>>> GOOD EVENING, AND WELCOME TO

"METROFOCUS."

I'M JENNA FLANAGAN.

WHEN IT COMES THE TO THE MANY

DIRE CONSEQUENCES OF THE CLIMATE

CRISIS, THERE IS ONE THAT HAS

TYPICALLY NOT GOTTEN A LOT OF

ATTENTION OR RESEARCH, AND THAT

IS THE MENTAL HEALTH TOLL THAT A

WARMING PLANET CAN HAVE ON

PEOPLE AND COMMUNITIES.

THE PHENOMENON IS KNOWN AS

ECOANXIETY.

INCREASINGLY PSYCHOLOGISTS AND

CLIMATE ACTIVISTS ARE REALIZING

THE IDEA OF IMPENDING GLOBAL

DOOM CAN HAVE FEAR, ANGER AND

DESPAIR.

WHEN CHANNELLED CORRECTLY, THOSE

FEARS ARE ACT AS A CATALYST FOR

ACTION.

JOINING ME NOW TO TALK ABOUT

ECOANXIETY AND RECOMMEND HELPFUL

COPING STRATEGIES AS PART OF OUR

INITIATIVE REPORTING ON THE

HUMAN STORIES OF CLIMATE CHANGE

AND ITS SOLUTIONS IS BRIT WRAY.

BRIT IS A HUMAN AND PLANETARY

HEALTH FELLOW AT STANFORD

UNIVERSITY AND AUTHOR OF THE NEW

BOOK "GENERATION DREAD, FINDING

PURPOSE IN THE AGE OF CLIMATE

CRISIS".

BRIT, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR

JOINING US ON THIS CHALLENGING,

CHALLENGING TOPIC.

>> HI, JENNA.

THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

>> SO, FIRST I JUST WANT TO

START WITH JUST THE NOTION OF

ECOANXIETY.

NOW, I WOULD SAY THIS, ALSO MAY

BE A BIT OF A GENERATIONAL

DIVIDE, BECAUSE SOMETIMES OLDER

PEOPLE FEEL YOUNGER GENERATIONS

ARE ANXIOUS ABOUT EVERYTHING.

WHAT MAKES THIS ANXIETY UNIQUE

AND SPECIFIC?

>> WE ARE IN THE MIDST OF AN

ESCALATING PLANETARY HEALTH

CRISIS, WHICH IS THE IMPACT OF

HUMAN BEHAVIOR ON THE

ENVIRONMENT, WHICH IS NOW COMING

BACK TO BITE US AS A NUMBER ONE

THREAT TO HUMAN HEALTH.

SO, YES, THE CLIMATE CRISIS BUT

ALSO LAND TRANSFORMATION, THE

BIODIVERSITY CRISIS, ALL KINDS

OF ISSUES.

WE'RE IN A PANDEMIC THAT RELATES

TO ZOONOTTICS.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOUNG MEME

WHO ARE BECOMING AWARE OF THIS

AND THOUSAND THE THREATS ARE

COMPOUNDING INTO A POLY CRISIS,

SO TO SPEAK IS THEIR FUTURES ARE

BEING ENDANGERED ON A DIRECT

HUMAN LEVEL AS THEY'RE BEING

FORCED TO COMBAT CLIMATE

DISASTERS POTENTIALLY SURPASSING

CLIMATE TIPPING POINTS AND

RECKONING WITH THE IDEA THAT

HOMELANDS AND ALIVELY HOODS AND

LIVES ARE BEING LOST.

SO IT'S NOT CATASTROPHIC

THINKING FORM OF ANXIETY.

IT'S NOT AN ANXIETY DISORDER

YOUNG PEOPLE ARE CONTENDING WITH

WHEN THEY SAY, HEY, I'M ANXIOUS.

