Communicating Climate Change Consciously: Anxiety and the Environment

When you’ve tuned into the most recent climate or environmental news, how do you feel? It’s easy to feel overwhelmed, stressed, and anxious by the sheer volume of negative news about our planet. I often feel that way, too.

My name’s Abhay, and I’m an environmental studies student here at USC. My work in environmental communication started with those same emotions: anxiety and stress. A couple of years ago, I wanted to learn more about why I felt so negatively about climate change and our environmental crisis. With the help of my professor, Dr. Shannon Gibson, and the faculty at the Dana and David Dornsife School of Letters and Sciences, I began researching eco-anxiety and climate communication. I wanted to find ways to reduce the panic and defeatism we can feel when learning about the state of the climate.

My research compelled me to start telling my own stories, too.  I’ve wanted to find ways to engage people about the climate crisis in ways that feel interesting, empowering, and positive. I’ve worked with Dr. Gibson for more than a year, reporting on the outcomes of UN climate summits whose decisions impact us all. I’ve worked on video essays and graphics highlighting local and global climate issues, and I was able to continue on my path thanks to the Wrigley Institute Environmental Communications Internship.

During my initial research into climate anxiety and mental health, I found that working and sharing with like-minded peers helped reduce the impact of negative emotions about global warming. This internship showed me that firsthand; I was able to work alongside numerous talented, passionate, and intelligent students, all of whom brought their own climate stories to the table.

Alongside my mentor, Dr. Gibson, I spent the summer observing and reporting on this year’s Conference of Parties, or COP. The COP is the UN’s annual climate summit, and this year’s COP29 is one of the most important meetings in recent history. By sitting in on meetings, conducting research, and utilizing the advice of my peers and internship mentors, I produced numerous graphics, short-form videos, and long-form videos highlighting the key issues at COP29 in Azerbaijan. These issues include mitigating fossil fuel emissions, providing funding for highly impacted developing countries, and the role of civil society in creating real change at international summits like these.

The work I did for my mentor was published under USC’s Gibson Climate Justice Lab, a growing research team that analyzes the highest level of climate negotiations, providing an accessible way for interested people to learn about the ups and downs of our fight against climate change. By creating and improving upon the lab’s media–particularly video media–alongside Dr. Gibson, I was able to help educate viewers on critical issues in a way that didn’t feel overwhelming or negative. In a way, I’ve accomplished that goal from years ago.

But my work, and the work of every student and faculty member here at the Wrigley Institute, is far from over. The climate crisis is a constantly evolving issue, and our goal is to empower everyone in the face of climate change. The communication strategies I’ve learned here will guide me as I begin a managerial role at the Gibson Climate Justice Lab and beyond. In my own time, I hope to share more climate stories and get people interested in doing their part to learn about and help their communities in the face of global warming. 

Most importantly of all, the Wrigley Institute Environmental Communications Internship showed me that I’m not alone when up against the climate crisis. And neither are you. Hopefully, that makes learning more about the climate that much better.