II. “It scares me” – Between #climatefear and #climatehysteria

This ist the second perspective on the #climatedilemma which was developed during a workshop conducted by #TheDive.com in March 2020 in Berlin. It focused on the aspect of fear, concern, worry, or even panic and despair which the #climatecrisis is stirring within us. We read some articles about the matter, mainly summarized by the organization “Psychologists for Future” (www.psychologistsforfuture.org/en/). 

 > What is their claim?

Firstly we had to make a clear distinction between on one hand #climatefear or #ecoanxiety as an emotion which is felt and has to be dealt with by anybody studying the risks and trends of #globalheating and an eventual #climatecollapse. This is completely different to the term #climatehysteria on the other hand, which is used by business-as-usual and pro-fossil – advocators in order to discredit, denounce and ridicule all those who are concerned with and who are engaged against #climatechange. Calling somebody “hysterical” means removing him or her in a violent manner from the regular framework of debates around #climatepolitics by insinuating a pathological mental overreaction.

We therefore concluded that the term #climatehysteria should be eliminated from the debate, and whoever uses it should be made aware that the expression is a highly unfair and undemocratic attempt to exclude and rule out basically any #climateactivist who admits his or her emotions in their fight against #globalwarming.

Following up on the aspect of #climatefear, psychologists describe fear in general as a useful emotion, since it provides us with additional energy and alertness, it makes us take precautions, it sends us useful warnings to watch out for and to prevent a potential threat or danger. However, if the emotion becomes too strong, overwhelming our physiological systems, it puts us into a state of temporary loss of control and into disorder, a so called panic zone. We then revert to our basic instincts of fight, flight, submission or freezing autoresponses. If this status lasts too long, our fear becomes dysfunctional, putting us into a state of powerlessness, paralysis, illness and fatigue.

> What is their call for action?

Transferred back to the matter of #climatefear, psychologists thus recommend to avoid a combination of a) apocalyptic views and warnings, b) poor political decisions, and c) a lack of participation when dealing with the #climatecrisis. Rather we should develop – and help others to develop – 1) individual resilience (emotional and communicative capacities), 2) group level activeness (providing a feeling of collective self-efficacy), and 3) pro-climate changes in the political decision making processes.

In their official statement, signed by almost 5,000 psychologists and psycho-therapists in 22 countries, Psychologists4Future summarize this as follows:

“Motivating people towards behavioral change and increasing environmental and climate awareness is a psychological task. Often it is plain habit; the feeling of not having any control or to be able to have an impact, that inhibits action. We can help people to develop greater self-efficacy, action control, to increase a feeling of responsibility and to reduce a sense of powerlessness.

The awareness of the urgency of climate and ecological crisis can bring about symptoms of psychological disorders. As professionals, we must be prepared. This can bring about intense, overwhelming feelings that can result in a sense of powerlessness and even psychological disorders. Without political intervention for more climate protection, we will experience the repercussions outlined in environmental psychological research.”

> What is their underlying assumption?

The underlying assumptions of the Psychologists for Future which we identified are threefold:

1) There is no need to feel ashamed of #climatefear. In contrast, it is a normal and useful reaction to a real and existing environmental threat which has to be dealt with in a professional, profound and serious manner.

2) In order to prevent #climatefear from becoming overwhelming and rendering us dysfunctional, we should act on three levels: provide individual support, organize collective action and achieve political changes into the right direction.

3) Climatefear is directly connected to climateresults, as it is framed on the P4F website: “We can be less afraid only when we experience concrete success and tangible changes, so that the #climatethreat is credibly reduced”.

> What is their positive and encouraging impetus?

It is alright to feel concerned about #globalheating, and to even feel powerless and beyond our control about it at times. We are not inadequate or insufficient if we feel that way.

If we do get carried away by our worries, it is important to reach steady ground again, to go back to an inner “safe spot”, from which we can retrieve our energy again and our power to act. Being with others, joining forces and acting together towards our common goal is helpful in order to (re)gain control and a sense of effectiveness and impact. If we are not alone, we can manage.

> What is their frustration potential, how do they draw from our sources of energy?

What if we are not successful? What if we are too weak, if society does not follow our lead or if resistance is too strong? What if we are just too slow and too late in order to still turn things around?

As long as we connect the coping strategies for our fears with action, and as long as we connect our action with the actual changes and results we achieve, we are dependent on seeing these changes happening. We are doomed, if they don`t come.

There is a risk with this approach that our energy will deplete quickly if we tie our emotional wellbeing too much to our hopes for success. And there is a risk of becoming too tight, too narrow, too dependent and too confrontational, if we give others the power to determine how we feel. We should look for a more independent and more powerful stance for ourselves and for our fears. If we want to be successful, we need to find a position which cannot be knocked off so easily by the ignorance, timidity or complacency of those who do not take sufficient action against #climatechange. When we dealt with the 4th perspective (“It`s too late” – The #climateapocalypse is coming anyway) later in the workshop, we came up with some very helpful ideas on what this position could look like. 

Summarizing this perspective, it was good to look at our fears at this early stage of our workshop. It is important to acknowledge that we have fears, we all have. Also the #climatechangedeniers have their fears. We should not pretend that we don`t.

Instead, we should ask ourselves regularly, and we should ask each other regularly: What are we afraid of? This question will then inevitably lead to the next and even more relevant question: What do we care about? (Only) if we allow these questions - asked to both sides - to have a fair and transparent place in our interactions, then our emotions can be an asset and a true resource in our quest to overcome the #climatecatastrophe.