If you’re feeling anxious about the state of climate change, you are not alone.
Due to the climate crisis, a chronic stress called climate anxiety is emerging among adolescents worldwide. With youth protest on the rise, adolescents look to governmental figures to pass legislative action. Many global powers, including the Biden administration, have been able to implement key political initiatives to take on the climate crisis. However, young people remain concerned as they see limitations in the success of legislative action (Haugseth & Smeplass, 2022) linked to competing political, security, and economic factors at play within each nation. While the youth perceive the government’s stance as hypocritical, the commitment of world powers is more complex than it seems, for solving climate change depends on a collective, comprehensive, and consistent effort in order to make progress.
The Kids Are Not Okay: Climate Anxiety
A 2021 survey of youth participants across ten countries including the United States, found that an overwhelming majority reported severe worrying as a result of the climate crisis. Notably, more than 45% conveyed negative effects of the climate crisis in their daily life and functioning, with an extremely high amount of negative thoughts regarding climate change (Hickman et. al, 2021). When it came to governmental responses, participants reported feeling distrust and betrayal, which correlated with climate anxiety. Over time, the unresolved distress surrounding the climate crisis leads to severe rates of anxiety, depression, and PTSD among youth in the United States (Benoit et. al, 2021).
Researchers concluded a perceived loss of agency in a time filled with existential, overwhelming threats related to climate change produces a generally powerless mindset among young people. But it doesn’t stop here. Adverse Childhood Events (ACEs) are traumatic events that can result in toxic stress, damaging the bodies and brains of individuals (Bernstein & Salas, 2022). As a result of the worsening climate conditions around the world, ACE such as hurricanes, floods, droughts, and wildfires have increased (Oxfam, 2023). Increasing climate anxiety among the youth has been linked to this uptick in ACEs in recent years (Bernstein & Salas, 2022). Beyond a greater risk for mental disorders later in life, accumulating ACES will lead to a high risk of health problems such as substance abuse for adolescents later in life (Bernstein & Salas, 2022).
The Mobilization of Youth Protest and Sustainability
In an attempt to grapple with these feelings of distress and take charge, adolescents around the world have become involved in youth protests (Piscitelli & D’Uggento, 2022). Fridays For Future, created by Greta Thunberg, is a popular case in point. Other movements and climate protest organizations such as UNICEF, CAN Europe, Asia Climate Change Consortium, and the Sunrise Movement have gained traction among the youth in their commitment to the cause as well. The sudden uptick in youth protest is a noted result of emerging distrust during early development. These intense feelings at a young age cause individuals to address their concerns through lifestyle and ideological commitments (Piscitelli & D’Uggento, 2022). This behavior is widely perceived among adults, as many characterize young people as “adultified children,” especially in the media (Benoit et. al, 2021).
Researchers have found that adolescent’s general commitment to climate justice and reform extends to sustainable lifestyle practices, where many focus on green living and reducing one’s own carbon footprint (Piscitelli & D’Uggento, 2022). This lifestyle varies from consciously minimizing water usage to active volunteer and activism work (Piscitelli & D’Uggento, 2022). This notable commitment to sustainable practices relative to other generations further demonstrates the gravity of the climate crisis for the adolescent generation, as they incite change in numerous aspects of their lives (Piscitelli & D’Uggento, 2022). However, climate experts note that sufficient change does not occur with vegan or low-carbon lifestyles but rather policy reform (Mann, 2019).
Some youth movements have managed reasonable success in encouraging legislative action, including the Sunrise Movement’s influence on Biden’s inclusion of the Green New Deal (Rapid Transition Alliance, 2021). In fact, Biden, and many other world powers, have been influential in the advancement of climate reversal around the world.
Biden’s Climate Presidency Intervention
During his term and throughout his campaign, Biden has made it clear that he is committed to fighting climate change unlike his predecessors, such as by the Paris Agreement. While previously supported by Obama, Biden took the initiative to pledge America’s commitment after Trump’s withdrawn support during the previous term. His unique commitment to climate justice leads to the characterization as a climate president (Milman, 2023). Biden has attempted to offset climate change through legislation including the Inflation Reduction Act (White House, 2023). He continues to build upon his efforts, through signing in programs which strengthen the Inflation Reduction Act’s goals, including a recent bill to promote clean transportation with the electric vehicles timeline (White House, 2023). One might characterize these landmark efforts as groundbreaking policies of a climate president, where he hears the concerns of distressed adolescent Americans. However, we must recognize that it is politically challenging to maintain these principles for a climate presidency. Despite his numerous strides, Biden’s presidency has been described as hypocritical through his approval of economically beneficial and climate worsening plans including the Willow Project (Milman, 2023). The Willow Project is especially concerning to adolescents as this Alaskan government initiative aims to harvest 500 million barrels of gas, releasing about 76 coal fired power plants’ atmospheric waste within a years time (Nilsen, 2023).
