Climate change

Axios - Human-caused climate change is having widespread and significant negative effects on young people's mental health across the country, a new study finds...The peer-reviewed study, published yesterday evening in The Lancet Planetary Health, provides the latest — and perhaps the most authoritative — look at what the authors refer to as "climate emotions," including despair, fear, anxiety and depression, among others.

• The researchers analyzed the results of an online survey of about 16,000 U.S. youth between the ages of 16 to 25 between July and November of last year.
• They found a large majority, or 85% of respondents, are at least moderately worried, with about 58% "very or extremely worried," about climate change and its impacts.
• A smaller but still sizable group reported that these concerns were harming their mental health, with 38% stating their feelings about climate change were interfering with their daily lives...

A majority of total respondents, including 37.9% of Republican respondents, to the online survey stated climate change would make them hesitant to have children.

• And majorities of all respondents, including 57.8% of Republicans in the survey, said the issue would influence where they choose to live.

One interesting finding, Lewandowski said, is that young people are looking to have more conversations about climate change and to be validated in their concerns, rather than have older generations dismiss them. More

Compared to 1991-2020 averages; Data: NWS; Map: Axios Visuals