Eco, or climate anxiety – what can we do to address it in Powys?

with Radnorshire Wildlife Trust 

Climate change, or eco anxiety, is by no means a new phenomenon, but it has been increasing over the last few years. Hotter drier weather, droughts, floods, food and water shortages, and the detrimental impact of these developments, not just on human activity but on our wildlife and biodiversity, can trigger anxiety in people of all ages but particularly younger generations.

A report in the BMJ (British Medical Journal) late last year stated:

“Many major economies, including the US, EU, and UK, have committed to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 to limit climate change. Immediate action is needed to hit this target and to minimise cumulative emissions. Current commitments are, however, unmatched by action. The UK government, for example, though among the first to set a legally binding target of net zero by 2050, has so far fully implemented only 11 of 92 policy recommendations from its climate change committee and is not on track to meet net zero or the medium term carbon budgets.”

It is hardly surprising that people are becoming increasingly concerned about climate and environmental issues, and frustrated with their government's slow response to protect the planet’s future. Indeed, mental health charities across Wales are reporting growing numbers of people seeking support for their services because of eco anxiety. It was one of the topics for discussion at a recent meeting of the Mental Health Action Wales network – which pulls together agencies from across Wales which work locally and / or regionally to support individuals, specifically in relation to their mental health.

We caught up with Silvia Cojocaru, Stand for Nature Wales Community Officer 

for the Radnorshire Wildlife Trust, to talk through some of the issues

What is eco or climate anxiety?

In simple terms eco or climate anxiety is being worried about the environmental or climate doom in a way that stops you from enjoying your daily life.

Although eco-anxiety isn’t recognised as a health condition, it has similar signs with anxiety. Some of them can include lack or difficulty to go to sleep, the worry that any of the things you do lead to global warming, not being able to concentrate on work or the task in hand, feeling helpless or powerless, or even having panic attacks.

Who can it affect and why?

Eco-anxiety can affect anyone. Acknowledging that climate change is real, and that it affects the planet, and our future can trigger it. Sometimes being in the middle of a bad storm or suffering from negative impacts of an extreme weather event (e.g. heatwave, drought, flooding etc.) can trigger or accentuate the feelings of worry about that event happening again.

photo by Phoebe Neville-Evans

If someone opens up about their eco-anxiety, especially a young person, what should we do?

• Listen to them. It is important to accept that those feelings are there, plus everyone needs to know that they can open up.
• Make sure you have the right information. If you don’t know, admit it, and look It up before you carry on with the conversation. (I would recommend you do any extra reading without the young person next to you, some of the search results could accentuate the worry).
• Remind them that they can’t do everything, once they have accepted the existence of eco-anxiety, they need to find a balance between climate action and being kind to themselves.
• Come up with goals focused on taking action. Make sure they are achievable.
• Help them connect with the natural world and get them exploring their surroundings.
• Encourage them to connect with other like-minded young people and give them the chance to share and celebrate their successes.

How can we empower people who feel powerless in the face of inadequate government responses to the threat of climate change?

• Remind them that they have the power, it’s just a matter of finding the right way to exercise it. We need the system to change, and we can only do that if we practice all our rights as citizens.
• Encourage them to vote, write to their Members of the Senedd, sign or start their own campaigns.

There are lots of resources available online to support you in taking that first step. If the young people you interact with aren’t at the voting age yet, help and support them to take action in their own ways.

Radnorshire Wildlife Trust Youth Action Group

What is the best way to increase optimism and hope in people experiencing eco-anxiety?

The best way to increase optimism and hope in people experiencing eco-anxiety is for them to take action - little changes that can make them feel empowered. Every person, young or old, will at some point have to accept that this is an issue that concerns us all, and we need to come together to succeed.

What behaviour change could we all make as individuals which would have a beneficial impact on climate change?

Start with reducing your consumption and waste. It can be the amount of car travel you do, the amount of clothes or stuff you buy, or the amount of food you throw away.

We need to see change from a top-down level, but as consumers we also have the power to lead that change.

Choose what you can afford, that is the best option for you and the planet. If you need some inspiration, you can start here. 

Are there projects running in Powys where people can get involved and do their bit for nature and the environment?

Radnorshire Wildlife Trust is one of 46 Wildlife Trusts working across the UK and one of 5 within Wales. We manage our nature reserves, with the help of our volunteers, as well as working with landowners and organisations to protect and connect wildlife sites across the county and inspire local communities and young people where they live. We are going through a very exciting period, with various projects taking place across the vice-county.

• Stand for Nature Wales – to deliver this project the 5 Wildlife Trusts in Wales have come together to take action for climate, with the help of the young people of Wales. Through this project we are working to empower and inspire young people (aged 9 to 24) to take action for nature and wildlife in their local area in a bid to tackle climate change. Young people can find out more about the project and how to be part of it here. 
• Green Connections - is a collaborative Wildlife Trusts project across Powys working with community groups, small businesses, landowners and local councils to take action to address climate change and biodiversity loss and create a nature recovery network across the county. More information can be found here. 
• Nextdoor Nature – aims to bring communities together to help nature flourish where they live and work. Nextdoor Nature will provide people with the advice and support they need to help nature on their doorstep and leave a lasting natural legacy in honour of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. More information here.  
• Rhos Pasture Restoration – The project aims to restore rhôs pasture habitat across Radnorshire. Working with local farmers and landowners as well as coordinating events and exhibitions across the area to raise awareness and connect people with this habitat. More information here. 

