Study Says Climate Change Is Taking a Bigger Toll On Moms Than Dads And We Totally See Why
While thousands of activists and environmental enthusiasts raise their voices for saving the planet, some people are not very concerned about the rapid climate change. As the deadly impact of global warming is becoming more visible with each passing day, it's hard to ignore. The global temperatures are rising, and glaciers are melting; experts and governments have started promoting sustainable practices to slow down the crisis. However, it has been observed that the levels of climate anxiety differ across groups, and a study published by the Climate Science journal has found that women, especially mothers, tend to be more worried about the issue than men.
The exact reason for this difference in thoughts isn’t clear yet. But Merritt Juliano, a women's psychotherapist, wrote about this for Motherly and guessed the reason behind the disparity. She claimed that it could be because, as mothers, women often feel responsible for both themselves and their children. Many women also carry the emotional responsibilities of their romantic partners and strongly believe that when one family member is affected by something, it impacts everyone in the family. That said, it isn’t true for everyone, and it doesn’t mean that fathers or male partners don’t care at all. Every family is different.
Juliano further states that factors like social isolation, lack of concern from partners, and the unpopularity of the climate change topic in their parenting circles can make the emotional burden worse for mothers. Therefore, to cope with this, women can follow several strategies, like having open conversations with people they trust, finding like-minded people, engaging in activism, and more. Women need to be reassured that they aren't alone in this struggle. Moving ahead, a 2018 report by the BBC also claimed that 80% of the people who are affected due to climate change are women.
It was even more concerning when environmental scientist Diana Liverman revealed, "Women are often not involved in the decisions made about the responses to climate change." It was found that women make up less than 30% of members in national and global climate negotiation bodies on average. Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, an activist and geographer, rightly stated, "Women are half the world. It's important they participate in all major decisions." He added, "Climate change is not a fight for power, it's a fight for survival."
Climate change threatens natural ecosystems, wildlife, and the livelihoods of people, making it one of the urgent issues to be addressed. Fighting with it requires urgent actions like cutting carbon emissions and adapting to the serious impacts of global warming, many of which we are already experiencing. Global warming is having some very serious impacts, including extended droughts, extreme heat waves, especially in cities, melting glaciers, and rising ocean temperatures. To control this, advanced policies must be set up by the concerned authorities, and at a personal level, people should change their minor daily habits.
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