Nathaniel Holmes, a junior in Academic Choice (AC), said that climate change is not a source of anxiety in his everyday life. “I mean, it’s sort of just something you see on like the news and stuff every once in a while,” Holmes said. “But I don’t think I really think about it everyday.”
For Zeia Bachrach, a sophomore in Berkeley International High School (BIHS), climate anxiety motivates her to take action, such as by starting the meatless Monday campaign. “I feel a lot of pressure to do something as an individual … and that causes a lot of anxiety and stress for me.”
For AC sophomore Phoeben Worku, climate anxiety is not on her mind everyday. “[Climate anxiety] doesn’t affect my daily life,” explained Worku, “but when thinking about the future, I obviously think about what living conditions will be like and how that will affect my future.”
AC junior Tito Williams worries about climate change when he sees it. “Mostly when I’m thinking about it is when I see the news or certain issues that come up within our own community,” Williams said. He said that this stress can be positive because it can keep climate change on people’s minds.
For freshman Magnolia Hougan, thoughts about climate change often come up when making everyday decisions. “I’m thinking about ‘Oh wait, I probably shouldn’t do that because this would be better for the climate or more eco-friendly,’” said Hougan.
Andaluz McDonald-Peltier Yu, a BIHS senior, said, “[Climate anxiety] pops up and then it scares the hell out of me,” but passes quickly. “I still try to be climate conscious as much as I can,” said Yu. He added, “But in terms of the actual anxiety, it’s just a momentary thing.”