Tell us more about the Stand for Nature Wales project

Stand for Nature Wales started in 2020 and is a Wales-wide project aimed at young people. The aim of the project is a Wales richer in wildlife, where habitats and landscapes capture more greenhouse gases and where young people influence their peers and communities to take positive action to tackle climate change. There has never been a more important time to take action for nature. We are currently facing a climate and nature emergency, with 17% of species in Wales at risk of extinction. But we can change this. By putting nature into recovery, we can and will tackle climate change. Thriving habitats can safely lock up vast amounts of carbon, while providing other vital benefits that help us adapt, such as flood prevention, clean water and improved health and wellbeing.

As part of Stand for Nature each project region in Wales has one or more youth groups established, with members ranging from 9 to 24 year-olds. Some of the young people joined the groups because they wanted to learn about nature, some because they wanted to take action for climate and wildlife and others because they wanted to meet like-minded people.

Since establishing, the Radnorshire Youth Action Group has been meeting regularly, fortnightly on a Wednesday evening. Activities have included community events, filming campaign messages about COP26, Save the Wye and the Spring Elections campaigns, litter picking, toad patrolling, and more! If you would like to take part you can find the autumn - winter activities programme here. 

Photo by Phoebe Neville-Evans

What is your role with the project?

I am the Stand for Nature Wales Community Officer for Radnorshire, and I work with Chloe, the Stand for Nature Wales Assistant Project Officer. Together we deliver activities for the local schools, organise events and teach our youth group about wildlife and climate.

I strongly believe that to tackle climate change we need to inspire and empower our young people to take action, celebrate their wins and help them go forward. I also believe that putting the task of saving the planet on their shoulders is a big ask. Every individual is responsible for what is happening next. The climate change issue surpasses generational borders, it affects us all, and as parents and grandparents we are responsible for doing something as much as our young people are.

Silvia talking to the group
Photo by Chloe Jackson

What’s happening that we can celebrate in the environmental / conservation movement at the moment?

As part of the Stand for Nature Wales Project we are planning to launch a programme of fortnightly weekend activities for young people aged 16 to 24, starting from the end of September. The programme will consist of a range of practical tasks which can benefit the local community and environment as well as upskilling young people. The events will be taking place across Radnorshire, so watch this space for details.

Something with a more climate focus is the Great Big Green Week – which is the UK’s biggest ever celebration of community action to tackle climate change and protect nature. Between 24 September and 2 October this year, Great Big Green Week will unleash a wave of support for action to protect the planet. You can find out more about this here. 

How important is it that organisations do their own bit to help reduce their carbon footprint?

It is very important that all organisations and businesses, no matter what the services they provide, do their own bit to reduce their carbon footprint. Every organisation is made of people and if we encourage our staff and volunteers to change their behaviours at work, it will soon be easier for them to make those changes at home too.

As a way of inspiring other organisations tell us more about what Radnorshire Wildlife Trust is doing to reduce its carbon footprint?

As part of The Wildlife Trusts movement, Radnorshire Wildlife Trust has been working towards calculating our own carbon footprint and identifying the areas where it can be reduced. We have started with some of our suppliers - we are aiming to create a procurement strategy that will accentuate how important is for the Trust to only buy sustainably and as locally as possible sourced materials.

We have moved towards hybrid contracts for the staff, and we encourage car shares as much as possible. Also, we are looking into leasing an electrical vehicle that our staff can use to travel to events and visits.

There are still things that as an organisation we need to do, and we are aiming to do our bit to reduce our own carbon footprint. You can read more about the Wildlife Trusts' position here. 

Campaigning for net zero appeals to many as a way of making a difference – which approaches work best in your view?

Reduce as much as you can and at the same time be kind to yourself. We can reduce our personal carbon footprint as individuals but is important to remember that we need the system to change and support us to be able to solve the climate and ecological emergencies. 

The best approach is to support nature because it is the solution to tackling climate change. Wildlife and healthy habitats store the carbon dioxide that we need to keep the temperature under control, but we need vast areas, and we need people to respect those areas. We must work with nature not against it. Also, stay informed, before you take any action check it, use sources that are trustworthy and make sure that you make the right decision.

Many thanks to Silvia for telling us more about some of the many actions we can take, whatever our age,

 to help protect nature and also enhance our wellbeing.

If you want to find out more about Radnorshire Wildlife Trust’s Stand for Nature project, you can contact Silvia by emailing: silvia@rwtwales.org

Project made possible by The National Lottery players through the Community Fund - Climate Action Fund. This project runs from October 2020 until September 2024.