How to turn eco-anxiety into eco-agency

To protect Earth’s most precious ecosystem – our Ocean – we must first understand its importance. Our Wavemaker Programme empowers young people between 16 – 25 to use their voice and talents to make a positive impact on our blue planet. This piece was written by one of our Wavemakers. Submit your own story.

Ocean threats don’t just impact the environment and non-human creatures, but our own health and wellbeing too. One key way the environment’s degradation can impact us is through eco-anxiety. 

Shrinking ice caps, disappearing biodiversity, fiercer bushfires, heat waves , and flash floods. The effects of climate change are difficult to ignore.

These disasters not only cause immense physical destruction – a growing body of evidence shows they’re also taking a toll on our mental health. 

What is eco-anxiety anyway? 

Eco-anxiety is extreme worry about current and future harm to the environment caused by human activity and climate change. 

Eco-anxiety can be caused by the stressful and frightening experience of “watching the slow and seemingly irrevocable impacts of climate change unfold, and worrying about the future for oneself, children and later generations“, according to a 2018 report.

What is eco anxiety and how can it be turned into eco agency? Ocean Generation explains.

How do I know if I have eco-anxiety? 

Eco-anxiety can feel like feelings of loss, helplessness, frustration, and guilt, as the sufferers feel they are unable to stop climate change.

Feeling this anxiety is an emotionally mature state to be in, which shows that you are aware of the crisis that we are all facing. 

So, whilst it can be unpleasant, it can show a willingness to face painful truths and facts, and that should be acknowledged and almost (though not quite as simple as this) be celebrated. But how? 

When facing eco-anxiety, remember you’re not alone. 

First of all, try to recognise your feelings as completely reasonable and necessary, rather than push them away.

Taking time to acknowledge my feelings helps me maintain a healthy relationship with them, and often motivates my work and activism.  

Finding your place in a community can also be a huge help with feelings of despair and anxiety. There are a lot of support and activist groups you can join (read on to the tips section to see some example groups). 

Shared belonging and concern can be a great support and working towards tangible solutions can give a much greater sense of control in overwhelming circumstances. 

Know when to seek professional help: 

If your eco-anxiety is so severe that it causes you to be unable to function, or feels unbearable, you could consider seeking professional help. Try to bring empathetic understanding and connection to, ideally, find meaning in this experience. 

It is often the loss of meaning that causes people the most suffering.

Understanding that these feelings have meaning can be comforting. The ideal is to find balance between feeling these emotions, and then using them in different ways to create meaningful change, better relationships with your family and friends, maybe even more meaningful work and activism of some kind.

At least know that you are not alone with your fears. 

Eco-Agency: Steps to tackle eco-anxiety  

Since 2017, and especially since autumn 2018, there has been increasing coverage about eco-anxiety and climate anxiety in various media.  

One focal point in this discussion has been the young climate activist Greta Thunberg, who has openly spoken of her climate change anxiety.

Climate anxiety became perhaps the most discussed form of eco-anxiety, and it was often discussed in relation to the children, youth, and young adults who participated in climate action.  

Greta Thunberg on why we all need to make daily changes to protect our planet, shared by Ocean Generation

More studies on the mental health impacts of climate change have been published. In 2020, books for the general public began to appear, providing suggestions for self-help and social action in order to alleviate eco-anxiety and especially climate anxiety.

Book recommendations to learn more about eco-anxiety and how to deal with it:

A guide to eco-anxiety: How to protect the planet and your mental health.
A field guide to climate anxiety: How to keep your cool on a warming planet. 
Turn the tide on climate anxiety: sustainable action for your mental health and the planet.
Why has nobody told me this before?

Book recommendations about eco anxiety, shared by Ocean Generation and Mia Celment

Acknowledging that there are many people feeling this anxiety and looking at options of how you could help yourself and others, helps you move from an eco-anxious mindset to an eco-agent perspective.  

Eco-agency is being proactive in looking after yourself and your wellness within your environmental actions.

It means ensuring you are mindful of your mental health and keeping fit and healthy. The next couple of tips are ways I found have helped me move from eco-anxiety to eco-agency. 