IT'S RATHER HEALTHY TO A DEGREE

AS LONG AS IT'S NOT OVERWHELMING

AND DEBILITATING THEM, NORMAL

RESPONSE TO A SET OF THREATS

THAT ARE IMPINGING ON THEIR

ABILITY THE FLOURISH INTO THE

FUTURE.

HOWEVER, THE IDEA THAT IT IS A

BELIEF OF DOOM THAT'S CREATING

THIS IS REALLY SOMETHING THAT

NEEDS TO BE PICKED APART,

BECAUSE YOUNG PEOPLE ARE NOT

DOOMED.

HUMANITY IS NOT FACING

IMPENDING, INEVITABLE

CATASTROPHIC LOSS HERE.

RATHER WE'RE CONTENDING WITH THE

IDEA THAT SCIENCE IS SHOWING US

WE'RE IN A DIFFICULT PLACE

ALREADY AND IT'S BECOMING MORE

DIFFICULT, AND YET WE NEED TO

STEP INTO ROLES OF AGENCY, WORK

WITH OTHERS TO SHIFT THE NEEDLE

BEFORE MORE CATASTROPHIC EVENTS

BECOME INEVITABLE, RIGHT?

SO THERE'S A TENSION THERE AND

IT BRUCES ANXIETY WITHIN PEOPLE.

BUT IT CERTAINLY ISN'T A DEAD

END.

IT'S AN EMOTIONAL GRAPPLING WITH

HOW PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE AT

THIS TIME.

>> IT'S INTERESTING YOU TALK

ABOUT THE EMOTIONAL GRAPPLING OF

HOW PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE AND

HANDLE THIS.

BECAUSE SOMETIMES ANXIOUS OR

TENSION DRIVEN SITUATIONS CAN

BRING OUT DIFFERENT RESPONSES IN

PEOPLE.

SO WHAT HAS -- I MENTIONED AT

THE BEGINNING THAT FEAR AND

DREAD BUT ALSO ACTIVISM.

WHAT AT LEAST HAVE YOU FOUND

THAT THIS IS BRINGING OUT IN

POPULATIONS?

>> SO, IT'S NOT A MONOLITH.

IT SHOWS UP IN REALLY DIVERSE

WAYS ACROSS VARIOUS KINDS OF

PEOPLE'S EXPERIENCES RIGHT NOW.

WHETHER THAT BE JUST SHORT-TERM

DISTRESS WHEN CONFRONTING THE

NEWS, FOR EXAMPLE, OR SOMETHING

THAT ACTUALLY TRAPS PEOPLE IN A

PIT OF DESPAIR, WHEREBY THEY

START BELIEVING THAT IT IS TOO

LATE TO MAKE A MEANINGFUL

DIFFERENCE, AND THIS IS

NARRATIVELY -- THEIR FUTURE AND

CREATE DEBILITATING STRESS AND

IMPAIR FUNCTION.

MIGHT CAUSE PANIC ATTACKS OR

SLEEP DISTURBANCES OR EVEN FORMS

OF SELF-HARM.

THE LESS SEVERE END WE HAVE

PEOPLE RECOGNIZING THAT THEY ARE

WORRIED, THEY ARE DISTRESSED

ABOUT SOMETHING THAT IS

ABSOLUTELY VERY SENSIBLE AND

COMPASSIONATE TO BE STRESSED

ABOUT, BUT IT'S POINTING OUT

WAYS IN WHICH THEY CAN ADDRESS

THE THING THAT'S STRESSING THEM

IT BECOMES A NAVIGATIONAL TOOL,

BECOMES SOMETHING THEY CAN MOVE

THROUGH, EMOTIONAL WEIGHT

TRAINING SO THEY DON'T BECOME SO

BURNED OUT ON THE TOPIC, APPLY

SELF-CARE AND MOVE TOGETHER WITH

OTHERS TO TRY TO IMPROVE THE

OUTCOME.

SO IT'S -- I'M SEEING A

SIMPLIFICATION THESE DAYS, WHERE

A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE SAYING,

CLIMATE ANXIETY.

