Aug
The Best Antidote for Climate Anxiety? Learning & Laughter
Climate anxiety, also called eco-anxiety, is characterized by a chronic fear of environmental doom that is often paralyzing and debilitating. Anthony Leiserowitz, founder, and Director of the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication stated in 2023 that "the single best antidote for climate anxiety is action." By this he means taking action on climate change to combat hopelessness and helplessness. In my opinion that 'action' should be to become more informed, and aware of what is going on in the spectre of climate change.
I agree with Jennifer East's article about how environmental volunteering is an excellent way to stave off mental conditions like anxiety and depression, but I must address the core, underlying problem - not simply the outward effects of the problem. Ignorance (a lack of knowledge or understanding) is the root cause of climate anxiety and the effects of being propagandized, manipulated, and socially engineered through television, news, government, social media, and the entertainment industry. It is wise to limit consumption of traditional media and be aware if you are doom strolling.
If you do not succumb to the fear and manipulation and solely focus on the evidence and the facts, a new perspective emerges, one that combats the feeling of climate doom. The acquisition of knowledge stimulates our cognitive function and nurtures the growth of our intellectual capabilities. If anyone wants to quash the existential stress that the alleged climate crisis is putting on them, they need to get smarter and be a more informed citizen.
The Scaremongering Climate Alarmists
Throughout my lifetime I have seen one wild prediction after another trying to scare people about climate change with various dire predictions about the future. From Al Gore warning of ice-free Arctic by 2013 to a study that said refugees will be moving to Antarctica because of rising temperatures by 2030 (both from 2008). It is just fear-mongering propaganda. Doomsayers have been predicting climate and environmental disaster since the 1960s, but none of the apocalyptic predictions have come true. It is sad to see so many people being swept away by sensationalism, misinformation, and fear.
Just imagine if there were as many climate alarmists in the summer of 1976 as there are now. I played a lot of cricket and football that sweltering summer with my neighbour across the street, and I'm sure my concentration at the crease or in front of goal would have been affected by an eco-rabble with dyed hair coming down the road babbling on about how the earth is burning up because of climate change. How are you supposed to play an attacking shot through the covers or bend one into the top corner under those circumstances? Seriously though, anyone suffering from climate anxiety would have felt highly distressed during the long-hot summer of 1976.
Climate alarmism is based mainly around fear of extreme weather. This concept is deeply rooted in human nature and has its roots in ancient stories of giant floods, famines and plagues caused (of course) by human sins. Climate alarmists are tapping into that primal fear, and pushing the same idea of extreme weather and floods caused by humankind’s carbon sins. The climate crisis has come about because of our sinfulness. Constant talk of carbon emissions means we should all feel slightly guilty over something we regularly do; eat or perhaps just enjoy. But should we feel bad?
Climate alarmists use anecdotal instances of things like extra rainy or windy days, and heatwaves as "proof" that we have changed our climate, but nothing unprecedented is happening in our climate. It is all well within natural climate variability. All the media hype about hot weather, heat waves, or extreme weather, is all designed to scare the bejesus out of the public, so they will think we need to act fast (emergency mode). Designed to get us to support policies that we would otherwise never even consider. The climate narrative is just a perversion of science and a weaponization of natural disasters and weather events. The number of deaths caused by weather events has dropped by 98% per capita since the 1920s.
Once you learn about the enormous benefits that are accruing to humanity and Earth's ecosystems from very modest warming and increasing carbon dioxide (CO2), this new form of worry just floats away. Once you understand CO2 is not the “control knob” of climate and the importance of fossil fuels to modern day societies, the feeling of fear, dread, and uneasiness vanishes. The truth about climate anxiety is that it can disappear, but the "experts" will tell you it never goes away. Living in a state of constant anxiety or dread is not just unpleasant; the stress on our bodies can make us sick.
The Earth's climate has evolved over 4.5 billion years, and it has changed dramatically many times, sometimes slowly, other times relatively rapidly. It is a pipe dream believing you can control the climate by going after a trace gas which makes up just 0.04% of the atmosphere. This does not stop climate grifters like Al Gore stating that temperatures will stop going up “almost immediately” if we reach a true net zero in fossil-fuel emissions. This amazing scientific revelation really belongs in the 'Laughter is the Best Medicine' section below. There is no need to become overwhelmed by the seemingly relentless onslaught of disturbing news about the world’s supposedly deepening climate crisis.
