There is a special place in the underworld for those who promote anxiety, desperation, and terror in the most vulnerable. A place where the infernal warmth is particularly torrid. And one does not have to spend much time looking for candidates for this netherworld—the front page of the many newspapers will do fine, reports Charles Rotter.
1
Among certain vulnerable people, talk of eco-grief and anxiety has become signs of psychological crises. In Seattle, The University of Washington Bothell has entire classes given over to eco-grief, and non-profits like Climate Action Families have sessions for folks who are paralyzed with fear and grief over climate change. Some local Seattle therapists are specializing in climate grief therapy, and even the UW has sessions for students.
Why are all these people so anxiety-ridden and desperate?
As Charles Rotter points out, “Why stop at the borders of Seattle? Major media from the Guardian to the New York Times are covering climate anxiety, with anxiety-racked climate stars like Greta Thunberg tearfully describing how their dreams and their childhood have been stolen by climate change. Why are all these people so anxiety-ridden and desperate? I believe it is the unconscionable exaggeration, hype and fear-mongering of our media, special interest groups, some activist scientists, and a number of politicians. And it is unethical, ungrounded in science, and hurting the most vulnerable among us.”
1
Recently, Canadian Dr. Kyle Merritt diagnosed a 70-year-old patient with climate change as the key reason for her decline in health after she came to the hospital with breathing problems. In what's thought to be a world first, after assessing 'the underlying cause', he wrote on a patient chart: 'climate change'.
2
The doctor reported, “She has diabetes, She has some heart failure..she lives in a trailer with no air conditioning. All of her health problems have been worsened. And She's really struggling to stay hydrated.” Others in the hospital shared Dr. Merritt's opinion and he was able to form an internal group of about 40 medical professionals called Doctors and Nurses for Planetary Health.
In a statement on its website, the group said: “As physicians and nurses, we saw first-hand the physical and mental effects of climate change on our patients and communities. We see this as a looming disaster that risks undermining our already overburdened medical system.”
2
As Australian Joanne Nova notes, “”After 30 years of Green Blob disaster porn, there are casualties. Climate change propaganda takes a toll on our minds.” The Climate Empowerment Handbook by the Australian Psychological Society is an allegedly handy guide on how to take happy people and make them stressed. Of this report, Nova says, “”We'd be happy to help. Instead of talking about feelings and framing their pain, we'd suggest they look at some proxies, feel the history, gaze at graphs and learn some logic and reason. It's a long term solution. Never again will they fall for gullible voodoo, fake science and make-work rent-seeking propaganda.”
3
References
- Charles Rotter, “Promoters of climate anxiety,” wattsupwiththat.com, December 9, 2019
- Casey Magloire, “Canadian doctor diagnoses woman in British Columbia with 'climate change' after breathing problems during summer of heatwaves and wildfires,” news.sky.com, November 10, 2021
- Jo Nova, “Eco-psychology: new free helpline, handbook promotes 'climate change psychological support network'”, joannenova.com.au, September1, 2018
