Written by by Katy Grimes at californiaglobe.com
“What happens when climate change and the mental-health crisis collide?”
That actual headline in Nature.com triggered my BS meter. What does climate change have to do with mental health?
“The warming planet is worsening mental illness and distress. Researchers need to work out the scale of the problem and how those who need assistance can be helped,” the editorial continues.
It gets much more hyperbolic:
“Nearly one billion people worldwide — including one in seven teenagers — have a mental disorder. A growing body of research suggests that climate change is worsening people’s mental health and emotional well-being. Acute heatwaves, droughts, floods and fires fuelled [sic] by climate change cause trauma, mental illness and distress. So can chronic effects of global warming, such as water and food insecurity, community breakdown and conflict, as we report in a News feature.”
Think about this: “Acute heatwaves, droughts, floods and fires fueled by climate change cause trauma, mental illness and distress.” Says who? They do in another of their own articles: The rise of eco-anxiety: scientists wake up to the mental-health toll of climate change.
The “growing body of research” they reference is a 2021 dubious white paper at Imperial College London Grantham Institute, which recommends a well-coordinated “international network including key stakeholders (e.g. government, healthcare systems, community groups, academics, emergency responders) to catalyse [influence] knowledge-sharing, target research efficiently, and identify and scale up successful interventions.” [emphasis the Globe]
They also recommend:
- Prioritise successful climate mitigation and adaptation actions that have co-benefits for mental health and reducing social inequalities. Such actions could include: improving air quality, providing equitable access to nature and improving the energy efficiency of housing.
- Implement appropriate strategies to manage and reduce the severity of any negative mental health impacts when they do occur. [emphasis the Globe]
It doesn’t take much research to find that Grantham Institute (and its foundation) is in cahoots with other dubious “philanthropic” groups:
“We have long-standing relationships with Rare, The Nature Conservancy, World Wildlife Fund, Rocky Mountain Institute, and Environmental Defense Fund. We work with these organizations to advance novel environmental and climate solutions.”
Rare “focuses on tackling climate change, protecting biodiversity, securing food systems, promoting equity in conservation, and driving public funds and private capital toward better environmental outcomes…”