Expand Your Learning, Broaden Your Mind
The phrase "do your own research" is ubiquitous these days but there is a problem with wanting to seek out information and make up your own mind when it comes to climate change. The United Nations (UN) revealed in 2022 that they "own the science" of climate change and they have manipulated Google search results to suppress any climate view that deviates from UN claims. Search returns come back only with UN-favourable scientific views. This is how they create a consensus.
The consensus was achieved by the IPCC (an intergovernmental body of the UN) and other actors mounting one of the most well funded, massive propaganda campaigns in history - and with a compliant media on their side. Much of the world's population has fallen victim to significant propaganda, causing widespread misconception. However, there is no consensus among scientists, but the public are told there is unanimous scientific consensus. Many thousands of scientists disagree with the official narrative including the 1900 scientists and professionals that have signed The World Climate Declaration: There is no climate emergency. Signatories include Nobel Laureate Dr Ivar Giaever, Nobel Laureate Dr John Clauser, and Dr Patrick Moore (an early member and past president of Greenpeace). There is a big difference between a scientific consensus and a consensus of scientists.
Some say the closest you will get to unbiased data is to read the peer reviewed scientific journals, but aside for not being able to understand the terminology, this is often a rigged game too. Climate scientists who go along with the prescribed catastrophic narrative get funding and recognition, but those who do not are cancelled and receive no funding. If you 'play the game' (e.g. a study attributing wildfires to climate change or the impacts of climate change on a particular species) you will receive funding, and your work might be published in a prestigious journal. Governments have stolen trillions from taxpayers to fund climate change hysteria and research. By the industry’s own admission there has been almost no progress worldwide in actually combatting climate change. This is scandalous and taxpayers should demand their money back! It is a troubling sign for scientific integrity that climate sceptics are systematically sidelined and diminished by government funding agencies, foundation grant-makers, academic journals, and much of the media. The public and government officials are getting a one-sided, apocalyptic account that stokes fear, politicizes science, misuses climate modelling, and shuts down debate.
It is possible to find important published papers from climate scientists that have not been muffled by society's top institutions. The latest study I read raises serious doubts about the predicted catastrophic future for our planet due to the anthropogenic increase in CO2 and its impact on Earth's climate. The claim that human emissions of CO2 is causing global warming is merely a hypothesis rather than a substantiated fact. This is another study that has debunked the narrative that increased CO2 in the atmosphere from human activity is causing global warming.
There are a number of good books and movies that focus on the environment and climate change, including 'Inconvenient Facts: The science that Al Gore doesn't want you to know' by Gregory Wrightstone (Author), and 'Climate: The Movie (The Cold Truth)' by Martin Durkin (Writer/Director). This must-see 2023 movie gives a different perspective on the climate change debate and is supported by a number of prominent scientists, including Professor Steven Koonin (Obama’s under secretary for science), Professor Dick Lindzen (formerly professor of meteorology at Harvard and MIT), Professor Will Happer (professor of physics at Princeton), Professor Nir Shaviv (Racah Institute of Physics) and others. It was awarded First Prize at the Las Vegas Film Festival. Beware, there are many books and movies that tackle climate change, but most are attempting to brainwash you. Did you know green billionaires pour money into discreet campaigns to persuade Hollywood writers to catastrophise the climate in future movies?
Social media is a wonderful way to learn and engage with experts in your area of interest. It is all about following the right people. You obviously do not want to read state-sponsored propaganda or the thoughts of an apocalyptic green activist. I follow various people on X (formally Twitter) to gain knowledge and improve my understanding of climate change. I also follow people that bring a sense of humour to the debate. The importance of laughter is covered in more detail below. Here is a short list of people to follow on X for well-researched, informative and entertaining material: Judith Curry (@curryja) - President, Climate Forecast Applications Network, Professor Emerita Georgia Tech; Patrick Moore (@EcoSenseNow) - BSc Biology PhD Ecology, Greenpeace co-founder; Tony Heller (@TonyClimate) - Climate Realist; Chris Martz (@ChrisMartzWX) - Meteorology student; Steve Milloy (@JunkScience) - influential climate science contrarian; John Shewchuk (@_ClimateCraze) - Certified Consulting Meteorologist (CCM), Lt Col, USAF Retired, Meteorologist, Creator of the RAOB Program; Jim Steele (@JimSteeleSkepti) - past Director Sierra Nevada Field Campus, SFSU, ecologist educator author Landscapes & Cycles; Tom Nelson (@TomANelson) - "Climate: The Movie" producer; Friends of Science (@FriendsOScience) - a group of earth, atmospheric, solar scientists and engineers who conclude that the sun is the main driver of climate change; Patrick T. Brown (@PatrickTBrown31) - Ph.D. climate scientist. Co-director, Climate & Energy Adjunct faculty (lecturer) in Energy Policy & Climate at Johns Hopkins; and Marc Morano (@ClimateDepot) - former senior staff member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. Their posts often connect you to other interesting people on social media, important climate studies, and useful online resources. A smart media diet is important.
