Medical experts are sounding the alarm about the rise of "climate anxiety" in children and teens around the globe.
"We see that a lot of young people are saying, 'I think my life will be worse than my parents' lives,'" a psychology professor at Suffolk University in Boston told CBS News.
Data from a study published in The Lancet Planetary Health in December 2021 found that young people are extremely concerned about the state of the climate crisis.
"Climate anxiety and dissatisfaction with government responses are widespread in children and young people in countries across the world and impact their daily functioning," the report stated. "A perceived failure by governments to respond to the climate crisis is associated with increased distress."
A large number of young people in the study reported that they feel a sense of hopelessness and worry that the human race will go extinct. Most also agreed that governments are not doing enough to address the issue and even noted feeling betrayed by them.
"Children are now turning to legal action based on government failure to protect ecosystems, young citizens and their futures. Failure of governments to protect them from harm from climate change could be argued to be a failure of human rights and a failure of ethical responsibility to care, leading to moral injury," according to the journal.
The non-profit Child Mind Institute suggests that parents allow children to express their concerns and fear of climate change but to also encourage them to be brave. The organization also advises that parents helping them manage their feelings and adopting ways to change their own habits can help mitigate the worry.
With two ships at sea, one recently allowed to dock, as quarantines are put in place, the WHO is communicating to countries to change the practice as the cruise industry insists it's able to ramp up its procedures to protect people from the health emergency.
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus indicated the body's support has stemmed from the drastic actions China has taken, despite the obvious impact to its citizens and economy.
The oil and gas giant BP on Wednesday announced that it plans to take aggressive steps to combat climate change by becoming net-zero by mid-century — and pushing others to follow its example.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Wednesday, February 12, 2020.
The operators of a cruise ship that was barred from docking by four governments announced Wednesday it will finally land and disembark passengers in Cambodia.
World Health Organization's leader Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesys revealed the name of the disease currently afflicting China and other parts of the world: COVID-19 (a mashup of "Coronavirus Disease 2019).
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Tuesday, February 11, 2020
Xenex Disinfection Services has offered to ship out its germ-killing robots free-of-charge. But first, the San Antonio-based company needs assurances that China will respect its intellectual property.
China is reporting a rise in new virus cases, denting optimism that disease control measures which isolated major cities might be working. Japan is reporting dozens of new cases aboard a quarantined cruise ship. The mainland death toll has risen by 97 to 908.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Monday, February 10, 2020.
