation among residents of areas affected by the disaster more than doubled according to a paper led by Harvard Medical School, while one in six met the criteria for PTSD, according to a Columbia University-led paper. Elevated PTSD levels have also been found among people who live through wildfires and extreme storms, sometimes lasting several years....
April 17, 2018
Santa Monica - In an online survey of 2,029 U.S. adults (click here) conducted on behalf of Swell Investing by The Harris Poll from April 5-9, 2018 Swell found that:
- 92% of Americans are worried about the future of our planet
- Nearly three quarters (72%) of millennials 18-34 say that watching, hearing and/or reading negative news stories about the environment sometimes has an impact on their emotional wellbeing (e.g., anxiety, racing thoughts, sleep problems, a feeling of uneasiness)
- Among those who say they are worried about the future of our planet, about two-thirds say they take steps to reduce energy use in their home (68%) or take steps to reduce water waste in their home (64%)
- Only 13% of American adults invest in environmentally responsible companies to address worries about the future of the planet, but millennials are ahead of the curve with 20% investing in companies that prioritize the environment.
While ecoanxiety is high among young people, there's a silver lining. Anxiety, while unpleasant, is an effective motivator. And we have our work cut out for us when it comes to securing the future of the planet. Many people are doing something about the negative emotions they are experiencing, with the majority of people addressing climate change in their day-to-day lives....
I do not like the idea of using the future in relation to the climate crisis as a motivator. It is NOT a sufficient motivator in Washington, DC with the Congress and it should be. The people have enough to worry about and they know consumerism only takes them so far with the climate crisis. It is up to the federal government to act on this emergency.
Anxiety is stress and stress can shorten lives. It is time for the federal government to end the frightening stress that comes with the climate crisis and resolve to end it and reverse it. Water vapor must be returned to the land and air, otherwise what is left is desertification (click here).
August 17, 2018
San Francisco - In the history of California wildfires (click here) there has never been anything like it: A churning tornado filled with fire, the size of three football fields. Recently released video from Cal Fire shows the most intense tornado ever in California history that trapped and killed a firefighter in Redding last month, CBS San Francisco reports.
An official report describes in chilling detail the intensity of the rare fire phenomenon and how quickly it took the life of Redding firefighter Jeremy Stoke, who was enveloped in seconds as he tried to evacuate residents on July 26.
Three videos released with the report late Wednesday show the massive funnel of smoke and flames in a populated area on the edge of Redding, about 250 miles north of San Francisco....