Thinking Your Way Out Of Eco-Anxiety
Albert Einstein is known for the short quote, “Question Everything.” This is sound advice when it comes to alleged climate crisis and the onslaught of doom-and-gloom climate news. Critical thinking is the ability to think deeper, to question what you read online or watch on the television. Put your thinking cap on.
I recall the headline "It's the hottest day of the year!" in the Daily Mail on the 19 July 2024. We were told Britain was hotter than Ibiza in Spain, but the 31.2C temperature was recorded at Heathrow Airport! The location of this temperature gauge and the changes that have occurred at this location are of high importance. Alarmists say Heathrow airport has warmed since records began in 1948 due to climate change, but it has grown out of all proportion since it began civil operations (e.g. a few propeller planes carrying 63,000 passengers). Today, Heathrow is the world’s busiest international airport. If you compare Heathrow measurements with a rural site, a lot of the warming at Heathrow Airport has been caused by the urban heat island affect (e.g. warming from concrete and asphalt, etc). With nearly five square miles of concrete with no vegetation, the airport is quite literally an oven. It clearly makes a nonsense of any "hottest day in the UK" claim. And this years Brrr-itish summer (cool, cloudy, and wet) clearly makes a nonsense of the 'runaway global warming' narrative.
Another site that crops up regularly in the Met Office’s local daily ‘records’ is Cambridge’s National Institute for Agricultural Botany (NIAB). Early in August the Met Office declared the 'hottest day of the year so far' in the United Kingdom (UK), with the temperature reaching 34.8C in Cambridge. What they did not tell the public was that this weather station is located just metres from a massive heat-generating electricity sub-station complex! Electricity sub-stations release huge amounts of heat into the nearby surroundings. Much like international airports and solar farms (large solar farms increase local temperatures: the photovoltaic heat island effect), Cambridge’s NIAB is an ideal location for boosting temperatures, ensuring the climate alarm bells keep ringing, and the citizens captured by the heat corrupted ‘records’ and the crisis narrative keep marching.
July 2024 was the hottest July on record according to scientists from NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information, and the second-hottest July globally according to the European Union's (EU) Copernicus Climate Change Service. The first thing to note is the 'hottest month' claim only goes back to when they started recording temperatures in the 1850's. If the data went back to medieval times - around 1200 AD - there has been a cooling of about 4C. Global temperature is meaningless. The data input into global temperature is a mishmash of all sorts of measurements and guesstimates of varying meaning, quality, and reliability, all fed into computer models. It is nonsense. Copernicus and NASA claim that 22 July 2024 was the 'hottest day on record' but if you look at real-time temperature measurements the global temperature on this day was actually cooler. There is a global network of surface temperature stations that record and report actual measurements in real time.
There is a scarcity of meteorological stations in various parts of the world, so how can they say it was 'hottest month on record'? Yemen only has a few available weather stations so they combine this data with satellite estimates and modelling techniques to give a general overview. According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Africa, with a population of 1.2 billion, has just 37 weather stations that meet the WMO's reporting standards, which are unevenly distributed across the continent. NASA and NOAA rely on a statistical analysis of the likely temperatures to fill in the gaps. How can they show record heat in countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo and Somalia when there is little to no thermometer data? No legitimate scientist would engage in this sort of behaviour.
The United States (US) and the EU combined have 636 weather stations. In the former there are many weather stations that no longer report real data. The 'out of service' stations are known as 'ghost stations' (USHCN No. 253035, USHCN No. 340593, USHCN No. 253035, USHCN No. 157324, USHCN No. 42728, USHCN No. 384690, USHCN No. 345063, USHCN No. 324178, and USHCN No. 341504 are all in the ghost station club). NASA and NOAA just invent temperatures for places that are out of service. Almost half of US temperature data is now faked by the government. The US warming trend claimed by NOAA is due entirely to data tampering, cooling older temperatures and warming recent ones. The UK network is composed of largely junk stations. Almost eight in ten stations across the 380-strong network are labelled class 4 and 5, with WMO ‘uncertainties’ of 2C and possible errors up to 5C. Whether it is here (UK) or across the pond, it is a meteorological horror show.
