WEBVTT 1 00:00:04.030 --> 00:00:08.230 "I want to take part in this video because I think there should be more 2 00:00:08.230 --> 00:00:10.740 understanding when it comes to different feelings 3 00:00:10.750 --> 00:00:11.820 about climate change." 4 00:00:16.563 --> 00:00:21.120 "I'm Marie, I'm 27 years old, I live in Bonn and work as 5 00:00:21.120 --> 00:00:22.420 a media designer. 6 00:00:24.200 --> 00:00:27.760 My hobbies are handball, and making music and doing creative things." 7 00:00:32.870 --> 00:00:36.870 "I've always wanted to have children, but in the last few years 8 00:00:36.870 --> 00:00:41.800 I've reconsidered this wish, because I wouldn't want my children to have 9 00:00:41.800 --> 00:00:44.270 any more fears and worries than I already do." 10 00:00:49.813 --> 00:00:52.280 Anger, helplessness, resignation. 11 00:00:52.280 --> 00:00:55.400 Climate anxiety can be expressed in different ways. 12 00:00:55.760 --> 00:00:58.840 A representative from a leading German health insurer breaks 13 00:00:58.840 --> 00:01:00.030 down the numbers. 14 00:01:04.007 --> 00:01:05.480 “Our study of 2,000 15 00:01:05.480 --> 00:01:11.430 children and young people between ages 14 and 17 across Germany found 16 00:01:11.440 --> 00:01:15.790 that over 68% are very worried about climate change... 17 00:01:16.350 --> 00:01:20.340 and therefore have some form of climate anxiety.” 18 00:01:22.578 --> 00:01:23.750 The study also states 19 00:01:23.750 --> 00:01:27.550 that the three most feared consequences of climate change for 20 00:01:27.550 --> 00:01:31.750 young people in Germany include an increase in extreme weather events, 21 00:01:31.870 --> 00:01:36.830 the loss of habitats for animals and humans, and a rise in crises and 22 00:01:36.830 --> 00:01:40.030 conflicts over vital resources like drinking water. 23 00:01:41.840 --> 00:01:45.760 Over half of the respondents expect climate change to have a negative 24 00:01:45.760 --> 00:01:50.040 impact on general health. For example through expanding tropical 25 00:01:50.040 --> 00:01:53.790 diseases, extreme heat stress or depression. 26 00:01:57.720 --> 00:02:01.920 It's good for Marie to talk to her friend Hanne about her climate fears. 27 00:02:02.080 --> 00:02:05.680 Then she realizes she's not the only one who feels this way. 28 00:02:06.200 --> 00:02:09.280 Health insurance companies and scientists are now taking 29 00:02:09.280 --> 00:02:11.389 climate anxiety seriously. 30 00:02:12.600 --> 00:02:16.800 Stephan Heinzel conducts research on climate and mental health at the 31 00:02:16.810 --> 00:02:18.590 TU Dortmund University. 32 00:02:18.600 --> 00:02:22.560 He believes climate anxiety is not a disease in the same sense as 33 00:02:22.560 --> 00:02:24.300 an anxiety disorder. 34 00:02:27.889 --> 00:02:31.970 "An anxiety disorder is usually characterized by irrational, 35 00:02:31.970 --> 00:02:35.810 unfounded fears, and with climate anxiety it's different. 36 00:02:36.490 --> 00:02:40.930 Because the climate crisis is a real threat, which means that fears in 37 00:02:40.930 --> 00:02:45.490 relation to the climate crisis are rational, and are also appropriate. 38 00:02:48.423 --> 00:02:53.150 Current forecasts assume that we will see around 2.7 degrees Celsius 39 00:02:53.150 --> 00:02:56.910 of warming towards the end of the century, or even more. 40 00:02:57.389 --> 00:03:01.710 And these are drastic consequences that people born in the 2000s will 41 00:03:01.710 --> 00:03:03.500 largely still experience." 42 00:03:12.433 --> 00:03:16.800 Hanne tries to maintain a climate-friendly lifestyle, both 43 00:03:16.800 --> 00:03:19.180 privately and professionally. 44 00:03:19.840 --> 00:03:24.160 She even gave up her café to work full-time in organic farming. 45 00:03:28.660 --> 00:03:31.139 "Hanne is more consistent than I am. 46 00:03:31.139 --> 00:03:31.930 That helps her. 47 00:03:31.940 --> 00:03:35.500 Would that also help me with my feelings? 48 00:03:35.500 --> 00:03:36.930 To live more climate-friendly? 49 00:03:36.940 --> 00:03:37.930 Do without more? 50 00:03:37.940 --> 00:03:39.400 Shop more consciously? 51 00:03:40.760 --> 00:03:43.700 But I find it difficult to make radical sacrifices. 52 00:03:43.920 --> 00:03:47.080 When I'm online and see a pair of pants I like, I want to buy them. 53 00:03:47.790 --> 00:03:50.020 Even though I know that all this consumption is not good 54 00:03:50.030 --> 00:03:50.940 for the climate." 55 00:03:53.883 --> 00:03:57.883 "This whole flood of news, of bad news -- and above all news to do with 56 00:03:58.600 --> 00:04:02.573 the climate crisis -- you can't help but feel responsible for it." 57 00:04:06.373 --> 00:04:07.600 "And then I ask myself. 58 00:04:07.600 --> 00:04:09.190 What can I do as an individual? 59 00:04:09.200 --> 00:04:11.693 And do I even have an impact?" 60 00:04:21.392 --> 00:04:25.392 "I would advise people who suffer from climate anxiety to get together 61 00:04:25.750 --> 00:04:28.000 with others and get active together. 62 00:04:29.520 --> 00:04:33.440 If you have the feeling you can achieve something together, then it 63 00:04:33.440 --> 00:04:37.240 has a positive effect on the psyche, because then you no longer 64 00:04:37.240 --> 00:04:38.690 feel so powerless. 65 00:04:39.279 --> 00:04:43.080 And that's probably the feeling that affects people most...a kind of 66 00:04:43.080 --> 00:04:45.430 despair or powerlessness." 67 00:04:50.283 --> 00:04:52.750 Biking instead of driving. 68 00:04:52.750 --> 00:04:56.870 Even if Marie doesn't change her life as consistently as her friend, she's 69 00:04:56.870 --> 00:04:59.220 still trying to make her everyday activities as 70 00:04:59.230 --> 00:05:01.320 climate-friendly as possible. 71 00:05:01.360 --> 00:05:05.070 She also focuses more on leisure activities than she used to. 72 00:05:05.360 --> 00:05:08.670 That gives her more strength to deal with her climate fears. 73 00:05:10.190 --> 00:05:14.470 "I hope this video encourages lots of people to talk openly about 74 00:05:14.480 --> 00:05:16.270 their climate fears. 75 00:05:16.279 --> 00:05:18.460 It helped me a lot personally to talk about it. 76 00:05:18.630 --> 00:05:20.880 And I think that's very important. 77 00:05:21.190 --> 00:05:24.060 Because only if we talk about it do we have a chance to 78 00:05:24.070 --> 00:05:25.300 change something together."