An April 2023 article for the American Psychological Association cites many significant mental health impacts proven to result from the severe hurricanes, wildfires, droughts and heat events in recent years, including increased incidents of PTSD, suicide, aggression, anxiety, and gender-based violence. According to that APA article, “Even some Americans who have not been directly affected by a climate disaster are experiencing climate anxiety—an overwhelming sense of fear, sadness, and dread in the face of a warming planet or anxiety and worry about climate change and its effects.” (How does climate change affect mental health? An October 2022 New York Times story on the effects of climate change on mental health noted that “millions of Americans now brace for seasons with a sense of heightened worry. Will the house survive another wildfire season?” (How Climate Change Inflicts a Toll on Mental Health – The New York Times (nytimes.com)So as we gaze into the future, how do we keep these grim likelihoods from coloring our experience, painting it apocalyptic orange even when the skies –for the moment—are clear? Like what I’m doing today as I write this: I breathe the crisp mountain air and look at the (seemingly) endless blue sky, and I think: Today is beautiful.

Source: New York Times July 16, 2023 15:53 UTC