This overwhelming feeling is all the more present for those whove inherited an overly polluted and depleted planet.
Researchers found that 59% of people were very or extremely worried and 84% were moderately worried.
Its worth noting that climate inaction is far different from climate denial.
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The latter is the complete lack of acceptance that climate change is a manmade problem.
Climate inaction is an issue itself but an understandable and solvable one.
Jaclyn Gulotta, a licensed mental health counselor and psychologist.
This may make people avoid taking steps to fight climate change altogether.
Over 50% of people reported feeling powerless or helpless in the previously mentioned study.
A myriad of factors can lead to this.
For starters, taking action against climate change often means making specific lifestyle changes.
Solving climate change requires personal sacrifice, yet the outcomes are felt on a collective level.
Then there is the fact that humans cannot often maintain outrage.
Polychroniadou points to the COVID-19 pandemic as a clear example.
It shines a light on the difference between approaches to short and long-term adaptation and solutions.
Doing things like recycling or biking to work fail to show immediate progress.
At the same time, sustaining thefearcan also lead to a sense of being frozen.
If we embrace it wholly, how do we move forward?
Another aspect comes from the idea that a person must act perfectly or why bother trying.
In reality, each action makes a difference and living a completely sustainable life is impossible for most people.
“While these actions are important on an individual level, people have much more power than those actions.
Every person is part of the broader ecosystem and society.
2021;5(12):e863-e873.
doi:10.1016/s2542-5196(21)00278-3
