Climate Anxiety and the Kid Question explores the complex interplay between climate change, environmental emotions, and reproductive decisions. The book delves into the experiences of young adults grappling with climate anxiety and its influence on their choices about parenthood. It examines the role of race and class in shaping these experiences, highlighting the disproportionate impact of climate change on communities of color. The research presented challenges conventional wisdom, revealing nuanced perspectives on the relationship between climate anxiety and reproductive desires. Ultimately, the book advocates for a more equitable approach to addressing climate change and its impact on families.
In "Generation Dread," Britt Wray explores the psychological effects of climate change, particularly on young people. The book delves into the anxieties, fears, and grief associated with the climate crisis, examining how these emotions manifest and impact mental well-being. Wray investigates the scientific evidence behind climate anxiety and offers insights into coping mechanisms and strategies for navigating these challenges. She also highlights the importance of collective action and community support in addressing both the environmental and psychological dimensions of the crisis. The book provides a comprehensive and empathetic look at the human experience of climate change.
Sarah Jaquette Ray's "A Field Guide to Climate Anxiety" offers a comprehensive exploration of the emotional responses to the climate crisis. The book delves into the psychological impacts of climate change, examining feelings of grief, despair, and eco-anxiety. Ray provides practical strategies and frameworks for coping with these emotions and fostering resilience. She emphasizes the importance of collective action and community building in addressing climate change. The book serves as a valuable resource for individuals seeking to understand and navigate their emotional responses to the climate crisis.
Eco-anxiety. Climate guilt. Pre-traumatic stress disorder. Solastalgia. The study of environmental emotions and related mental health impacts is a rapidly growing field, but most researchers overlook a closely related concern: reproductive anxiety. Climate Anxiety and the Kid Question (U California Press, 2024) is the first comprehensive study of how environmental emotions influence whether, when, and why people today decide to become parents—or not.
Jade S. Sasser argues that we can and should continue to create the families we desire, but that doing so equitably will require deep commitments to social, reproductive, and climate justice. Climate Anxiety and the Kid Question presents original research, drawing from in-depth interviews and national survey results that analyze the role of race in environmental emotions and the reproductive plans young people are making as a result. Sasser concludes that climate emotions and climate justice are inseparable, and that culturally appropriate mental and emotional health services are a necessary component to ensure climate justice for vulnerable communities.
Books and Resources mentioned in today’s episode:
- Check out Conceivable Future here
- Check out Climate Mental Health Network here
- Check out Climate Psychology Alliance here
- Check out The Good Grief Network here
- Find Parenting in a Changing Climate: Tools for Cultivating Resilience, Taking Action, and Practicing Hope in the Face of Climate Change by Elizabeth Bechard here
- Find Generation Dread: Finding Purpose in an Age of Climate Anxiety by Britt Wray here
- Find A Field Guide to Climate Anxiety: How to Keep Your Cool on a Warming Planet by Sarah Jaquette Ray here
Dr. Jade S. Sasser is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Gender & Sexuality Studies and Society, Environment, and Health Equity at the University of California, Riverside. Her research explores the relationships between reproductive justice, women’s health, and climate change. She is the author of two books, On Infertile Ground: Population Control and Women’s Rights in the Era of Climate Change (2018, NYU Press), which won the Emory Elliott Book Award, and Climate Anxiety and the Kid Question: Deciding Whether to Have Children in an Uncertain Future (2024, UC Press). Dr. Sasser has a PhD in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management from University of California, Berkeley; an MA in Cultural Anthropology from UC Berkeley; and an MPH in Global Health from Boston University. Her podcast Climate Anxiety and the Kid Question can be found here.
Jessie Cohen holds a Ph.D. in History from Columbia University and is an editor at the New Books Network
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