Hosted on Tuesday, Feb. 27, a presentation with food catering was put on by the newly-formed Climate & Mind Network in McHugh Hall. According to President Naiiya Patel, “My overall hope is that this event raises awareness about eco-anxiety, as I believe it will only grow over time on campus and throughout the world.” Co-hosted by Vice President and Secretary Colin Piteo and Treasurer Mia Rice, each member discussed effectual initiatives against climate change that are currently developing and making a difference.
The club’s inception began in the members’ shared ClimateWerx class, aided by Zoey England of the Werth Institute, that led to the creation of the Network. Patel, a sixth-semester accounting major with minors in philosophy and social responsibility and impact in business, stated the purpose of this event was to provide a space where “students can realize that the world is not as bad as it looks.” With a comfy environment filled with pizza, chips, cookies and beverages, all courageously brought to the third floor by the club, they certainly achieved this.
Eco-anxiety is defined as bearing feelings of despair when thinking about climate change and its negative implications for later generations. It appears that awareness of these consequences is growing among younger people, so much so that the majority of people within our age bracket can be considered to harbor varying levels of eco-anxiety. To help ease these emotions, the club referred to advice from therapist Linda Aspey, who recommends people converse with each other about their concerns, whether that be a friend or a therapist.
It has also been found that eco-anxiety is exacerbated, and sometimes perpetrated, by the act of doom-scrolling, or cornering oneself into an echo chamber of pessimistic social media content. Preventing this self-sabotaging act may allow for better outlooks and more activism for climate awareness to occur.
Rice, a sixth-semester environmental sciences major, provided the enlightening example of Los Angeles’ growing number of green spaces created by eco-friendly, loose materials that absorb water at a higher capacity than concrete. This surrounds the city-goers with plants and foliage they would otherwise be isolated from, but once the rainwater reaches the underground aquifer, the process supplies billions of gallons of water to residents. Additionally, she highlighted promises by the United States and the United Kingdom to only sell automobiles with no emissions by 2035. Electric vehicles are gaining traction in the market as battery costs decrease, hopefully lessening the environmental impact of car pollutants before the deadline in eleven years.
Piteo, an eighth-semester history and political science double major, focused on forms of renewable energy in his portion of the presentation, providing information about the existence of sufficient renewable energy to soon power the entirety of the United States and Canada. Global news includes China’s impressive output of solar panels, producing more last year than the United States ever has, and they are expected to no longer produce the most carbon dioxide out of any country. Considering the financial component, solar energy is reported to yield the cheapest form of electricity to date, providing people benefits in the short and long term to be more mindful of the environment.
There is also the uplifting situation in the South Pacific in which a coral reef ravaged by many human behaviors, including overfishing, was perfectly fine despite researchers’ growing concerns about climate change in the area. Through policy efforts, protections for fish offset the effects of climate change in coral reefs around the world have helped them return to their former glory in a few short years.
We have all seen the beauty of these natural phenomena on YouTube or in science class; it is safe to say that behaviors need to change for humankind and the surrounding ecosystems that we rely on. If aiding future generations is not enough to compel society to become climate-conscious, the reefs should be.
Along with their biweekly newsletter, the Climate & Mind Network will continue to host events this semester, such as the SHAW Mental Health Dialogue in March and the Spring Valley Agro-Tourism event in April. Contact the club on UConntact for more information, or if you would like to join! They also have an Instagram @cmnuconn if you want to stay in the loop for their future events.
Editor’s note: Naiiya Patel is the Business Manager for The Daily Campus and is also the President of Climate & Mind Network. Colin Piteo is the News Editor for The Daily Campus and is also the Vice President and Secretary of Climate & Mind Network.