Interpreting mixed signals from government figures like Biden sparks a deeper anxiety among adolescents, where they begin to lose hope due to feelings of betrayal and distrust (Piscitelli & D’Uggento, 2022). In general, American distrust regarding the government’s involvement in climate initiatives tends to be quite strong despite substantial legislative strides and behaviors as a result of lingering feelings from precious government deception. For instance, consider Republican congressmen’s climate denying stance as part of the 15-year Exxon climate cover up (Greenpeace, 2023). However, Americans must keep an open mind when evaluating the government’s role in tackling climate change because it is not Biden’s fault completely. Balancing several political agendas pushes Biden to find the common ground while seeking a similar commitment towards improving climate change from neighboring world powers.
It Takes Two… Hundred Countries
While it is fair to point out the lack of initiative and urgency from leaders including Biden, we must consider the complexity of government initiative as leaders require the efforts of other major powers across the globe.
We must rely on the unity of the central global powers when it comes to effective climate initiative. This is especially important when relatively small countries such as islands are not as major contributors to bad climate practices and face the threat of disappearance due to rising sea levels from climate change (Mariani, 2022). Thus, we may look to the European Union, Norway, China, and India, in addition to the US, for they represent the central global powers that can influence and protect the several smaller nations at risk with climate change.
Due to industrialization and extreme population growth, China and India are leading carbon emissions contributors, ranking as first and third respectively (Siddiqi, 2011). Luckily, they have confirmed a commitment to reducing emissions by about 25 and 40 percent before 2050 respectively (Siddiqi, 2011). Due to their high dependency on current carbon-omitting systems such as their industrial practices, it is feared that they will struggle to meet this goal. It does not matter how serious American political and social climate actions are if China and India cannot commit to these goals, as they are currently projected to go past the Paris agreement’s 1.5 degree limit to nearly 3 degrees without reform (Climate Action Tracker, 2023).
The impact of the pandemic and the Ukraine war have been reflected in a newborn energy crisis across Europe. The drop in the economy and domestic energy production is worsened by Russia’s reduced natural gas provisions, as the EU placed material bans in response to their invasion in Ukraine (Siddi, 2023). Despite their commitment to several climate initiatives including the Paris Agreement, the EU finds itself revising climate policy to accommodate realpolitik and foreign relations (Siddi, 2023). Since 2000, the EU has followed an energy transition agenda, where they are expected to reach climate neutrality by 2050 if they stay on track (Siddi, 2023). However, with material bans on Russian oil, the EU faces severe oil expenses and a setback to their plans for sustainable energy as many countries resort to coal now instead (Gelles, 2023). With Russia playing a significant role in the sustainable practices of its trading countries, singling out Europe and shifting trade to China and India (Gelles, 2023) may make this situation even more difficult to tackle than before.
Alongside other instances and countries who face similar challenges in advancing towards climate initiatives, it appears that the so-called “hypocrisy” attached to governments like America is more complex than it seems. Despite the tragic pushbacks due to both politics and uncontrollable factors, these major countries appear committed to climate justice legislation and practices, but this may fluctuate with party changes in future years. These advancements are not enough, however, for the world requires a consistent effort towards climate change intervention. While it is hard to prevent mixed signals considering the various factors at play, world powers must continue to work towards breaking through these obstacles as global adolescent distress and anxiety suggests unsettling impacts and an unsure future for all.
The Future is Uncertain
The climate crisis is a constantly evolving and relevant issue, where every step can affect its trajectory. Thus, the ‘perfect’ solution to worldwide concerns remains unclear. Instead of interpreting this uncertainty with a loss for hope, we must use this opportunity to rewrite our future for the better, pushing harder than before for climate initiatives. While it is easy to dismiss the efforts of political leaders as ‘not enough’, we must be aware of the competing global factors at play. However, no matter how complex the world of politics and international relations may be, one thing is clear: we must come together to fight climate change as our progress depends on global unity and consistency.
At the end of the day, climate reform is being implemented and addressed too slowly. We are observing the effects of this behavior on the adolescent population worldwide, where predisposition to trauma and numerous mental health impacts indicate an uncertain, daunting future for us all. Despite uncertainty in the exact outcomes of the psychological and physical development of adolescents under these conditions, the predicted global trajectory indicates severe consequences and hindrance to young people and future generations if we remain insufficient to climate change (WHO, 2021).
As we enter the next phase of our lives, bridging the gap between adolescence and adulthood, we must consider the impact of our actions and advocacy on this issue. We must not view our limited success in protest as a sign of defeat, but rather motivation to go further. Recognize that our efforts so far have caused a notable change in climate change beliefs for both the Right and the Left, where there is an increase in support towards lowering carbon emissions (Klinenberg, Araos, & Koslov, 2020), and thus hope for unity and strength in tackling the climate crisis before it’s too late.
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