This study tests the hypotheses that overall environmental knowledge and climate-specific knowledge are inversely related to climate change anxiety, such that people who know more (less) about the environment in general, and about climate in particular, are less (more) anxious about climate change. Time lagged data were collected from N = 2,066 individuals in Germany. Results showed that, even after controlling for demographic characteristics, personality characteristics, and environmental attitudes, overall environmental knowledge and climate-specific knowledge were negatively related to climate change anxiety (both B = -.09, p < .001).
That’s straight up bad information. Climate change isn’t a yes or no, it’s a matter of degree.
Serious consequences are unavoidable, and we urgently need to start adapting. But we absolutely can and should mitigate climate change itself to avoid some more extreme consequences.
Don’t go around telling people there’s nothing we can do, there’s still time to make a difference and we should focus on positive actions on individual and societal levels.
Also, the jury isn’t out, people are already taking effective action to adapt in the real world.