Climate change is taking an emotional toll, but better education could help
New research from ANU has shown that climate change is negatively affecting the emotional wellbeing of young Australians. These feelings are exacerbated by what young people see as shortcomings in their climate education. Addressing these gaps in schools may combat feelings of powerlessness and alleviate climate-related distress.
Key takeaways
- Climate change is having a significant and complex negative emotional impact on young Australians, according to the latest ANU research.
- Young people report feeling politically disillusioned, uncertain about the future, and frustrated about feeling powerless to help.
- Policies to deliver a comprehensive climate education, including a focus on solutions, could help strengthen young people's sense of agency.
There is a double-edged sword for young people coming of age in a time of climate-altered futures: they're disproportionately burdened by the impacts of greenhouse gases emitted even before they were born, and yet they will also bear much responsibility for enacting society's climate mitigation and adaptation agenda in coming decades.
New evidence from the ANU Institute of Climate, Energy and Disaster Solutions has illustrated the ways that climate change-related distress is experienced by young Australians. When interviewed, they report feeling anxiety, anger and a sense of powerlessness about climate change.
One young person, aged 20, told researchers:
"We're pretty much a plague on Earth, human beings, you know. We've sort of been destroying it from the start and it's showing us signs that we're destroying it and we're not listening."
Critically, they reported dissatisfaction with how they were taught about climate change at school. An inconsistent approach to climate issues across subjects, schools, and year levels left young people feeling ill-equipped to handle climate change as young adults. One participant said:
"I don't think it was touched on much because we weren't assessed on it […] that's kind of strange when you consider how big of an issue that it actually is."
Young people linked their fragmented climate education with feeling a lack of agency, expressing a need to be shown trusted information about climate change and taught how to help.
"I'm so passionate about the environment and climate change but I don't know everything, and I want to be able to know what more can I do, instead of just… going through this loophole of social media and getting fed this false information."
The findings showed that young Australians see climate change as a fundamental social challenge, but one that is inadequately addressed at school. Discussing how to improve climate change education in Australia, they also identified a need to acknowledge the emotional impact this learning has, as well as a focus on potential solutions they can contribute to.
"Young people linked their fragmented climate education with feeling a lack of agency, expressing a need to be shown trusted information about climate change and taught how to help."
Conclusion
Drawing on the testimony of young Australians collected by ANU, the research identifies a need for policies designed to strengthen climate education in schools, to help empower young people and counter climate distress.