May 2025

Rising climate anxiety is reshaping the mental health of young people

The Daily Climate, by EHN Curators

As climate disasters increase, young people worldwide are reporting unprecedented levels of anxiety, depression, and fear about the planet’s future. Jeffrey Kluger reports for TIME. In short: One study shows that nearly 60% of young people globally feel very or extremely worried about climate change, with many reporting impacts on daily functioning.

Climate-related disasters correlate with long-term mental distress, particularly among teens who have experienced repeated severe weather events.Young people often feel ignored when discussing climate fears and are calling for adults to engage more openly and take responsibility. Key quote:“It’s the people who have contributed the least to the problem who are facing the challenge of dealing with the consequences.”— Emma Lawrance, Climate Care Center lead at Imperial College London and study co-author.

Why this matters: Climate change is a growing public health crisis, especially for the young. The developing brains of children and adolescents are especially vulnerable to psychological distress, and the overwhelming exposure to climate-related disasters, dire predictions, and perceived adult inaction amplifies feelings of fear, helplessness, and anger. This distress can have long-term effects on mental health, academic performance, and social development. Researchers are documenting a surge in depression, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms tied directly to climate fears, with some young people reconsidering life choices such as having children. Lower-income and marginalized communities, often hardest hit by climate disasters, face additional mental health burdens due to fewer resources and support systems.

By Abe Mazliach, ago

IRA Cuts Would Sacrifice $1 Trillion of Economic Growth

The article discusses a proposed budget bill by House Republicans that could significantly harm the clean energy sector in the United States. If this bill passes, it would make it much harder for companies to access tax credits that support clean energy projects, like solar and wind power.

Research shows that these changes could lead to a loss of over $1 trillion in economic growth over the next ten years. This would also mean that by 2030, American households could pay an extra $120 each year for energy costs, with that amount rising to over $230 by 2035. Additionally, the bill could result in the loss of more than 700,000 jobs in the clean energy sector by 2035.

The proposed changes include ending tax credits for clean technologies earlier than planned and making it more difficult for companies to qualify for these credits. This would likely lead to fewer clean energy projects being built and higher energy prices for consumers. The article highlights that even though the bill aims to lower costs for oil and gas, demand-driven price increases would likely outweigh any benefits.

There is also concern from various groups and some Senate Republicans about the potential negative impacts of the bill, especially regarding jobs and energy costs. Overall, the article warns that this budget bill could have serious consequences for the clean energy industry and the economy.

Heatmap News

by Emily Pontecorvo

By Abe Mazliach, ago

Sir David Attenborough Ocean Film ‘Greatest Message He’s Told’

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn0wjxg0ex1o?ref=thewild.news

Sir David Attenborough is launching what he says is one of the most important films of his career as he enters his hundredth year.highlight-noteshighlight-tags

He believes his new, cinema-length film Ocean could play a decisive role in saving biodiversity and protecting the planet from climate change.highlight-noteshighlight-tags

Sir David, who will be 99 on Thursday, says: “After almost 100 years on the planet, I now understand the most important place on Earth is not on land, but at sea.”highlight-noteshighlight-tags

The ocean is the planet’s support system and humanity’s greatest ally against climate catastrophe, the film argues. It shows how the world’s oceans are at a crossroads.highlight-noteshighlight-tags

The film documents how the state of the world’s oceans and our understanding of how they function have changed in the course of Sir David’s lifetime.highlight-noteshighlight-tags

Ocean contains some of the most graphic footage of the damage that bottom trawling – a common fishing practice around the world – can do to the seabed. It is a vivid example of how industrial fishing can drain the life from the world’s oceans, Sir David claims.highlight-noteshighlight-tags

The new footage shows how the chain that the trawlers drag behind them scours the seafloor, forcing the creatures it disturbs into the net behind. They are often seeking a single species: more than three-quarters of what they catch may be discarded.highlight-noteshighlight-tags

Sir David says the state of the ocean has almost made him lose hope for the future of life on the planet. What has kept him from despair is what he calls the “most remarkable discovery of all” – that the ocean can “recover faster than we had ever imagined”.highlight-noteshighlight-tags

Sir David’s key message in the Ocean film is that all is not lost. Countries have promised to protect a third of the world’s oceans. He hopes his new film will spur leaders to take firm action on this promise at a UN conference next month.highlight-noteshighlight-tags

A healthier ocean ecosystem would also be able to trap more carbon dioxide, helping protect the world from climate change, according to scientists.

By Abe Mazliach, ago