THE CLIMATE OF THE MIND: WHY IS IT SO HARD TO UNDERSTAND AND FACE THE CLIMATE CRISIS?

The new Italian Climate Network series on neuroscience, psychology, and human rights in the age of the climate crisis.

The climate crisis can no longer be seen as a problem that affects distant places. With the increasing frequency and intensity of its effects, it now represents a serious threat to the well-being of the human and natural world throughout the planet.

The acute and chronic manifestations of the climate crisis, coupled with global socio-political instability, are destabilizing the ecological, social, and economic systems we rely on to survive and thrive. These events also highlight issues of social justice and contribute to the aggravation of human rights violations globally.

In addition, the climate crisis has become a daily topic of conversation, often dominating news headlines. Although those who deny the existence of climate change nowadays are a minority, many people continue to believe in ‘techno-fix’, i.e. they assume that this climate and environmental crisis will be solved by technology. In fact, it is undeniable that green technology is making rapid progress, but a closer look reveals a paradox: not enough people are committed to finding solutions is not yet enough to allow us to make significant progress.

We might be tempted to conclude that people, deep down, don’t care about the future of the planet. However, the reality is more subtle. There are unconscious motivations that influence our actions and behaviors. Put simply, climate change plays tricks on a human mind that is not evolutionarily equipped to deal with a threat of existential proportions like this.

How can neuroscience and psychology help us make sense of this conundrum? And why do we need to understand the workings of the mind and brain if we want this reality to become more sustainable and just, not only for human beings but for all life forms on the planet?

This is precisely the goal of the new series The climate of the mind: to illuminate the vital connection that exists between climate change, brain and mind, investigating different aspects related to mental health, such as human rights.

Here are the key points we’ll address:

• The paradox of inaction: why, despite widespread awareness of climate change, its causes and consequences, do we struggle to act? We will analyze how and why our brain finds it difficult to respond in a functional and adaptive way to a complex threat such as the climate crisis.
• Impact on mental health: climate change is not only an environmental phenomenon, but a stressor that causes intense emotions, affects neurological development and well-being, exacerbates psychopathologies and generates eco-anxiety.
• Social justice and human rights: We will explore how climate change exacerbates existing inequalities and is undermining the human rights of people and groups of all ages and in every part of the world.

The goal of this series is to provide a scientific key to “hack” our minds, protect our mental health and unlock an active and sustainable commitment to the planet that guarantees respect for everyone’s human rights.

We have chosen to offer you an interdisciplinary perspective that combines neuroscience, psychology, public and planetary health and human rights, highlighting the numerous and interconnected consequences of climate change on the mind, body, and socio-political systems. While epidemiological research demonstrates the profound impact that the manifestations of climate change have on the human body, emerging interdisciplinary research indicates that the climate crisis poses a profound threat to human mental health as well.

It is therefore important to recognize that global warming and other anthropogenic changes (including biodiversity loss and pollution) are not simply an environmental backdrop, but active stressors that alter neural architecture, disrupt developmental trajectories and aggravate psychopathologies and neurological disorders throughout life. How climate change exerts this influence on our brains and minds will be one of the subjects of this series.

In the upcoming articles, we will examine the direct neurobiological effects of heat and environmental pollutants, the epigenetic mechanisms of prenatal stress, the epidemiology of mental trauma related to climate disasters, and the increased occurrence of mental and neurological disorders, including the psychosocial construct of eco-anxiety. We will also discover how our “ancient brain” hinders our ability to remain committed to sustained climate action, and how this global crisis is so pervasive that it infiltrates even socio-political contexts, putting at risk the respect for human rights of people of all places and ages.

The series will offer a broad, transdisciplinary and coherent look at these issues, fitting the various pieces of a complex puzzle to promote the understanding and processing of this reality without losing our mental health. At the same time, each article can be read individually, as it will offer a complementary perspective to the other articles that make up this collection.

The impacts of climate change on our bodies, minds and socio-political systems are complex. Understanding them thoroughly is the first step towards the solution, but this is not a journey to be taken alone.

Article written by Stefania Maggi, volunteer at Italian Climate Network, with contributions and critical review by all contributors to The Climate of the Mind.

Cover image: illustration by @elenayelloww for Italian Climate Network.