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Content warning: This article contains references to suicide, domestic violence and substance abuse.

Sarah Plallé often ponders the possibility of her young daughter choosing not to have children because of the negative effects of climate change.

Pralle, professor of political science at the Maxwell School of Syracuse University, said: Citizenship and public relations.

The negative psychological effects of global climate change, such as anxiety and helplessness, are being felt by those studying the phenomenon at SU.

Aside from concerns about future generations, Pralet said she sometimes stops consuming environmental news for a few days to take a “mental break” from topics she said could be overwhelming. Told.

Dominic Wilkins, a PhD student studying geography and environment at Maxwell, also expressed concerns related to climate change.

“It can go down a spiral or… rabbit hole when you realize and know that some people somewhere have caused some kind of destruction,” he said.

Wilkins believes that looking at crises throughout history can provide insight into the impacts of climate change.

“People, because of their particular histories, power dynamics, and the geometries in which they live, struggle and cope with catastrophes far worse than many ultimately have to deal with. I’ve been doing it,” said Wilkins.

According to a December 2021 survey by The Lancet Planetary Health, nearly 40% of young people between the ages of 16 and 25 say they are hesitant to have children because of climate change, and more than 75% say they are reluctant to have children in the future. I feel terrible.

The December 2021 report notes that climate change impacts are causing more people to suffer from conditions that negatively impact their mental health, especially in low-income and non-white communities.

Surya Vaidi, who studies environment, sustainability and policy at Maxwell, said progress is being held back by the negative.

“But this kind of helplessness is also ingrained in society and is an established mode of doing this,” he said.

Vaidy says taking action is the way to combat climate anxiety.

Stephanie Zaso | Design Editor

Chie Sakakibara, an associate professor in the Department of Geography and the Environment at California State University Maxwell, has studied the Alaskan Inupiat — about 750 indigenous people who have lived in the Alaskan tundra for thousands of years — for more than 18 years. I have been researching. In the 1970s, the Inupiat people migrated inland to escape rising sea levels, she said.

Now, the tribe is considering relocating again due to rising sea levels and declining wildlife populations around it, Sakakibara explained. I discovered that the .

But Sakakibara says the Inupiat are raising their voices. The tribe sends delegations to international climate change summits, influences policy makers in Alaska, and works with other indigenous peoples, such as the Inuit of Canada, to increase their visibility.

“I… feel the stress that people are going through right now,” she said. “But at the same time, this is an exciting time for the community to really start building networks with other indigenous communities around the world.”

Reflecting on similar sentiments, Vaidy recalled one of his former professors’ advice on hope.

“Hope is an active process,” Vaidi said. “We need to work on it, stay actively involved and keep educating ourselves.”

Editor’s Note: Surya Vaidy is a photographer for The Daily Orange. In his capacity as a photographer, he does not influence the editorial content of the news section.