Tips to deal with eco-anxiety 

Here are five steps I find have helped me live, cope with and overcome eco-anxiety. 

1. Try and live in alignment with your values 

The impact of individual actions can be very small, but psychotherapist Mary-Jayne Rust suggests that changing your lifestyle to be more compatible with your values can help with eco-anxiety.

Researchers from Imperial College London’s Grantham Institute offered several ways to do this: eat less meat and dairy, drive less and stop buying and disposing of so many items. 

2. Don’t feel ashamed about feeling anxious

For example, environment writer and activist Emma Marris noted that billions of people fly.

“My individual actions are not actually capable of solving climate change,” she said.

While changing how you live and travel may help you by letting you live more closely in accordance with your values, you shouldn’t feel ashamed for not being fully able to comply with these.

“The systems in which we are all enmeshed essentially force us to harm the planet, and yet we put all that shame on our own shoulders,” said Marris. “The shame is not helping anybody.” 

3. Focus your efforts on changing systems, not yourself 

Marris argues that we can’t get where we want to be through individual action, and that accepting this has therapeutic benefits.

“I don’t think a complete narcissistic focus on the self is healthy,” she points out. Instead, Marris suggests you can have a much more meaningful impact by working with others to lobby governments.

The Grantham Institute advises letting your MP, local councillors and mayor know that you think action on climate change is important and writing to your bank or pension provider to ask if you can opt out of funds that invest in fossil fuels. 

4. Find like-minded people 

Finding a community of like-minded individuals can help you express and share your feelings of eco-anxiety. You can’t solve climate change on your own. Joining a group of some kind will enable you to make friends. 

I’m not an expert on mental health but I feel like making friends is helpful – giving you a space to share your thoughts and feelings.  

Organisations that address eco-anxiety: 

Eco-anxiety support group with Waterspirit
Force of Nature community
Take Climate Action
Climate Psychologists
Climate & Mind
The Climate Dreams Project
Climate Journal Project
EcoAnxious Stories
The Mental Health and Climate Change Alliance

– Talk about the changes you make 

The importance of talking about your experiences – the challenges as well as the positives – and bringing other people along with you. 

Talking about the practical things you can do in their day-to-day lives can give you some sense of control back and empowers you to take ownership of your choices and agency. 

I’d be lying if I said that there wasn’t a lot of time when you think, ‘Why do we bother?’ But, when you sit down, chat to other activists or advocates and have a bit of a think about it, you realise that there’s a huge amount that we can still do.

Yes, our planet and Ocean are in trouble. But it’s in our power to protect what’s left and make a meaningful difference.
And that’s why we do this.
That’s why we carry on. 

If you’d like a chance to meet others, learn more about our Wavemaker Programme. And if you’d like to submit your own Wavemaker Story, do so here.

What can Antarctic ice cores tell us about the history of our climate? 

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We are the Ocean Generation

Image split in two; horizontally. In the top half there is a city skyline representing people. In the bottom image is a coral reef; representing the Ocean. Ocean Generation's brand trust circle is in the center of the image. Ocean Generation is a registered Ocean charity teaching the world about the Ocean and how to live sustainably.

The history of Ocean Generation

Since 2009, we have been experts in Ocean health.

Our charity began as Plastic Oceans UK, where we focused on Ocean plastic pollution. Our award-winning documentary ‘A Plastic Ocean’, was named by Sir David Attenborough as “one of the most important films of our time” and ignited mass public awareness about the impact of plastic on our Ocean.

Ocean Generation are creators of the award-winning documentary: A Plastic Ocean.

Through various education programmes, we set out to increase Ocean literacy and stop plastic reaching the Ocean within a generation.

Ten years on, it was time for a change. We needed renewed energy to tackle a wider range of very real and immediate human actions threatening the Ocean.

Serendipity came into play when we met the Ocean Generation Foundation team. This relatively new youth collective was breaking stereotypes by using popular culture like gaming, music and fashion to foster an inclusive approach to sustainability.