THAT EQUATES TO DOOMISM,

FATALISM.

THAT EQUATES TO PEOPLE GIVING

UP.

AND THAT'S NOT TRUE.

MANY PEOPLE SAY THEIR CLIMATE

ANXIETY IS THE SUPER FUEL THAT

ALLOWS THEM TO DO THE WORK.

THE QUESTION IS, WHAT DEGREES

CAN WE LIMIT IT TO IN OUR OWN

LIVES WHILE BRINGING IN THE

NOURISHING, JOYOUS ASPECTS OF

BEING HUMAN THAT CAN SUPPORT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOING

THIS WORK AND NOT CHECK OUT FROM

MENTAL EXHAUSTION.

>> LET'S GET INTO THAT, TERRIBLE

PART ABOUT NOT CHECKING OUT AND

WHAT IT IS WE CAN DO.

WHAT SIT FIRST OF ALL THINGS

THAT ARE STILL TANGIBLE THAT THE

AVERAGE, EVERYDAY PERSON CAN DO?

IT SEEMS OFTEN THAT WE HEAR

STORIES ABOUT, YOU KNOW, OH,

RECYCLING ISN'T AS BENEFICIAL AS

YOU THOUGHT IT WAS.

OR, OH, LIKE, YOU MIGHT DO THIS

ONE ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFIT, BUT

IT HAS THIS NEGATIVE IMPACT AS

WELL.

SO WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS

WE CAN DO THAT ACTUALLY HELP?

>> WELL, THERE'S INTERNAL

ACTIVISM AND EXTERNAL ACTIVISM

IN THE CLIMATE CRISIS, AND BOTH

ARE WHAT'S PART AND PARCEL OF

WHAT'S NEEDED HERE.

.

WE NEVER TALK ABOUT THE

INTERNAL, BEING ABLE TO TAKE

CARE OF YOURSELF, EMOTIONS THAT

MIGHT BE EXISTENTIAL SO YOU

DON'T DROWN WITH THEM WHEN THEY

SHOW UP IN ONE'S LIFE, IF THAT

IS SOMETHING THE PERSON IS

CONTENDING WITH.

AND SO THAT REQUIRES THINGS LIKE

SELF-CARE, WHICH WE LEARN FROM

FEMINISTS LIKE AUDREY LORD THAT

IT'S A POLITICAL ACT TO CARE FOR

ONE'S SELF-IT'S AN ACT OF

POLITICAL WARFARE TO FILL ONE'S

CUP SO YOU CAN TAKE ON THE WORLD

AND EXTERNAL STRUCTURES.

THAT'S JUST AS RELEVANT HERE.

WAY OF COMMUNING.

PUT IT OUT ON THE TABLE, NOT

SUPPRESS IT AND MALADAPTIVELY

COPE LATER BECAUSE THE STRESSING

STOPS WORKING.

BUT ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO PROCESS

THIS AND SAY, HEY, THIS IS

VALID, LEGITIMATE.

WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO TO

SUPPORT EACH OTHER THROUGH THIS?

COMMUNITY BUILDING, HIGH SOCIAL

TIES ARE WHAT HELP PEOPLE MOVE

THROUGH ADVERSITY AND STRUCTURAL

DIVERSITY WHEN DISASTER HITS OUR

TOWN, FOR EXAMPLE.

BUT WHEN WE CAN THEN UNDERSTAND

THAT THIS IS A NORMAL NATURAL

RESPONSE THAT WE HAVE PEOPLE TO

MOVE THROUGH IT WITH, THAT WE

CAN START REINVESTING THE ENERGY

WE'RE LOSING FROM BEING

DISTRESSED INTO ACTIONS THAT

MATTER THAT WERE PURPOSEFUL AT

THIS TIME, THAT'S WHERE THE

EXTERNAL ACTIVISM IS WHERE WE'RE

SHIFTING OUR FOCUS.

