2023-07-31 04:05:52
“Suddenly climate change has a face,” says the German psychologist, psychotherapist and author (“Klima im Kopf”). While global warming was abstract for many in the past and difficult to imagine, it is now increasingly visible and tangible in the Global North as well. Images of devastating fires in Rhodes and Sicily were recently accompanied by warnings of temperatures well above 40 degrees in southern Europe.
The World Weather Attribution (WWA) research network emphasized that the heat waves in Europe, the USA and China would be “practically impossible” without man-made climate change. Time and once more complaints are made that current climate protection measures are not enough. The Paris climate goals are no longer achievable, said last week the new head of the UN Climate Change Council (IPCC) Jim Skea.
Boy and the climate scare
It is therefore hardly surprising that warnings regarding the climate crisis affect some people and trigger emotions such as sadness, helplessness, fear and panic. There is also a name for it: “Climate Anxiety”. This is observed above all among children and young people, says van Bronswijk – she is also spokeswoman for the German “Psychologists for Future”.
AP/Damianidis Lefteris Extreme heat and fires in Europe: It also leaves its mark on the psyche
According to an international study from 2021, 45 percent of boys between the ages of 16 and 25 feel that their climate anxiety affects their daily lives. A total of 10,000 young people in Australia, Brazil, Finland, France, India, Nigeria, the Philippines, Portugal, Great Britain and the USA were surveyed.
Adults are less likely to bring up such worries in therapy, says van Bronswijk, but they often resonate. According to the expert, especially those people who already suffer from world pain and feelings of powerlessness might be additionally burdened by the climate crisis.
The meaning of feelings
However, emotions such as fear or panic are not entirely negative: “First of all, the evolutionary purpose of feelings is to get us to act – that is, to motivate us to do things that are important to us. And secondly, to help us digest the situation when there are things we cannot change,” she says. Of course, it also helps to “talk regarding these feelings,” says the expert. “It’s a bit like lovesickness.”
Above all, however, she advises you to be aware of your own influence. “We are all part of this society and in democracies also the sovereign,” she says. She sees a number of options for getting involved in climate protection and dealing with one’s feelings, from changing one’s own consumer behavior to talking to friends, colleagues and acquaintances to taking part in public consultation hours and participating in the climate movement. It is regarding experiencing “collective effectiveness”.
The collective repression
For most people, however, confrontation with the consequences of the climate crisis does not automatically lead to action. Rather, the problem is banished from consciousness. Specifically, we are talking regarding repression, a proven psychological protection mechanism.
Especially in situations in which one is confronted with a “global, complex problem” but “does not see any options for action”, there is a great danger that “people will not take action because they are not responsible for it or able to see,” says van Bronswijk.
protests and defiance
The role played by climate protests, which are heavily discussed in the media, is also interesting in this context: if mechanisms of repression are “disrupted” by protest actions and the gap between beliefs and one’s own actions becomes noticeable, then it is initially “uncomfortable”. According to van Bronswijk, to resolve this contradiction one can either “adjust” one’s behavior or change one’s attitudes. “It’s called cognitive dissonance reduction.”
So while some take action because of the confrontation with protesters who stick to the street, this same protest triggers defiant behavior (keyword reactance) in others who feel restricted in their freedom.
With denial once morest feelings of powerlessness
By denying man-made climate change, on the other hand, only a “very small proportion of the population” reacts, according to the expert. It is known from research that by denying climate change, people are trying to “protect their privileges and their status quo”.
There are several reasons for this – among other things, the feeling of being unable to achieve anything “on a systemic level” and being at the mercy of other social groups plays a role. By believing alternative narratives or even creating them yourself, sufferers might restore a sense of control, the expert explains.
Desire for a more sustainable life
However, very few people want to live in a way that is consciously harmful to the environment and climate. 71 percent of Austrians even want a significant expansion of climate protection measures once morest the background of growing social inequality. This was shown by a representative SORA study carried out in spring on behalf of Global 2000 and Volkshilfe.
A look at various other surveys also makes it clear that many people would like to make a contribution to climate protection – for example by consuming more sustainably, separating waste, using public transport more often and traveling less by plane.
discrepancy between knowledge and action
At the same time, there is a discrepancy in terms of people’s knowledge and actions. “When it comes to climate protection, there is a huge gap between expectations and reality at all levels, especially in Austria,” said the psychologist and author (“The Art of Excuses”) Thomas Brudermann in the “profil” interview. The problem seems too complex and the effect of one’s own actions is not immediately noticeable, he explained in it.
“We’re just not rational beings. Threatening news often leads to people taking substitute actions,” said psychologist Isabella Uhl-Hädicke from the University of Salzburg in a “Standard” interview. Although climate protection should be promoted primarily by politics and business – experts advise once morest taking one’s responsibility and burying one’s head in the sand.
appeal for more hope
Modern societies have “forgotten a bit” how crises work and that “previous patterns of behavior no longer help,” criticizes van Bronswijk in conclusion. In terms of politics and society, the climate psychologist appeals for more cooperation. In media reporting, more focus should be placed on hopeful stories and solution orientation, she notes. Too often it is regarding renunciation debates and not regarding alternatives.
The new IPCC boss Skea also alternated between criticism and hope on Thursday. He criticized insufficient climate protection measures – but at the same time he emphasized that the fight once morest CO2 emissions is paying off. “It still pays off to do something, unless you want it to get worse than it is now.” In his view, giving up in the fight once morest man-made global warming is not an option.
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