Climate alarmists cite the above (e.g. hottest day/month/year ever) as "evidence" of impending climate apocalypse, but their hysteria is based on the urban heat island effect (which can add as much as 10C to temperatures), climate modelling, adjusted and fabricated data. Using NOAA's own global temperature analysis, July 2024 was cooler than July 1901, July 2012, and other past months of July in the US. Summers have not become more extreme. Actual thermometer data tells us that the percentage of 90F days in the US has plummeted as atmospheric CO2 has increased.
Evidence and data are unimportant to the alarmists, the warming is driven by human-caused climate change. Primarily by humans releasing CO2 into the atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels. However, CO2 emitted from fossil fuels is not some sort of control knob on the climate. This is not to say humans do not influence the climate to some extent, but natural cycles and climate variability is far and away the dominant factor. And there is not a single type of weather (extreme or not) that correlates in the slightest with emissions from fossil fuels. There has been extreme weather throughout Earth's history and there will be extreme weather far into the future.
Climate alarmists have CO2 tunnel vision. Climate alarmists continue to ignore natural factors that could have caused the warming spikes in 2023 and 2024. The January 2022 Hunga Tonga underwater volcanic eruption boosted upper atmospheric water vapour by a remarkable 10%. The enormous eruption shot 100–150 million tonnes of water vapour high into the atmosphere. Water in its various forms is overwhelmingly the most important substance in the climate system. Water vapor is the most abundant greenhouse gas. There is a multiplicity of other factors, including the warming effect of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation and cleaner air (which allows more solar radiation to reach the Earth's surface). It is a mistake to blame any extreme heat on human influence. Heat alarmists have made hay of late but as the excess water from the unprecedented volcanic eruption leaves the atmosphere, in combination with the decline in solar activity after the maximum of Solar Cycle 25, means we could even see some cooling in the coming years. Interesting times in terms of climate dynamics. A new paper on the climate impacts of the Hunga-Tonga volcanic eruption says it could cause unusual weather for the rest of the decade.
Laughter is the Best Medicine
When we laugh, the brain releases the chemical dopamine, also known as the feel-good hormone. Laughter makes us relaxed and less anxious and stressed. Figure out what makes you laugh and seek it out as often as possible. Nothing works faster or more dependably to bring your mind and body back into balance than a good laugh.
Laughter and humour can be found in every situation. I look for the funny in everyday life, including the latest content about climate change. There is a general view that climate change is an extremely serious issue and no laughing matter, but once you grasp the reality of the situation, the solutions put forward to solve climate change are extremely amusing. You must bear in mind who contributes the most to global CO2 emissions, and the high-carbon consumption of the rich and famous, from Leonardo Di Caprio’s superyacht to Bill Gates’s fleet of private jets.
Politicians have made some truly bizarre decisions as solutions to climate change. For example, converting a coal-fired plant (Drax power station in North Yorkshire, England) to burn wood chips that are shipped from the US is one of these very strange decisions. The biomass power station produces four times more CO2 emissions than the coal power station did! You have entered the Twilight Zone - the la-la land of green make-believe. In Ethiopia only 54% of citizens have access to electricity but the government has banned the import of non-electric vehicles. The first country to outlaw the entry of internal combustion engine vehicles. What is the plan in Ethiopia? Oxcarts and donkeys?
One of my absolute favourites is Dutch artist Arne Hendrik's solution for saving the planet: shrink humans down to a size of 50 cm (about 20 inches)! "Honey, I Shrunk Humanity." A government-funded study out of the UK, conducted by scientists at the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, purports to show that "human breathing is contributing to greenhouse gas emissions." There you have it folks, you want to stop global warming, well, just stop breathing! A University of Michigan-led international study found that 'the carbon footprint of homegrown food five times greater than those grown conventionally'! I had to check the calendar to see it was not April 1. The University of Michigan and legacy media should be penalised for spreading misinformation. Another corker is the product 'climate milk' out of Norway. Apparently, giving cows a food additive with no long-term safety data to get them to burp and fart less, a feed suspected of damaging fertility, is saving the planet! A Dutch start-up is touting recycling human hair into clothes as a climate solution. What are we waiting for, let us all shave our heads bald and donate our hair to save the planet. Did you know choosing the right font can leave a lighter environmental footprint? Yep, you heard it right - eco-friendly fonts are totally a thing in an effort to be more sustainable. Eco Font features small holes within each character, allowing for ink-efficient printing without compromising readability. Download Climate Crisis fonts now!