THE INDIVIDUAL ACTIONS ARE NOT

GOING TO GET US THERE.

WE KNOW THAT.

IT CAN BE DEBILITATING TO THINK

OF ONE'S RECYCLING WHICH ISN'T

MAKING A DENT.

COLLECTIVE CHANGE IS REQUIRED.

THIS MEANS VOTING ON ISSUES THAT

ARE STRESSING YOU RELATED TO

CLIMATE AND THE ENVIRONMENT.

THIS MEANS PAYING ATTENTION TO

WHERE YOU'RE PUTTING YOUR MONEY.

YOUR BANKING.

WHICH ORGANIZATIONS YOU'RE

SIGNED UP WITH AND SUPPORTING

AND WHERE THEY ARE INVESTED.

ARE THEY FULFILLING FUTURE

EXISTENCE OF THE FOSSIL FUEL

INDUSTRY WITH THEIR INVEST MS.

PRESIDENTS, OR ARE THEY

DIVESTING AND PUTTING IT

ELSEWHERE?

PENSIONS, FORMS OF COMING

TOGETHER WITH CLIMATE ACTIVISM

GROUPS, WAY OF BRINGING THE

TOPIC INTO YOUR CLASSROOM IF

YOU'RE A TEACHER OR INTO THE

HEALTH-CARE SETTING IF YOU'RE A

HEALTH-CARE WORKER.

REALLY BECAUSE IT'S A CRISIS

THAT TOUCHES ALL ASPECT OF LIFE,

WE CAN ATTACK IT FROM ALL

ANGLES, WHETHER IT'S ACCOUNTANTS

RESTRUCTURING HOW THEY'RE DOING

THEIR BUSINESS OR CHILDREN

STRIKING FROM SCHOOL.

SO IT'S REALLY ABOUT IDENTIFYING

WHAT MAKES YOU FEEL ALIVE, WHAT

GETS YOU OUT OF BED, WHAT YOUR

SKILLS AND TALENTS ARE AND HOW

YOU CAN BRING THAT TO THE ISSUE

TOGETHER WITH OTHERS RATHER THAN

GET STUCK IN THOUGHT OF BEING A

CLIMATE HYPOCRITE BECAUSE YOU

HAVE A SUV AND YOU TOOK A FLIGHT

THAT TIME, THESE THINGS WHICH

REALLY FEED THE ENVIRONMENTALIST

CRITIC AND TEAR AWAY OUR ABILITY

TO ACT AND UNDERSTAND THAT

PERFECT IS THE ENEMY OF GOOD,

AND WE CAN ALL DO THINGS HERE TO

HELP BE PART OF THE COLLECTIVE

SOLUTION EVEN IF WE AREN'T

PERFECT, AND DO UNDERSTAND WE

UPHOLD PARTS OF THE STRUCTURES

THAT ARE MAKING US UNWELL,

BECAUSE WE'RE ALL IN THE SYSTEM

WHICH RUNS ON FOSSIL FUELS.

>> I CAN'T BELIEVE WE'RE ALMOST

OUT OF TIME.

WE'VE GOT ABOUT TWO MINUTES

LEFT.

I WANT TO ASK THE QUESTION, AS

WE COMPARE THE INDIVIDUAL TO THE

COLLECTIVE, ONE OF THE THINGS

THAT WE'RE SEEING YOUNGER PEOPLE

SAY IS, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK

I WANT TO HAVE KIDS AND ADD TO

THE COLLECTIVE PROBLEM OF A

CARBON FOOTPRINT.

AND I UNDERSTAND THAT'S A

QUESTION YOU WRESTLED WITH

YOURSELF.

>> NOT QUITE.

I WRESTLED WITH A DIFFERENT

QUESTION, WHICH IS WHAT WILL A

WARMING WORLD DO TO THE SAFETY

AND WELL BEING OF A CHILD THAT I

PUT INTO IT?

