Is Climate Anxiety real? with Geoff Beattie

Oct 15, 2025

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Well... is it? Nearly half of young people say the future of the planet brings them mental distress. Not just young people either. More and more people of all ages are feeling something that feels like the thing we call climate anxiety. And for good reason: things not very brill, planet-wise.

But is climate anxiety something distinct from other worries? Is it just the latest snowflakey expression of more generally held worries about the future? Is it a mental health problem, or a social problem, both or neither? And - whatever the hell it is - is it something we can really do anything about, short of actually stopping climate change?

Joining me on this episode is academic, telly psychologist and prolific author Professor Geoff Beattie. Geoff's latest book, Understanding Climate Anxiety, is about - well - what it says.

We explore: is climate anxiety real? If so, how big a problem is it and for whom? And how can we help others (or ourselves)?

Let me know your thoughts on the show - hello@yourbrainonclimate.com.

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Owl noises = references:

13.16. Aaron Beck there, the father of CBT.
15.22. My piece for NEF about climate anxiety back in 2020, when I was in the midst of a proper wobble about things.
19.28. Values / Action Gap. I did a podcast all about that.
22.45. That survey of 10,000 young people in different countries, as covered in BBC.
35.40. Study: young people's climate anxiety may be more complicated.
44.09. James Pennebaker was one of the (academic) originators of the idea of 'disclosure' in psychology: that talking about stuff makes you feel better.

The show is hosted and produced by me, Dave Powell. You can follow the show on instagram @yourbrainonclimate, and I occasionally put up a Substack.

YBOC theme music and iterations thereof, by me. Show logo by Arthur Stovell at https://mondial-studio.com/.

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