Tag Archives: Climate Change – The Facts

Self-care

How to cope with eco-anxiety?

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If you worry about climate change and the impact humans are having on the environment to the point where you may not be able to stop thinking about it, there’s probably a chance you suffer from a level of eco-anxiety.

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Eco-anxiety affects people in different ways; some people can be a little anxious whereas others may feel more anxious. There is no right or wrong. Given the environmental challenges we are facing putting our long-term security at risk, it’s no surprise that eco-anxiety is on the rise and I’m glad people are more open to talking about it.

Even as an environmentalist, I have to keep my eco-anxiety in check – I’m not ashamed to say I find it overwhelming at times too. However, I have found some ways that helps me keep my eco-anxiety in check.

My tips to cope with eco-anxiety

1. Actions matter

It’s easy to sometimes feel powerless, there’s only so much an individual can control. Something I always say is ‘start small, do what you can, build from there‘. Our actions do matter and make a difference, regardless of how big or small. Never forget that!

2. Find like-minded individuals

It’s important to find other people who share the same passion for the environment and who want to do better. One thing I realised quite early on is that you can learn so much from each other and sharing this knowledge can only be a good thing. Plus, you will be part of a team that may want to set up litter-picks or a local eco group.

3. Happy Eco News

This is something that I started early on. There is so much negative news about climate change so any positive news is largely ignored. There are good things happening in the world when it comes to the environment which is why I send out a fortnightly newsletter filled with happy eco news. I also sent it on Mondays – start the week on a good note! If you would like to receive happy eco news – sign up here and grab a freebie download too.

4. Don’t argue with deniers

This took me a while to get to grips with but I’m much better at it than I was previously. You will always come across deniers. It’s inevitable. But I’m not referring to people who are aware of climate change and would prefer not to talk about it (out of sight, out of mind), I’m referring to people who will argue with you about how climate change is a hoax and want to argue their ‘reasons’ as to why it’s a hoax or not as bad as it’s being reported. DO NOT ENGAGE. After having a number of heated discussions with climate change deniers, I found that I was left frustrated and exhausted from the encounter and the only person affected from this is me. Nothing you can say will make a difference, so don’t bother.

For the little ones

If you have little ones, I’ve come across this gratitude journal for children. It’s so important for children to notice the good about their day rather than just the bad. My little one has a gratitude journal and now I don’t have to even remind her to fill it in, she enjoys doing it on her own.

Above all, it’s about protecting your mental health and only you can do that. It’s OK to protect your mental health.

These are some ideas that work for me but may not work for everyone. Here are my terms & conditions for further reading

Sustainable Living ideas

Want To Understand Climate Change? Watch these films

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As someone who takes a keen interest on the effects of climate change and how global warming is effecting our lives, I try to watch anything I can to learn more about the subject and be better informed. Here are some films I enjoyed watching.

Cowspiracy : The Sustainability Secret

I will be honest, I didn’t actually read the synopsis for this, someone suggested I should watch it. Unlike other documentaries, it answers the questions it asks. I was aware of the impact agriculture is having on global warming but I didn’t realise how much and the amount of water that goes into producing a burger, it’s huge! Water is a limited resource! This really opened my eyes in terms of the price we pay to the environment from eating meat and shows the need for drastic change to our lifestyles.

A Plastic Ocean

I felt this documentary was very powerful, watching this I was absolutely shocked and saddened by the amount of plastic in our oceans and the effect it’s having on marine life. This documentary is beautifully made and makes you question your choices as a consumer; is it really worth it?

Our climate change problem

Climate Change – The Facts

This is narrated by Sir David Attenborough and for me, if Attenborough is talking, I will listen. Attenborough and the team looked at the science behind climate change. No politics, no NGOs, just science and it’s pretty grim. The last 20 hottest years have occurred in the last 22 years. The documentary interviews some of the world’s leading scientists to analyse the changing weather patterns. It gives us a stark warning of what is in store for us if we don’t make a change. If there is one documentary you should watch, it’s this one.

Before the Flood

Leonardo DiCaprio, as the narrator, uses his celebrity status by bringing attention to the plight of the planet due to climate change. He travels the world and looks at the effect of climate change first hand and how it’s changing societies forever and explores our dependence on fossil fuels. It’s a very well thought out documentary and he doesn’t pretend to have all the answers which is evident when he is talking to an environmentalist from India. I won’t say anymore, I don’t want to spoil it.

Films to help understand climate change better

An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power

I absolutely loved An Inconvenient Truth, it was probably one of the first documentaries I watched where I started to understand we have a serious problem and not many people were talking about it. This is the sequel for An Inconvenient Truth released 11 years later, it follows on from what happened in the last 11 years; the flooding of the World Trade Centre site, the changing weather patterns and how people are being affected.

The Story of Plastic

This film was aired on Earth Day 22nd April 2020. Watching this made me very say because it was a stark reminder of what we are doing to the planet and how a decision on one side of the planet can impact another side. This film not only focused on where plastic ends up; rivers, oceans, inside sea life, incinerators, it talks about the start of the plastic journey too and the health implications of residents local to these plants.

If you have watched any films and want to shout about them, please share!