SO LESS OF THE IDEA THAT HUMAN

FOOTPRINT EQUALS CARBON

FOOTPRINTS AND THEREFORE IT'S AN

ECOLOGICAL SIN TO CREATE MORE

HUMANS WHICH IS A LONG STAND

TROPE IN ENVIRONMENTALISM WHICH

HAS BEEN DANIELING AND CURTAILED

THE CIVIL LIBERTIES OF PEOPLE

AROUND THE WORLD, PREDOMINANTLY

IN POOR NATIONS.

HOWEVER, THERE'S THIS OTHER

WORRY, WHICH MANY PEOPLE ARE --

ESPECIALLY YOUNG PEOPLE

CONFRONTING WHICH IS YES,

SOMETIMES THAT CONCERN ABOUT THE

FOOTPRINTISM, BUT MUCH MORE SO

I'M DISCOVERING IN MY RESEARCH,

WHICH IS GOING BACK MANY YEARS

AGO NOW FOR MY BOOK ON THIS

MATTER, THAT PEOPLE ARE WORRIED

ABOUT WHAT CLIMATE DISRUPTION

SCENARIO IS GOING TO DO TO

ENDANGER CHILDREN'S WELL BEING

AND TRAUMATIZE THEM IN THE

DECADES AHEAD.

SO THAT IS WHAT OFTEN CAN BURR

THE PAINFUL DILEMMA FOR PEOPLE

THAT WANT TO BECOME BIOLOGICAL

PARENTS BUT CONSIDER IT'S NOT A

MORAL THING FOR THEM TO DO AND

HAVE TO WRESTLE WE CO -- BEFORE

COMING TO A DECISION.

>> OF COURSE.

WITH ABOUT A MINUTE OR SO LEFT,

WE'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE AN ACTIVE

HURRICANE SEASON, AND I KNOW

THAT'S SENTAWAYS OF ANXIETY FOR

A LOT OF PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY IN

THE NEW YORK AREA THAT REMEMBER

SUPERSTORM SANDY.

HOW WOULD YOU ADVISE PEOPLE TO

TAKE THAT ANXIETY ABOUT MORE

HURRICANES -- YOU KNOW, STRONGER

STORMS COMING.

HOW DO YOU TURN THAT INTO

SOMETHING POSITIVE?

>> I'D SAY GET TO KNOW THE

PEOPLE WHERE YOU ARE LIVING.

INVEST IN COMMUNITY.

COME TOGETHER AND TALK ABOUT HOW

YOU'RE FEELING.

BE ABLE TO PROCESS BY SHARING.

THAT'S IMPORTANT.

BUT WHAT'S EVEN MORE VITAL FOR

PROTECTING PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL

BEING, WHEN THOSE HURRICANES ARE

COMING IS TO KNOW YOU HAVE HIGH

SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS, PEOPLE TO

RELY ON, AND FEEL THAT LACK OF

ISOLATION, LACK OF ALIENATION IN

ALL THIS WHICH UNDERGIRDS

RESILIENCE.

IT BUILDS OUR RESILIENCE TO KNOW

WE CAN -- SHARED GOALS.

TIME AND AGAIN, THE RESEARCH

CHOSE PEOPLE HAVE LESS PTSD

AND -- REBUILD AFTER LIVING IN

THAT COMMUNAL EFFECT.

ECOANXIETY CAN BE A TOOL FOR

POINTING OUT'ing THAT'S

SOMETHING YOU CAN DO FOR

YOURSELF.

>> I'D LIKE TO THANK MY GUEST,

BRIT WRAY, A HUMAN AND PLANETARY

HEALTH FELLOW AT STANFORD

UNIVERSITY, AND OF COURSE THE

AUTHOR OF THE NEW BOOK

"GENERATION DREAD, FINDING

PURPOSE IN THE AGE OF CLIMATE

CRISIS".

BRIT, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR

TAKING TIME TO JOIN US ON

"METROFOCUS."

>> JENNA, THANKS FOR HAVING ME.