Climate change has become a regular topic in the media. The succession of news about adverse meteorological episodes, from the Filomena storm to the prolonged drought, have become part of the conversation groups with increasing frequency. This, together with the alarming forecasts about CO2 emissions or the increase in global temperature, has meant that this issue has transcended from the physical world to the field of emotions.
The barometer of the Center for Sociological Research (CIS) for the month of March 2023 indicates that 30.5% of the population cares a lot about climate change and 42.1%, quite a bit. This phenomenon is placed as the main concern for 1.8% of Spaniards, even ahead of the sustainability of public pensions. On the other hand, climate change experts ask that the term eco-anxiety not be trivialized, due to the acute effects that this circumstance can have on our mental health.
Pessimistic expectations about the future of the planet can lead to disorders such as anxiety, depression or substance abuse, according to a study by researchers Javier Garcés (UZA) and Isidro Jiménez (UCM). The emotions that can stir those affected are very varied and range from fear and anguish to guilt or resignation. The young population has been identified as a group that faces the dichotomy between becoming aware of the impact of their actions to mitigate the consequences of climate change and seeing how the struggle from the political sphere is insufficient, which leads to the experimentation of these negative emotions.
There is another part of that youth that feels powerless in the face of climate change and this has led them to neglect various facets of their lives or to be pessimistic about future prospects. These are people who give up their vital projects, since they do not see the point of finishing a university degree or starting a family.
Anger, annoyance or indignation are other negative emotions caused by climate change that, however, push people with eco-anxiety to rebel against the situation and fight it. This commitment has a certain positive emotional impact for these people, since action and energetic protest prevail over the feeling of sadness that plunges them into depression, passivity or uncertainty about their future.