This is the insanity with which we are dealing. In the wacky world of climate change everything is causing a problem: houseplants, rice, pizza ovens (New York City), and even coffee. Swiss banker and World Economic Forum (WEF) "agenda contributor", Hubert Keller: "Every time we drink coffee, we are basically putting CO2 into the atmosphere". Shhh. Do not mention the 1,000-1,500 private jets that travel to all the surrounding airports near Davos during WEF summits! What a hypocritical and elitist farce. How can anyone believe giving up gardening, removing indoor houseplants, donating their hair, eliminating coffee, or putting climate milk in their cup of tea is going to change the weather or the climate? These range of solutions to the supposed problem will not achieve anything.
Meanwhile, the US military’s devastating carbon footprint is not discussed. The US military has a carbon footprint larger than any other institution on earth. This should be "code red" for climate alarmists but they want us to leave the car at home and eat soy-based foods to save the planet. And what about the CO2 emissions linked to large companies and Asia, particularly China? It is a dead giveaway to the actual agenda, but do not ask questions, take short showers, turn your thermostat down a degree or two, strictly monitor and limit your travel, and eat lab-grown fake meat and insects to save the planet.
While wrapping-up this article a volcano has erupted in southwestern Iceland for the sixth time in three months, and a Greek commercial cargo vessel carrying explosives from India to Israel has been destroyed by Yemeni forces. We are constantly bombarded with messages about reducing our personal carbon emissions, from eating lentils to keeping worms in the kitchen to recycle leftovers. How much does our individual carbon footprint really matter in the grand scheme of things? I never thought I would quote Margaret Thatcher, but the final portion of this article has prompted me to declare "It's a funny old world."
Insightful Quotes
"Anxiety is something that is part of me but it’s not who I am." – Emma Stone
"Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow." - Anthony J. D’Angelo
"The world is a tragedy to those who feel, but a comedy to those who think." - Horace Walpole
"Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers." - Voltaire
"Neither a man nor a crowd nor a nation can be trusted to act humanely or to think sanely under the influence of a great fear." - Bertrand Russell
"The government [American] puts out about $2.5 billion directly for climate research every year. It only gives that money to scientists who will produce scientific results that support the global warming hypothesis." - Meteorologist and founder of the Weather Channel John Coleman
"A day without laughter is a day wasted." - Charlie Chaplin
"A lie is a lie even if everyone believes it. The truth is the truth even if nobody believes it." - David Stevens
"Laughter is one of the best medicines around for relieving stress and for creating a more healthy spirit. And, one of the greatest aspects is that it is totally free and can be done by anyone." - Byron Pulsifer
"Wisdom…. comes not from age, but from education and learning." - Anton Chekhov
"When you argue with reality, you lose, but only 100% of the time." - Byron Katie
“If we couldn’t laugh we would all go insane.” – Robert Frost
"The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing." - Albert Einstein
"There are two types of people: dumb people who say, I'm going to listen to the consensus of experts, and intelligent minds that ask, is this true? If so, based on what grounds? What does the data show. The latter characterizes the nature of an inquisitive mind; someone who wants to figure things out and learn. The nature of a good scientist is to be inherently sceptical." - Chris Martz
"IPCC is one of the worst sources of scientific misinformation." - Dr John Clauser, Nobel laurate in Physics
"Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed: everything else is public relations." - George Orwell
"The notion that CO2 is pollution is absolutely preposterous... The idea that [it's] going to destroy the planet or change the temperature of the Earth is totally ludicrous. But from a totalitarian perspective, if you can convince people that CO2 is pollution, there's no human activity that doesn't result in CO2 emissions, including living, including dying, turning on a light switch. Every single aspect of your life, then, if we submit to the idea that CO2 is pollution, then comes under the regulatory control of the people who claim to be saving us from pollution." - Alex Newman
"Those who are able to see beyond the shadows and lies of their culture will never be understood, let alone believed, by the masses.” - Plato
"If science can't be questioned, it's not science anymore. It's propaganda, and that's the truth." - Aaron Rodgers
