Young people are grieving for the Earth.
In recent years, an increasing number of young people worldwide have grappled with the profound emotional toll of climate breakdown. A poignant 2022 study by Shu Mei Teo and colleagues delved into distress experienced by young Australians, particularly those aged 15 to 19. Looking specifically at climate-related concerns, nearly one in four young Australians expressed profound anxiety about the future of our Earth. This distress weighed heavily on their hearts and minds. Award-winning scientist Joëlle Gergis captures the depth of these emotions: “I catch myself unexpectedly weeping… what surfaces is pure grief” (“Climate Change Worries and Youth Mental Health,” Journal of Environmental Psychology, 2022).
However, amidst these challenges, young people are not staying silent. Faced with the increasing frequency and severity of climate-related events like extreme heat, floods, and wildfires, young people worldwide are rising to the occasion. They are demanding action from leaders and taking leadership roles in initiatives like the Transforming Education Summit. They seek knowledge about environmental challenges and sustainable practices to be empowered. As Gary Drevitch underscores, “In the face of daunting challenges, young people, who will bear the brunt of these impacts, are courageously stepping up to demand action from leaders” (“Youth Action in the Climate Crisis,” 2 October 2023).
We also see a significant societal shift in a revelation highlighted by research from University College London (reported in The Guardian). More people are opting out of parenthood because of their profound concerns about climate breakdown. This shift reflects a growing recognition of the immense challenges facing our Earth and the intricate relationship between climate anxieties and reproductive decisions. Damien Gayle captures this sentiment: “Concerns about the environment a key factor in having fewer or no children” (“More people not having children due to climate breakdown fears, finds research,” 9 November 2023).
This is a global phenomenon. In 2023, researchers at University College London, examining the intricate dynamics of reproductive decision-making in the context of the climate crisis, uncovered a sad truth. People with heightened anxieties about climate breakdown tend to express a reduced desire for children or none at all. This revelation underscores the deep-seated emotional impact of climate concerns on personal life choices (“Climate warriors down under: Contextualising Australia’s youth climate justice movement,” Hohenhaus et al., NPJ Climate Action, 2023).
As I feel new pangs of pain in my broken heart and reflect on my grief journey and these insights, I know this simple thing: the emotional responses triggered by climate breakdown mirror grief experienced in the face of personal loss. As grief specialist Lucy Hone reminds us, grief encompasses a myriad of emotions and responses, from shock and denial to anger and sadness. Truly, it is a complex and multifaceted experience. Similarly, the grief we feel because of climate breakdown stems from the profound loss of what we, as humans, believed to be our stable and secure future.
Francis Weller, the insightful author of The Wild Edge of Sorrow (by far the best book on grief I have ever read), offers profound wisdom on the significance of grief in times of environmental crisis: “Grief is not a problem to be solved… it’s a sacred expression of love” (Weller, 2015). Weller reminds us of the inherent value of grief as a natural response to loss, whether personal or planetary, and its role in deepening our connection to the world around us.
This I know from my own experience: while the grief associated with personal loss and climate breakdown may differ in scope, both elicit deep feelings of sadness, anxiety, and uncertainty. And therefore, both types of grief demand your respect and careful attention. The well-known processes of acknowledging, processing, and ultimately, healing from grief remain fundamentally similar. We need community support, opportunities for emotional expression, and collective action to navigate these challenging emotions. We must recognize the parallels between personal and planetary grief. That recognition can help us nurture greater empathy, resilience, and solidarity as we confront the real physical and equally real existential challenges of climate breakdown.
References:
Weller, Francis. The Wild Edge of Sorrow. North Atlantic Books, 2015.
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