Generation Omega: Interviews With Post-Millenials Grappling With Climate Reality
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Annalise Carreira, 21, Windsor, student
My eco-anxiety first started when I went into my first year of university. I was originally enrolled in Civil Engineering as I loved architecture and the idea of having people being able to see something nice that I had a part in. As time progressed, I became aware of the consequences of human actions and what they were doing to the future of our Earth.
Eco-anxiety hit me the hardest when I visited the local landfill and recycling centre last year and learned about the process and observed some of the repercussions for waste. It made me want to be an environmental engineer, someone who can implement processes and develop practices that would better humanity. This helped my eco-anxiety calm down.
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Some of the lifestyle changes I have made [since] have been dramatically reducing single-use plastic along with other materialistic items and packaging. I've also changed my mode of transportation: I mostly commute by bicycle, unless I need to transport numerous things or go on routes that are not cycling-friendly. More and more people are beginning to care and make an effort as they see firsthand what is happening. At the same time, a lot of people have the mentality that they want to live their lives the way they have been, and they know they are not going to be on this Earth forever, so they don’t really care. This makes me believe that the hole we are in is almost too big to get out of.
I honestly cannot foresee a drastic shift in environmental patterns. People like me are just prolonging the inevitable. I really hate to say that, but if you don’t see that you are fooling yourself. The future generations’ only hope will be when there is drastic and strict environmental policy changes implemented in national government—conscious actions made for the consumer, ensuring better success. It would be wonderful to be proven wrong, but I can’t be too optimistic. All I want is for people to care.
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https://www.vice.com/en_in/article/vb54ad/how-young-people-are-dealing-with-the-anxiety-of-a-looming-climate-apocalypse