Concerns regarding the severity of the climate crisis and how to stay resilient
By ELLIE NOH — eenoh@ucdavis.edu
As the effects of global warming increase in severity, their current and future environmental impacts have caused many individuals to experience anxiety about their futures. This anxiety is further fueled by others’ ignorance towards understanding the effects of the climate crisis, leaving people feeling unheard about their concerns.
The concept of “climate guilt” stems from these emotions, resulting in individuals feeling helpless when they aren’t able to live in a completely eco-friendly way in their day-to-day lives. This includes feeling guilty about a purchase from an unsustainable company or having to take modes of transportation that contribute to more carbon dioxide emissions.
This slew of negative emotions is also caused by the increase of nihilistic media messages regarding the potential impacts of climate change. This can lead individuals to believe that their actions do not serve a positive impact — that it’s “already too late” to help the climate movement. However, this perspective needs to be reevaluated, as these sentiments should instead be treated as motivation to make a difference. From a singular perspective, it might seem that giving up an unsustainable action won’t make a difference, even though that’s not actually the case. From a collective perspective, each individual action can add up and create a larger impact than any singular action can.
An alternative result to the feeling of climate guilt is increased motivation to implement change, rather than feeling increased pressure. For most climate-related advertising, this is essentially the goal — to create a sense of climate guilt among the masses and initiate an aim to tackle environmental issues. Some means through which people fuel their motivation include participating in protests, being more cognizant of energy consumption, reposting social media posts as a form of online activism and much more.
Besides boosting your morale and motivation, another way to overcome climate guilt is to take a break from overconsuming social media and news articles. There are many publications, influencers and other forms of media that are published with the goal of making the audience feel as though there can’t be anything done in terms of a more sustainable future. When this happens, it is beneficial to practice media literacy and retain a sense of hope rather than dwell on negative news. For instance, there are various articles that cover novel innovations in climate technology, which would provide sustainable alternatives to former carbon-emitting practices.
In order to overcome the negative connotations of climate guilt, it is fundamental to realize that each individual action makes a difference. Without each action, no change can be implemented. The key to a more sustainable future is to encourage others to incorporate sustainable practices into their individual lives. In the end, it is crucial to remember and acknowledge that every action counts, no matter how impactful you consider it to be — each action is still valuable, as it is a step closer to a greener tomorrow.
Written by: Ellie Noh — eenoh@ucdavis.edu
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by individual columnists belong to the columnists alone and do not necessarily indicate the views and opinions held by The California Aggie.
