I recently read a New York Times story reprinted in The Buffalo News about eco-anxiety, a malady caused by fear that the human race is doomed by the effects of climate change. Eco-anxiety has been present in our country since the days when former Vice President Al Gore began going on about “global warming” in what was an effort to somehow remain relevant after losing an election.

The story began by recounting an exchange between a young Italian women who wept as she stood at a gathering to tell the Italian environmental minister of her fears of an apocalyptic future. She told the minister that “I personally suffer from eco-anxiety. I have no future because my land burns.” She continued saying that she doubted the sanity of bringing children into this world. She than asked Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fatin “aren’t you scared for your children, for your grandchildren?”

At that point the minister, visibly choked up as he replied “I have a responsibility toward all of you. I have a responsibility toward my grandchildren.” The conclusion of the Times reporter was that “Europe is a continent on the verge of a nervous breakdown.”

Life can be tough, but I seriously wonder how this current generation of European young people would have dealt with two world wars, depression, the rise of fascism, and the threat of nuclear annihilation that their great grandparents, grandparents and parents faced up to and yet went on with their lives.

What is eco anxiety? Harvard Medical School defines it as “stress related to worries about the effects of climate change. It is not a mental illness. Rather it is anxiety rooted in uncertainty about the future.”

The American Psychology Association describes eco-anxiety as “the chronic fear of environmental cataclysm that comes from observing the seemingly irrevocable impact climate change and the associated concern for one’s future and that of next generations.”

Some of the symptoms of eco-anxiety include anger at those who do not acknowledge climate change or older generations for not doing enough, fatalistic thinking, feelings of doom, and guilt at your own carbon footprint.

Psychologists recommend some of the following as ways to develop climate change coping skills: Focus on what you can control, take a break from climate news, or talk to someone about how you are feeling.

According to a Yale study eco-anxiety has tripled among college student with 27% of students saying that they are worried about climate change and with the number of students indicating that they were very alarmed over climate change tripling in the last six years.

In the nation as a whole 65 % of people worried about climate change, and 25%s were very worried.

Studies indicate that the most vulnerable group to eco-anxiety is Generation Z or those born between 1996 and 2010. They are the first “Digital natives” known for working, shopping, dating, and making friends online.

Gen Z is also concerned with caring for the earth and demanding social and environmental justice.

However, compared to older generations they are more likely to report experiencing stress, anxiety, and loneliness. Psychologists feel that Gen Z’s dependence on the internet, social media and smart phones is causing them to spend less face-to-face time with family and friends is what leads to these psychological issues. The fact other age groups are now more dependent on the same tools may explain the anxiety of others over climate change.

Last summer prior to the passage of the notorious Inflation Reduction Act Biden stated that he had come close to declaring a climate change national emergency similar to the COVID-19 declaration.

This spring a bill was introduced by Alexandra Ocasio Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders demanding that President Biden Declare such an emergency. In response Republicans introduced a bill declaring that the President does not have the power to declare such an emergency. The question is, will he or won’t he.

It is important to remember that no matter what the United States does, climate is global and while Biden says he wants to greatly reduce emissions, our efforts will have little impact because nations like China and India are responsible for huge amounts of emissions. If history is any indicator a climate change national emergency could lead to serious infringements on our basic rights as occurred during the COVID pandemic which should make us wary of any such declaration.

However, the one sure result of a climate change emergency declaration would be a weaker U.S. economy given that wind and solar are not available 24-7 it would be necessary that they be backed up by gas, nuclear and coal generated power for the foreseeable future resulting in higher energy prices, higher costs for goods and services and ultimately the loss of jobs overseas.

The result of that would be more anxiety for far more people.

Thomas Kirkpatrick Sr. is a Silver Creek resident. Send comments to editorial@observertoday.com