Together, we embarked on a bold and refreshing chapter; combining disruptive energy with years of experience of storytelling through science and film.

As Plastic Oceans UK became Ocean Generation, we identified a higher vision of the world.

We see a world where the Ocean is freed from human threats within a generation and where young people can be the catalyst for change.

Why we exist

We’re at a stage where there is mass awareness about the problems that engulf the Ocean.

For some of us, Ocean threats are so deeply embedded in the way we all live and work that addressing them can seem overwhelming. And for others, the connection of how the solutions can be relevant to their daily lives cannot be made.

We are changing the narrative around plastic, climate change and other human-made Ocean threats.

We break down the problem. No more fear-mongering, science jargon or big data. No more over-simplifications like Plastic Free or Zero Waste.

We know that plastic has a role to play. But we believe we can shift the perceptions and behaviours that create Ocean threats and enable all of us to live more sustainably.

What we do

Simply put: We translate complex Ocean science into engaging content; use film and popular culture stories to nurture an inclusive approach to sustainability; and run three UNESCO-endorsed youth engagement programmes for 3 – 25-year-olds. 

We develop understandable and practical tools and solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems – like climate change and plastic pollution.

Our ‘Ocean Intelligence’ – endorsed by UNESCO – bridges the gap between complex Ocean science and people-led Ocean action by harnessing the power storytelling (backed by science).

We share the stories that to bring a human face to the environmental issues the world is facing.

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Our blue planet doesn’t need you to be a perfect environmentalist to make a difference. We need to start where we are; do what we can; take action now.

Ahead of launching our second documentary, we are educating and empowering a generation of Ocean advocates – Wavemakers – to recognise where they can have impact in tackling Ocean threats.

Our global inclusive movement connects people who are using their voices, talents, and skills to develop locally relevant shifts in behaviour that can restore the health of the Ocean and our health too.

Young people are the change engine at the heart of the Ocean Generation movement.

We empower and encourage young people – between the ages of 3 and 25 – to make more conscious, sustainable choices. Their voices are amplified in a refreshing call for change at the heart of everyday decision making.

With collaboration at the core of our ethos, we develop partnerships with people everywhere, to achieve lasting change together.

We exist to restore a sustainable relationship between humanity and the Ocean. As the first generation to deeply understand Ocean issues, we are also the last generation who can stop them.

One Ocean.
One Future.
We are all the Ocean Generation.

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Myths about Plastic Pollution

We're debunking 5 widely believed myths about plastic pollution. 1. There is no floating island of plastic in the Ocean...

Breaking down 5 myths about plastic pollution 

There are many plastic pollution myths out there. We’re here to dispel myths about plastic pollution and provide science-backed facts about plastic pollution.

What equips Ocean Generation to bust plastic misinformation? Science underpins all of our work; we’ve been experts in Ocean health since 2009 and released an award-winning documentary ‘A Plastic Ocean’ in 2016. Learn more about us.

Fact VS Fiction: Here’s what you need to know about plastic.

Myth: ‘There is a huge floating island of plastic out in the Pacific Ocean, 3 times the size of Texas called, ‘The Great Pacific Garbage Patch.’

Simply, there isn’t.

This is a common myth about the Ocean.

There is no giant floating island of plastic at the centre of the Pacific or any other parts of the Ocean.

The so-called ‘Great Pacific Garbage Patch’ is invisible from the surface. Plankton nets reveal the true nature of the problem which is an accumulation of microplastics that fill up each net in concentrations that increase towards the Ocean centre.

Plastic pollution is one of the biggest threats our Ocean faces. In this waterline image of the Ocean, microplastics are visible.

Myth: ‘A plastic bottle will take 450 years to break down.’

Plastic taking 450 years to break down is one of the biggest plastic myths.

The truth is: Plastic doesn’t breakdown; it breaks up into smaller and smaller pieces.

Plastic has only been around for 150 years – so, we also can’t put a timeframe on how long it will be around for. Read: The History of Plastic Pollution.

