The Patriot Post® · 'Climate Anxiety': There's a Guide for That (Seriously)

A conciliatory CNN report this week touches on the issue of so-called “climate anxiety,” which apparently is becoming widespread. The first paragraph of the report introduces a Willamette University student who “woke at 2 a.m. and then cried for two solid hours about the warming ocean.” That student’s climate professor, Wendy Petersen Boring, asserts, “Back in 2007, [climate change] was the mouse in the room; then, it became the elephant in the room. By 2016, those concerns and fears began to flood over.”

The report goes on to cite a 69-page American Psychological Association/ecoAmerica climate guide published in March 2017 that tenders ways to ameliorate the effects of environmental anxiety. According to the guide, “This … report is intended to further inform and empower health and medical professionals, community and elected leaders, and the public.”

CNN fans the flames by claiming, “Higher temperatures alone have led to more suicides and increased psychiatric hospitalization and have hurt our sleep, which can also harm mental health. These problems will get worse as the temperature continues to rise, research shows.” With statements like that, it’s little wonder students think the sky is falling.

Fact check: It’s not. As veteran meteorologist Joe Bastardi has pointed out time and again, our standard of living and gross domestic product on a global scale has never been better because of fossil fuels. Taking those away hastily is a recipe for disaster.

Of course, not everyone is victimized by “climate anxiety.” In March, Gallup reported that 66% of Americans are convinced global warming is man-made. That said, “Fewer than half of Americans — 45% — think global warming will pose a serious threat in their own lifetime and 44% say they worry a great deal about it. Another 21% worry a fair amount about global warming, while about a third (35%) worry only a little or not at all.”

But even that worry seems to become less so come voting time. After every election, climate change as a preeminent issue ends up ranking fairly low among voters. It’s good that at least some people get their priorities straight before casting their votes.

Which bring us to the final point. Tellingly, Gallup also reports, “In terms of demographic differences, there is a 20-percentage-point spread between the youngest and oldest Americans in those classified as Concerned Believers: 67% of those 18 to 29 vs. 47% of those 65 and older. Additionally, only 7% of young adults meet the definition of Cool Skeptics, compared with 22% of seniors.”

Younger generations are more prone to believe climate-change alarmism thanks to our modern-day leftist education complex. Older generations, on the other hand, have lived long enough to know that a plethora of climate doomsday scenarios haven’t unfolded. Propaganda and pollaganda are powerful tools. And for that, we should all be extremely anxious for our future.