No wonder children are experiencing more anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts
America’s teenagers and young adults are experiencing a “troubling rise” in anxiety, depression, emergency room visits, suicidal thoughts, and suicide, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, psychological and psychiatric organizations, schools, and other observers are reporting … yet again.
CDC’s 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that 40 percent of American students experienced persistent feelings of hopelessness, 28 percent experienced poor mental health, 20 percent seriously considered attempting suicide, and 10 percent had attempted suicide.
The researchers attribute this in part to isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic and from using computers, cell phones, social media, and AI as substitutes for personal interactions; to bullying, educational pressures, family discord, and socio-economic disadvantages; and to declining faith, spirituality, and moral values.
These are undoubtedly major factors – and serious challenges for family, medical, educational, religious, and societal institutions – and for all who strive to be strong, social, resilient individuals and families.
However, we should add to these causes the near-constant negativity presented by liberal/leftist teachers, journalists, and social media influencers about our nation’s and Western civilization’s “horrible” history, culture, and values. Especially when they ignore other nations’ dogmas and histories of rape, murder, slavery, and forced conversion of “subhuman” and “infidel” or otherwise “deficient” or “uncooperative” people across Asia and the Maghreb, deep into Africa, and by Lenin, Stalin, Mao, and Pol Pot.
We should also attribute this “troubling rise” to similarly constant academic, online, and media fearmongering about endless “environmental perils” – and even more so to doom-and-gloom brainwashing alleging that “our planet’s health and all forms of life on it are imperiled” by climate change caused by fossil fuels, agriculture, and other human activities.
Our planet is dying. We’ve got 30, 20, 10 years until it’s so poisoned that it won’t support plant, animal, or human life. Life on Earth has never been worse – not even in the Dark Ages or World War II. Young people have every right to be despondent, to have little hope for the future, to see little reason to get married or have children. We hear it over and over.
Children, teens, parents, and society at large need to stop living, thinking, and talking in information bubbles. They must begin asking how plausible the alleged perils are, demanding solid, reproducible evidence to support the assertions, and insisting that alternate viewpoints also be presented.
Few page-one ecological calamities reflect actual dangers. They’re based on scary scenarios and simulations conjured up by computer models, fevered imaginations and agenda-driven propaganda … and repeated endlessly by journalists, teachers, scientists and politicians who have ideological, financial or partisan stakes in advancing the evidence-free assertions.
Few examples receive more attention than rising sea levels inundating coastal communities. In reality, Earth’s oceans have risen some 400 feet since the last of five Ice Ages ended and Pleistocene glaciers began melting 12,000 years ago. As the world warms since the Little Ice Age (1350-1850), seas are now rising at a mere eight to nine inches per century, though it can seem higher because of concurrent land subsidence due to oil, gas, and water extraction, urban construction, and isostatic rebound.
That’s a far cry from Al Gore’s ludicrous prediction of 20 feet or more “in the near future.” But at least there are a few shreds of history and evidence behind the spookery.
Other frenzied fables from climate crisis banshees are too far-fetched even for annual liars' contests. But they nonetheless cause fear and trembling in many minds and souls. Ponder this compendium gleaned primarily from just one website over just the past four weeks.
Arctic ice stability is nearing a tipping point, and melting sea ice could cause a dangerous loss of phytoplankton vital to marine life, as well as disastrously rising sea levels.
Rapidly melting Antarctic ice shelves may cause global sea levels to rise even faster than expected – “leaving millions at risk of being plunged underwater” and drowned.
Earth’s oceans [which have never been acidic; they’re slightly alkaline] are becoming “more acidic” and could dissolve corals, shellfish, and other organisms. [Atmospheric and oceanic carbon dioxide levels were far higher in prehistoric times and never caused such devastation.]
Climate change is causing an “unprecedented” slowing of Earth’s rotation [by 1.33 milliseconds per century] – or it might actually be accelerating Earth’s rotation [by 1.59 milliseconds per century]. Either way, it’s potentially affecting human and animal circadian rhythms.
Emissions from flying illegal immigrants out of the United States are making the climate crisis even worse. Equally disturbing, the climate crisis is bringing more migrants to Europe, forcing it to burn more coal and grow or import more food.
Climate change could bring deadly and unprecedented summer heat waves that add to urban heat island effects [especially if anti-fossil-fuel edicts make air conditioning unavailable or too expensive].
Climate change could worsen and intensify hailstorms that could destroy millions of solar panels; damage calculations depend on which assumptions and computer-generated scenarios are used.
Earth’s changing climate is causing more tornadoes in Michigan, making it one of America’s “worst hit” states [even though the number of violent US tornadoes has decreased by 50 percent since the 1950s, and weaker tornado counts are due to better reporting].
The climate crisis is now an “international public health emergency,” like COVID-19 and hantavirus. It will also cause more heat-related deaths and other infectious diseases [especially if dependence on unreliable wind and solar power means reductions in AC, clean water, modern hospitals, bacteria-killing medicines, or other technologies].
The risk of snakebites is increasing, as reptiles adapt to a changing world driven by climate change. [More lions and tigers and bears, too. Oh my.]
The rapidly approaching “super” El Niño could kill 50 million people, because of climate change, making it as deadly as the 1887 El Niño [despite modern agricultural technologies and record harvests].
Even more frightening, the climate crisis is only going to get worse because of methane from livestock. [Who knew a gas representing just 0.0002 percent of the atmosphere could be so deadly?] And more carbon dioxide in the air won’t help plants grow faster and with less water, but will actually make our food less healthy. Thankfully, though, banning hamburger ads could prevent the worst climate crisis problems.
You knew this one was coming. Rich white men are really “bad for the planet,” because of their jobs, diets, and hobbies, and because they are less concerned than even rich white women about climate change.
Returning to our original topic, we now learn that loneliness caused by climate change is killing people.
On and on it goes, without letup or interruption. But lest you think this steady stream of absurd climate fearmongering is something new, let me remind you of the Warmlist of things allegedly caused by global warming, compiled by Professor John Brignell many years ago – and even turned into a fun-packed video of dangers … from more allergies and bad beer to more women cheating on vacation.
Can’t we all just get a grip? And help our children get a grip?
Paul Driessen is senior policy advisor for the Committee For A Constructive Tomorrow (www.CFACT.org) and author of books, reports and articles on energy, environmental, climate and human rights issues.