This statistic – about plastic breaking down – come from old educational materials released by the American National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The original source adds the caveat that “many scientists believe plastics never entirely go away. These decomposition rates are estimates for the time it takes for these items to become microscopic and no longer be visible.” As well as oversimplifying the risk, this irresponsible statistic about plastic pollution ignores the threat of microplastics.

Plastic is indestructible, it was designed to defy nature, designed not to decompose.

Does a plastic bottle take 450 years to breakdown? No. This is a plastic pollution myth. A hand, crumpling a plastic bottle is visible. Ocean Generation is sharing the facts behind this widely believed myth.

Myth: ‘By 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in the Ocean.’

This statement first appeared on a report written by Ellen MacArthur Foundation and the World Economic Forum (WEF) and has since been used widely by the public and some organisations.

However, there are a few issues with it. 

The estimation number of fish (fish stock) in the Ocean is based on a prediction from a 2008 article. The statistic assumes that fish stocks will stay constant until 2050. This is incredibly unlikely due to pressures from overfishing, climate change, and plastic pollution itself. The authors have since predicted higher Ocean biomass than previously thought. 

Our concern is that we are destroying the deep Ocean bed before we even begin to know and understand the marine life there as new species are being discovered all the time. 

The projection for the amount of plastic in the Ocean by 2050 was drawn from the well-known 2015 study which only quantifies Ocean plastic up to 2025. According to BBC’s investigation, the lead author voiced their lack of confidence.  

Due to these uncertainties, it is best not to use this statement to get across the crux of the message, i.e., we cannot allow the current rate of plastic production to continue, and we must sever our reliance on plastic where possible.  

At current rated, there will come a time when there is more plastic than fish in the Ocean. Ocean Generation is sharing facts about plastic and debunking plastic pollution myths.

Myth: ‘We can recycle our way out of our plastic pollution problems.

We need to stop thinking that we can recycle our way out of this mess. Recycling is not the answer to the our wide-scale plastic production and consumption behaviours.

The plastic recycling process is now a circular process.

Only 9% of plastic get recycled and only 1% of plastic produced goes through the recycling process twice. 

Plastic production must decrease, yet it is currently increasing exponentially and recycling does nothing to abate this. This is because most plastic decreases in quality each time it is recycled, until it loses its value entirely and virgin plastic must be created.

View from inside a recycling bin: A hand is visible, throwing something into recycling. Ocean Generation is sharing why recycling is not the solution to our plastic pollution problem.

Myth: ‘We should replace tarmac with recycled plastic for our road surfaces.’

This is a measure supported by some of the biggest producers of plastic waste, yet it is rife with risks.

Studies have already revealed that the second biggest input of microfibres into our Ocean are the fibres that come from car tyres.

How might that increase if we start covering our roads with plastic too?

Research is only beginning into the nanoplastics in the air that we breathe. How might vast stretches of plastic-covered roads contribute to these, especially on hot days?

Car driving on a coastal road beside the Ocean. In this article, Ocean Generation shares why having roads made with recycled plastic has a negative impact on planet and human health.

What can I do about plastic pollution?

You’re already taking action to protect our blue planet: You’re getting informed.

Tackling a problem as big as plastic pollution can feel overwhelming – but it doesn’t have to. 

Action you can take against plastic pollution right now

  1. Add impact to your inbox.

    We send our a monthly newsletter with practical actions you can take, Ocean positive stories, and understandable environmental science. No fear-mongering. No big data. No expectations that you become a ‘perfect’ environmentalist.

  2. Read: 20 actions you can take against plastic pollution daily.

  3. Read: 15 Plastic pollution facts you should know.

  4. Watch: What is plastic?

What can Antarctic ice cores tell us about the history of our climate? 

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Plastic Rivers Report: What plastic ends up in the Ocean?

What is the Plastic Rivers Report?

Our Plastic Rivers Report offers practical, evidence-based steps to tackle the plastic pollution crisis.

This report aims to improve our understanding of which plastic pollution items end up in rivers and flow into the Ocean most.

It identifies the 10 most prevalent macroplastic items found in European freshwater environments, key actions you can take to tackle plastic pollution, and how businesses and policy makers can support sustainable choices.

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