How to talk to your kids about climate anxiety, according to an environmental educator

In recent weeks, flooding has put parts of Texas, Minnesota and Florida underwater, wildfires have ravaged California, and Hurricane Beryl has brought winds, rain and destruction to the Caribbean — just a few examples of the kinds of natural disasters being made more damaging or more frequent by climate change.

The visible effects of climate change are stoking concern among America's youth. A 2021 study found that 59% of teens and young adults were very or extremely worried about the impact of climate change.

Experts say "climate anxiety" — that feeling of doom and gloom about the future of humanity and our planet — can manifest through intrusive thoughts or feelings of distress about the future and lead to disruptions in daily life.