Analysis: growing climate anxiety also affects childbearing

Due to the growing dangers, climate change is a decisive aspect for more and more people when it comes to having children, the climate researcher wrote, referring to a survey by the Stanford Center for Innovation in Global Health (CIGH), in which the climate anxiety of young people was examined. About 10,000 young people from more than 10 countries (including three European ones: Finland, France and the United Kingdom) took part in the survey.

"Among the respondents, there is a significant level of psychological distress related to climate change. Around three-quarters of young people felt they faced a frightening future, around half said they experienced climate anxiety to the extent that it affected their daily lives, and around a quarter indicated that is afraid of having children because of the climate crisis," the meteorologist summarized the results of the survey.

In addition, the survey also revealed that many people decide to start a smaller family than previously planned or refrain from having children due to climate change. And 40 percent of respondents "hesitate" to have children because of a negative vision of the future.

The researcher wrote: "we are not without reason worried" about the future of our children due to climate change. Children's health suffers more from any negative changes.

According to a UNICEF study, one billion of the world's 2.2 billion children are exposed to extremely high risks due to, among other things, heat waves, water shortages, infectious diseases and air pollution, he explained.
Amanda Imola Szabó also drew attention to the fact that due to climate change, the incidence of various diseases will increase significantly, two-thirds of which affect children. In addition, climate change has a significant impact on children's well-being. Increasingly frequent natural disasters, for example, can disrupt the course of education or make it impossible.

"The only long-term solution to mitigating the effects of climate change is a drastic reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, and it is also necessary to adapt to the already unavoidable effects," wrote the ELTE doctoral student.

"Research shows that improving social services such as health care, improving access to clean water and sanitation services, education and safe food are key to reducing the risks of climate change and ensuring a livable future for children. However, this is not enough, if global greenhouse gas emissions do not reach net zero as soon as possible," Amanda Imola Szabó warned.

(Source: marmalade.co.hu; MTI | Image: pixabay.com)