BBC Learnings · Section 1

Does climate change make you anxious

When we talk about climate change, we usually talk about the effects on the planet

Level: B1 · 100 sentences

Transcript

  1. When we talk about climate change,
  2. we usually talk about the effects on the planet
  3. or the economic consequences.
  4. But all the damage being done by climate change
  5. is also having an effect on our minds our mental health.
  6. Fires, heatwaves, floods Hurricanes, droughts,
  7. the list of climate emergencies goes on and on,
  8. and sometimes it all feels like doom and gloom,
  9. an idiom describing a situation that is very bad and without hope.
  10. This worry is leading to mental health problems,
  11. not just for the unfortunate people who experience climate events firsthand,
  12. but for all of us.
  13. In this programme,
  14. we'll meet one expert who's investigating the link between climate change
  15. and mental health problems and hoping to find some solutions.
  16. And as usual, we'll be learning some new vocabulary along the way.
  17. But before that, I have a question for you, Sam.
  18. The 2021 UK Census reported that three-quarters of adults in Britain
  19. are worried about the impact of climate change,
  20. and it's a worry that's shared by the young.
  21. According to a survey by Greenpeace,
  22. What percentage of young people worldwide
  23. say they feel worried about climate change?
  24. Is it... a 74% b 84% or c 94%?
  25. I think the figure will be high among young people,
  26. so I'll say b 84%.
  27. OK, Sam, we'll find out if that's the correct answer
  28. later in the programme.
  29. The expert I mentioned earlier who's investigating this problem
  30. is Dr Gesche Hübner.
  31. Senior researcher at University College London.
  32. Here, Dr Hubner explains to BBC World Service programme The Climate Question
  33. what she's been finding out.
  34. I think we have very clear evidence that, for example,
  35. hot temperatures, heatwaves are linked to an increased risk of suicide
  36. and also other adverse mental health effects.
  37. We also have pretty good evidence that, for example,
  38. experiencing a natural disaster, storms, flooding
  39. are linked to negative mental health outcomes such as
  40. post-traumatic stress disorder or other anxiety issues.
  41. Many people who experience a climate change event like flooding
  42. suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, often shortened to PTSD,
  43. a serious mental health disorder that can develop
  44. after a very bad experience like war
  45. or natural disasters like a flood or fire.
  46. But according to Dr Huebner,
  47. even people without direct experience can suffer anxiety issues
  48. about what the future holds for our planet.
  49. This is known as climate anxiety, sometimes called climate doom
  50. a low-level feeling of nervousness or worry about the consequences of climate change.
  51. These mental disorders are different in terms of how intense they feel,
  52. but Dr Hubner describes them both as adverse
  53. having a harmful or negative effect.
  54. In all this doom and gloom,
  55. It's easy to forget that many of the things
  56. which are good for fighting climate change
  57. are also good for mental health.
  58. Here's Dr Hubner again talking with BBC World Service's The Climate Question,
  59. this time focusing on positive things which can be done to help.
  60. For example, if we get fossil fuel vehicles off the road,
  61. we can improve the air quality
  62. and we know that per se can be good for mental health.
  63. If we change our road infrastructure to enable more walking and cycling,
  64. again, we have fewer fossil fuel being burned,
  65. but also we know that walking
  66. and cycling are very good for mental health.
  67. If we can change our road layout and create more green spaces,
  68. we already know that green and blue spaces are good for mental health.
  69. Activities like walking and cycling reduce fossil fuels and improve air quality,
  70. but they are also good per se
  71. a Latin term meaning in and of itself.
  72. Walking is good for climate reasons,
  73. but also good in itself per se.
  74. Dr Hubner also recommends more urban green spaces open areas for parks,
  75. plants and wildlife, which are built
  76. into the design of towns and cities.
  77. With creative thinking like this,
  78. it may still be possible for today's young people
  79. to have a planet worth living for.
  80. Speaking of which, Sam,
  81. it's time to reveal the answer to my question.
  82. Yes. You asked what percentage of young people worldwide
  83. report feeling anxious about climate change and I guessed it was 84%.
  84. Which was the correct answer.
  85. Well done. It's a high percentage which is not surprising considering
  86. that it's future generations who will live
  87. with the consequences of what we do or fail to do today.
  88. OK, let's recap the vocabulary we've learned from this programme about climate anxiety
  89. feelings of distress caused by worrying about climate change.
  90. The idiom doom and gloom
  91. describes the feeling that a situation is very bad and without hope.
  92. Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD,
  93. is a serious mental illness that can develop as a result of a very bad experience,
  94. like a war or natural disaster.
  95. The adjective adverse means having a harmful negative effect.
  96. The Latin phrase per se means in itself
  97. and is used when considering the qualities of something on its own,
  98. not in relation to something else.
  99. And finally, urban green spaces are areas in towns and cities
  100. which are reserved for parks, trees and wildlife.