Lochy's Story
Get Thinking
Lochy is 16 years old and talks extremely eloquently of his love of nature and his heartfelt concern for his generation’s future. Unfortunately, Lochy is not the only young person attempting to make sense of a rapidly changing world. A shocking 59% of young people state they are extremely worried about climate change, with 50% reporting feelings of hopelessness, anxiety, anger, powerlessness and guilt, and 45% saying these feelings negatively impact on their daily lives.
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Young people are not the only ones struggling with these complex emotions. Climate anxiety, as it is currently known, can affect anyone of us, especially once we start to understand the enormity of the challenge ahead. For many of us, the best remedy is to become more active in pushing for the changes we want to see in our communities and in the wider world. However, it can take time to navigate our way through to action, and the process can be challenging.
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The good news is that our community has all the tools and knowledge we need to avert the worst effects of climate change, so all we need now is for everyone to act!
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It is important to remember that if you are feeling like anxious about climate change and the future, it is a perfectly natural and healthy response to a high stress situation. Talking about it with friends or community members who understand is the first step to feeling better.
Get Inspired
The climate is changing at a rate and in unpredictable ways that mean we are facing a deeply uncertain future. The scale of the problem can feel totally out of our control, and we can experience a sense of crippling powerlessness. For adults and young people alike, confronting this reality can result in negative feelings which can impact on our mental health. If left unaddressed, climate anxiety could progress into depression, anxiety disorder and substance misuse, with young people most at risk.
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With this in mind we have compiled some tips on how we can all look out for one another and transform our individual worries into meaningful and positive action, building a stronger community for the future.
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StormsAs temperatures increase, the amount of water that evaporates into the atmosphere increases and is released as extreme rain, hail and snowfall. Storms passing over warmer water absorb more energy, increasing wind intensity. In Bude this means an increased risk of storm surges and flooding. Numerous waterways in and around Bude put many of us in river catchments and we therefore need to think seriously about how we can adapt to flood risks. Floods damage not only our homes and livelihoods, but also impact on water safety. Our outdated drainage systems cannot cope with additional water flows, which leads to sewage being discharged into rivers, making its way onto our beaches at Crooklets and Summerleaze.
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Heat WavesIn the UK we now experience twice as many warm spells a year, as in the 1990s. In 2020, 2,556 heat-related deaths were recorded, a figure predicted to increase threefold by 2050. What may feel to some like a beautiful summer’s day can put others under extreme stress. People with underlying health conditions or over 65, as well as young children and those on low incomes are particularly vulnerable to heat stress as they are less able to adapt to the heat. But as temperatures continue to rise we are starting to see fit and healthy people being affected too.
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Extreme ColdWeather systems are highly complex, so although it seems strange, climate change also increases the risk of extremely cold weather events, as we saw in March 2018 with the ‘Beast from the East’, which brought icy temperatures and snow even to Cornwall.
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Droughts and WildfiresAs the climate changes, we’ll experience more rain falling but less frequently, which means more flash floods and more periods of drought. This combination of factors leaves us susceptible to drought and therefore wildfires, as land and vegetation dry out. Already we’re seeing changes – in 2020, Cornwall Fire and Rescue attended 80% more wildfires than the previous year.
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Water ShortagesBy 2050 water demand will outstrip supply as the population continues to grow and water availability reduces, according to predictions by the UK Committee on Climate Change. In the UK we use an average of 143 litres per day per person and water conservation is essential for reducing drought and wildfire risk.
Get Sharing
Stories trigger more stories,
so we hope this has sparked some of your own memories and
provided an opportunity to reflect.
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What are your earliest memories of being out in nature? Did you learn anything and has this stayed with you throughout your life?
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Did you worry about the changing climate when you were young? Can you imagine what it would be like to grow up with that concern?
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Have you found any antidotes to help you through stressful or anxious times? Does nature play a role?
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Do you ever discuss the climate crisis and the damage humans are doing to nature with your friends? How does that feel?
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Young people will bear the brunt of the climate crisis in years to come. How do you feel about this and how are you taking action to lessen the impacts on them?
Get Together
If you’re part of a local group and would like to explore this theme more through additional activities, then you might like to use our Hands On toolkits. Contact Us to find out more.
Teachers wanting to use these stories in the classroom can download additional resources here.
Dive Deeper
To find out more about climate anxiety, and what you can do to manage it, the following website offers a basic overview and additional resources.
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The Climate Psychology Alliance
provides resources, podcasts, and support groups should you, or anyone you care for, need it, or if you want to dig a little deeper
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Some books that may be of interest:
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Active Hope by Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone – for anyone seeking a new way to frame how we are feeling and looking for a way to positive action
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer –
if you are interested in other world views, this book offers a beautiful insight into how Native American Indian culture embodies nature, and how we can learn from its ancient wisdom.
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Get Involved
Here are a few suggestions on how you might use your own skills to get involved.
Some of us may need additional support with our mental health, or to make sense of the reality we face,
before we can even think about where to go next.
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offers support for the 18–30-year-olds. Set up by people from our own community for the benefit of our community, they work to support young adults at what can be a difficult time of life, providing practical support and opportunities for creative, nature and cultural engagement.
Thank You
We hope our suggestions and advice leave you feeling inspired. climate change can be challenging to think and talk about, so if any of your questions haven’t been answered or you need support or you have an idea you want to pursue, then please get in touch with the Bude Climate Partnership. We’re here to help you.
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This Toolkit has been developed by Storylines.
Storylines is a Community Interest Company who use the common language of story to bring people together to share, celebrate, learn and connect. Storylines supports organisations and communities to unearth and share their own stories through bespoke story projects, digital storytelling, education, oral history, workshops, interpretation,