Eco-anxiety: A Dystopian Dream

Take a moment. Think of all the times you passed by automobiles that released excessive emissions, animals eating plastic, polluted water bodies, trees being cut down, overflowing garbage, or water trucks. In these instances, a feeling of helplessness and dread may have taken over you for a few moments; followed by which you may have carried on with your life turning to denial and distractions for comfort, with the underlying attitude being, “not now so, not my problem!”

Well, we have finally reached that future folks, and not only is ignorance not bliss it is impossible. Gone are the days when melting icebergs rising the sea level, plastic suffocating aquatic life, the hole in the ozone layer, deforestation and other natural calamities were passing thoughts of danger in the distant, theoretical future. Earth has started to retaliate in the form of floods, forest fires, cyclones, diseases, extinction of species, etc. Therefore it would come as no surprise that a substantial portion of the population is anxious about the impending environmental doom. This phenomenon was noticeable enough to be termed as “eco-anxiety”. As the term suggests it is anxiety related to environmental degradation. The American Psychological Association defines it as “the chronic fear of environment cataclysm that comes from observing the seemingly irrevocable impact of climate change.”

Visuals of a planet with barren lands with bare rocks and trees, with garbage scattered for miles; where breathing is a task because of the pungent odors and low oxygen levels; where the scorching heat and baking land blisters the skin; where stomachs growl and throats are parched; where the seasons are muddled, weather is moody and the climate is unpredictable, torment people with eco-anxiety. The overexposure to these vivid visuals from across the world is hard to escape when information is at our fingertips giving us irrefutable pieces of evidence of mass destruction and suffering setting a sense of impending apocalypse and resulting in anxiety, overstimulation, existential dread and fatalism.

Have you noticed that an increased number of millennials and Gen Z don’t want children? Now consider if this was ever a dilemma for Gen X. More than half of us wouldn’t exist if that were the case! Eco-anxiety attacks an individual's self-preservation and gives rise to self-destructive thoughts, in which the tendency is to deprioritise self for the greater good of society; and thereby question the practicality of having offspring when the planet’s future is unpredictable. This was proven by a study called “Fertility decisions of the Anthropocene '' from George Washington University, which showed that 51.1 percent of the participants did not want children. Indicating a movement of birth strike slowly taking seed in the minds of young men and women. This compromise on reproduction is due to the arguable state of the environment’s capacity to sustain children in the future, the guilt of burdening them with climate change and compensation for those who chose to have children.

Call it karma but there is no simple cure for this form of anxiety as it’s a rational reaction to a legitimate problem. It is important to strike a healthy balance between eco-anxiety and living in denial until a disaster comes knocking at the door. If you feel like you have eco-anxiety acknowledge the fear, grief, guilt, forgive yourself and others for harming the planet. It is crucial to not just focus on all the environmentally destructive behaviours of people across the globe, but also to look at the steps being taken to conserve the environment by various organisations and governments. Try to find like-minded people on this journey so that you don’t feel like you are the only one feeling this way and seek therapy to manage it. Having said that, just feeling anxious and not doing anything to deal with its causes is no good. Acknowledge its productive aspects which urges information-seeking, problem solving and use this for pro-social behaviour by adopting a greener, more sustainable lifestyle. Finally, for those in denial it’s time to act NOW. Each thoughtless act has an irrevocable impact and moves us closer to doomsday. Regardless of whether you are eco-anxious or in denial, it is the need of the hour to ask yourself “Am I doing my bit for a better tomorrow? Or am I fueling an apocalyptic future?”

by Ashwini Kailas