The 2021 Western North American heat dome increased climate change anxiety among British Columbians: Results from a natural experiment

Bratu, Andreea; Card, Kiffer G.; Closson, Kalysha; Aran, Niloufar; Marshall, Carly; Clayton, Susan; Gislason, Maya; Samji, Hasina; Martin, Gina; Lem, Melissa; Logie, Carmen H.; Takaro, Tim K.; Hogg, Robert S.

doi:10.1016/j.joclim.2022.100116

Cited by 33 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…In this study, South Koreans proved to be less anxious about climate change than Americans [7], Canadians [30], and Germans [15], but more anxious than Italians [14]. According to previous studies, experiences of climate change were associated with an increase in related anxiety [7,30].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 44%

Validation of the Climate Change Anxiety Scale for Korean Adults

Jang

Chung

Lee

2023

Perspectives in Psychiatric Care

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Purpose. This study evaluated the validity and reliability of the Korean Climate Change Anxiety Scale (CCAS) translation. Design and Methods. Data were collected using an online survey from January 17 to January 26, 2022, from 459 adults aged 19–65 years. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were performed, and Cronbach’s α and intraclass correlation coefficient were evaluated. Findings. The CCAS’s Korean version can be used as an effective tool because its validity and reliability have been verified. Practice Implications. Studies examining climate change anxiety can help protect human security against climate change-induced disasters and achieve sustainable development goals.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 44%

Validation of the Climate Change Anxiety Scale for Korean Adults

Jang

Chung

Lee

2023

Perspectives in Psychiatric Care

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“…Heatwaves are known to increase mental health problems, such as increased irritability, anxiety or symptoms of depression. The June 2021 heatwave increased anxiety, specifically climate anxiety, among the population of British Columbia (Bratu and others, 2022). Additionally, heat and relative humidity significantly correlate with suicide (Florido Ngu and others, 2021).…”

Section: Health Impactsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Approximately 30 per cent of decedents lived in communities that were socially or materially deprived, meaning living in neighbourhoods with relatively low socioeconomic status, without sufficient green surrounding areas or further from large bodies of water (Cecco, 2021;Henderson and others, 2021;Kulkarni, 2021;Silberner, 2021). Overall, British Columbia had 740 more deaths than expected for a typical summer (Bratu and others, 2022;Henderson and others, 2021). Importantly, this number is likely an underestimate as many deaths are difficult to attribute to heat, either because they go unreported or because the heat exacerbated an existing health issue listed as the primary cause of death (Frank, 2021).…”

Section: Loss Of Lifementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Heatwaves have multiple implications for public health as they are associated with sudden increases in mortality rates and exacerbate pre-morbidity conditions in cardiovascular diseases (Bratu and others, 2022). Thus, during the hottest days in British Columbia, for every death, about ten or more people suffered from a heat-related illness such as heatstroke, dehydration, exhaustion, fever, loss of consciousness, respiratory afflictions, and even life-altering injuries (LaFortune and others, 2021;Silberner, 2021).…”

Section: Health Impactsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Technical Report: British Columbia heatwave

Eberle¹,

Roa²,

Sparkes³

2022

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In summer 2021, air temperatures in Canada broke records multiple days in a row as a powerful heatwave spread over the Pacific Northwest, registering over 600 heat-related deaths and setting an all-time high-temperature record for the country at 49.6°C (121.3°F). An insufficient preparedness for such high temperatures meant that emergency response capacity was overwhelmed while the general public was unequipped to deal with anomalous temperatures. As climate change continues to make heat events such as this one more frequent and intense, the lessons learned during this disaster are critical to prepare for the next. This technical background report for the 2021/2022 edition of the Interconnected Disaster Risks report analyses the root causes, drivers, impacts and potential solutions for the British Columbia heatwave through a forensic analysis of academic literature, media articles and expert interviews.

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“…Climate emotions research is relatively new, rapidly evolving, methodologically and theoretically diverse, and applied (i.e., a strong orientation toward action and policy). Scholars engaging in climate emotions research represent diverse disciplinary perspectives including, but not limited to, public health (Galway et al, 2019;Bratu et al, 2022), communication (Bloodhart et al, 2019), psychology (Clayton and Karazsia, 2020;Gibson et al, 2020;Coffey et al, 2021), sustainability studies (Verlie, 2019), and education (Ojala, 2015;Russell and Oakley, 2016) illustrating the highly interdisciplinary nature of climate emotions research.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring Climate Emotions in Canada’s Provincial North

Galway

Beery

2022

Front. Psychol.

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The mental and emotional dimensions of climate change are increasingly concerning as extreme events become more frequent and severe, ecosystem destruction advances, and people become more aware of climate impacts and injustices. Research on climate emotions has rapidly advanced over the last decade with growing evidence illustrating that climate emotions can impact health, shape climate action, and ought to be considered in climate change communication, education, and engagement. This paper explores, describes, and discusses climate emotions in the context of Canada’s Provincial North: a vast region characterized by a vulnerability to climate change, remoteness, political marginalization, diverse Indigenous populations, and economies/livelihoods tied to resource extraction. Using postal survey data collected in two Provincial North communities (Thunder Bay, Ontario, and Prince George, British Columbia; N = 627), we aim to (1) describe climate emotions experienced in the context of Canada’s Provincial North, including relationships among specific emotions; and (2) examine if socio-demographic variables (gender, age, and parenthood) show a relationship with climate emotions. Results show high levels of emotional response to climate change overall, with worry and frustration as those emotions reported by the highest percentage of participants. We also find significant difference in climate emotions between men and women. A methodological result was noted in the usefulness of the Climate Emotion Scale (CES), which showed high reliability and high inter-item correlation. A notable limitation of our data is its’ underrepresentation of Indigenous peoples. The findings contribute to a greater understanding of climate emotions with relevance to similar settings characterized by marginalization, vulnerability to climate change, urban islands within vast rural and remote landscapes, and economies and social identities tied to resource extraction. We discuss our findings in relation to the literature and outline future research directions and implications.

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The 2021 Western North American heat dome increased climate change anxiety among British Columbians: Results from a natural experiment

Cited by 33 publications

References 20 publications

Validation of the Climate Change Anxiety Scale for Korean Adults

Validation of the Climate Change Anxiety Scale for Korean Adults

Technical Report: British Columbia heatwave

Exploring Climate Emotions in Canada’s Provincial North

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