The Solution to Climate Fatigue? Pragmatism.
October 17, 2024
While research shows that climate fatigue is a problem increasingly impacting climate action, studies suggest there are also solutions to combat climate fatigue. For example, New Flinders University research published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology suggests one way to mitigate feelings of disengagement caused by climate fatigue is through “pragmatic steps.”
According to a national survey by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, around 10% of respondents report “feeling nervous, anxious, or on edge about global warming at least several days per week”. International reports have found that half of young people (16-25) feel climate anxiety. When these feelings of anxiety turn into despair and disengagement, the phenomenon is often referred to as “climate fatigue.” With increasingly alarming headlines – “4 Hottest Days Ever Observed Raise Fears of a Planet Nearing ‘Tipping Points’”, “Milton is the Hurricane Scientists Were Dreading”, “Earth’s ‘vital signs’ show humanity’s future in balance, say climate experts” – it is no wonder folks are simply becoming desensitized and exhausted by climate change, even if they care deeply about it.
While research shows that climate fatigue is a problem increasingly impacting climate action, studies suggest there are also solutions to combat climate fatigue. For example, New Flinders University research published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology suggests one way to mitigate feelings of disengagement caused by climate fatigue is through “pragmatic steps.” Lead author of the study, Dr. Lucy Bird from the College of Education, Psychology and Social Work suggests, “When people contemplated pragmatic steps, such as using their car less and reducing waste, as well as acting collectively to encourage organizations to make changes, they felt markedly less disengaged.”
Building upon this approach, we brainstormed immediate and tangible steps individuals can take to combat climate fatigue through action. (The suggestions in this blog post are for informational purposes only and are not intended to provide, and should not be relied upon for, mental health advice).
Engage in Everyday Measures to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
The global COVID 19 pandemic led to the greatest decrease in global CO2 emissions ever seen in absolute terms as the transportation of people and goods massively slowed in 2020. Now, we’re not suggesting the solution to climate fatigue is a hermitic lifestyle, however; clearly lifestyle changes can reduce emissions at scale. Individuals can start small by reducing high-emissions actions like frequent air travel, driving a personal car, and consuming large amounts of meat.
Explore Meaningful Ways to Contribute at Work
Employees have the ability to drive corporate change. According to a survey by Deloitte, 80% of C-suite leaders report that their employees have already impacted their sustainability plans, or soon will. You don’t need to be employed as a full-time sustainability officer to make an impact on your company’s ESG initiatives. A “small” idea – from a slight modification to product packaging to a “walk to work” day – can drive significant impact when scaled across a large corporation. Instead of feeling like a cog in a large machine, employees of large corporations can view size as an opportunity – when else do individuals have the ability to reach thousands or hundreds of thousands of people?
Remember to Unplug
There is a very pragmatic reason to take time to “unplug” – according to the US Department of Energy, passive energy consumption from electronic devices contributes to 5-10% of household energy consumption each year. However, there is also an emotional and mental benefit to taking time each day to disconnect from technology. While it is important to stay informed on current events and their climate impact, our news sources tend to prioritize showing us the most alarming, extreme, or controversial content. While preparing for extreme weather events and helping those impacted, for example, are important, reading the 10 articles per day your Apple newsfeed is delivering on Hurricane Helene’s destruction may not be healthy. As in all things, balance between knowledge and exhaustion is usually the answer.
What Climate Pragmatism Means to Sapphire Technologies
The idea of finding a pragmatic approach to combat climate fatigue strikes a corporate chord for us at Sapphire Technologies. Indeed, pragmatism is at the core of our approach to decarbonizing conventional energy assets. Sapphire Technologies manufactures waste energy recovery systems that can be installed across the natural gas supply chain to produce clean electricity from waste pressure energy. Our systems are minimally disruptive to install, maintenance-light, and, over time, pay for themselves by way of generating clean electricity that can be monetized or used to offset energy costs. While we know we’re not the entire solution to transitioning conventional energy assets, our confidence and drive comes from knowing that we can help companies achieve immediate and scalable results in reducing their carbon footprint. Every time we successfully install a turboexpander generator and watch it convert wasted pressure energy into clean electricity, we feel a little less exhausted by the climate fight and a little more invigorated by our massive and immediate potential to power change.
