Was It Something We Said?

Global warming and other woes cause rise of eco-anxiety

The world already has ecotourism, eco-movies, and eco-purses — in fact, more eco-trends than you can shake an eco-stick at. So it was only a matter of time before another trapping of modern life took the prefix: eco-anxiety. Seems people are flocking to, yes, eco-therapists to talk about the unpleasant feelings they get upon pondering things like global warming, food shortages, nuclear waste, and pesticides. (Then there’s the one that keeps us up at night: does Cameron Diaz use toxic hair dye?) Melissa Pickett, one such therapist, says symptoms can include sleeplessness, irritability, loss of appetite, and panic attacks. Those tuned into the trend blame media hype and the trouble scientists have talking to laypeople. If you’re among the worried, we suggest you lie back on the couch and repeat after NASA climate analyst Gavin Schmidt: “There’s a scientific reason to be concerned and there’s a scientific reason to push for action. But there’s no scientific reason to despair.”