Ask HN: How do you deal with Climate Change induced depression?
13 comments
Realize that so much climate change coverage (and coverage of most topics) is designed to instill as much fear as possible in you so that you click the link/watch the video/etc. If climate change coverage were honest (we'll see a modest increase in sea level rise vs we have 10 years before we destroy the planet) no one would read it. It's designed to reach some lizard part of your brain and not necessarily be an accurate portrayal of what will actually happen. I'm not denying that climate change is real, but we've had "scientific" pronouncements like this since the 60s or 70s and yet the world goes on and everything hasn't completely collapsed. People were saying I'm the 80s and 90s that we only had till 2000 or 2010 to save the planet and yet here we are. My advice is stop reading the news and go enjoy time in nature.
Ignorance is bliss: consume less media that talks about Climate Change.
Does Climate Change exist? Sure. Is mankind a major factor? Most likely. Will the problem be solved? Who knows. Will the planet and everything on it die within the next two to fifty years? Chances are no... But will the situation become in any way better if you keep stressing yourself out about it?
Lean back. Relax. Try living a good meaningful life in a community where your actions affect those you care about positively.
Do not let people whose livelihood is to induce panic control how you feel.
Does Climate Change exist? Sure. Is mankind a major factor? Most likely. Will the problem be solved? Who knows. Will the planet and everything on it die within the next two to fifty years? Chances are no... But will the situation become in any way better if you keep stressing yourself out about it?
Lean back. Relax. Try living a good meaningful life in a community where your actions affect those you care about positively.
Do not let people whose livelihood is to induce panic control how you feel.
My depression comes less from climate change (a future problem) and more from the climate denialism, which is a very present problem.
In my experience, there is a huge overlap between climate change deniers and COVID deniers. It's hard to pin any particular deaths on climate change, but you can find people admitting as they die from COVID that they were wrong. The link is direct and obvious and we still can't fix it.
There are so many current, serious problems where we don't get to hold sincere discussions of solutions because they're drowned out by the outright denial of reality. It's not just the world in 2100; it's the world today.
I'm not sure it really helps you to replace the vague, distant dread of climate change with an immediate horror. But maybe it will push you in the direction of a more direct action with a more direct consequence.
I'll admit that I haven't been very effective, either. Answers like this one are about the best I've come up with, and you can already guess what kinds of replies I'm likely to get to it. But if I can help make your perspective clearer, perhaps I'll have done some good.
In my experience, there is a huge overlap between climate change deniers and COVID deniers. It's hard to pin any particular deaths on climate change, but you can find people admitting as they die from COVID that they were wrong. The link is direct and obvious and we still can't fix it.
There are so many current, serious problems where we don't get to hold sincere discussions of solutions because they're drowned out by the outright denial of reality. It's not just the world in 2100; it's the world today.
I'm not sure it really helps you to replace the vague, distant dread of climate change with an immediate horror. But maybe it will push you in the direction of a more direct action with a more direct consequence.
I'll admit that I haven't been very effective, either. Answers like this one are about the best I've come up with, and you can already guess what kinds of replies I'm likely to get to it. But if I can help make your perspective clearer, perhaps I'll have done some good.
The best way to deal with any kind of depression is therapy. Seek help.
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I can give you my personal reason why I am not worried.
Human beings have been extremely resilient and shown extreme innovative nature's when it comes to solve problems.
I do not live in an area near the sea and my house is safe for decades. I also have the means to move with family if needed. That would be devastating, but I will live, and so will my family.
The world is shifting heavily towards renewables, and that gives me hope.
China and India have increased total forest coverage.
Innovation is extremely important so that quick and cheap ways to migrate to renewables emerge. I am optimistic about this one, but the progress is slow.
China has converted deserts into forest, and artificial rain has been made possible.
The thing with global warming is that it is "global". It will require decades and global will to reverse it. But I think it will be possible.
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I can give you my personal reason why I am not worried.
Human beings have been extremely resilient and shown extreme innovative nature's when it comes to solve problems.
I do not live in an area near the sea and my house is safe for decades. I also have the means to move with family if needed. That would be devastating, but I will live, and so will my family.
The world is shifting heavily towards renewables, and that gives me hope.
China and India have increased total forest coverage.
Innovation is extremely important so that quick and cheap ways to migrate to renewables emerge. I am optimistic about this one, but the progress is slow.
China has converted deserts into forest, and artificial rain has been made possible.
The thing with global warming is that it is "global". It will require decades and global will to reverse it. But I think it will be possible.
I understand that, I understand we will eventually resolve this. It's not the end result I am worried about, it's the damage we'll be doing to all species (including ours) on the way. It's the killing we're already doing right now.
I choose to not worry about things that are outside my control. and instead focus on things where i can make a difference. it is empowering
Are you referring to seasonal depression, being depressed because of current weather, or being depressed because of what you see in the media? I can't quite tell from the title.
I am talking about reading IPCC reports and understanding how most of the world we have, won't be the way it is now.
Did you read the last IPCC report? There are many denialist press articles, but there are also many alarmist press articles.
Some sanity checks:
* What is the expected increase of the sea level in 2100 compared to 2022?
* What is the usual difference between the high tide and the low tide in you city? (Or the nearest city with sea, or you favorite vacation beach)
Also, remember that a lot of things will change before 2100. It's difficult to guess, but we can compare with the world 80 years ago. No transistors, only a few huge low capacity computers with vacuum tubes. Only wire phone. No nuclear, solar or wind electricity generators.
Some sanity checks:
* What is the expected increase of the sea level in 2100 compared to 2022?
* What is the usual difference between the high tide and the low tide in you city? (Or the nearest city with sea, or you favorite vacation beach)
Also, remember that a lot of things will change before 2100. It's difficult to guess, but we can compare with the world 80 years ago. No transistors, only a few huge low capacity computers with vacuum tubes. Only wire phone. No nuclear, solar or wind electricity generators.
How old are you?
I grew up reading about a new ice age and acid rain rendering entire cities uninhabitable yet we’re still here.
Go back and look at past climate change predictions and see how wrong just about everything you’re told is.
I grew up reading about a new ice age and acid rain rendering entire cities uninhabitable yet we’re still here.
Go back and look at past climate change predictions and see how wrong just about everything you’re told is.
It's all just models. The dire predictions are anyway.
Watch the movie “first reformed”