How Climate Scientists Deal with Deep Frustration
In preparation for my first book, Renewable Energy–Facts and Fantasies, I interviewed Dr. V. Ramanathan at the Scripps Institute in San Diego. “Ram (pronounced “Rahm”), as he’s affectionately known, had been working on the science behind climate change since the 1970s, and had become one of the most broadly acknowledged leaders in the field; I was honored that he accepted my request.
It was immediately clear that Ram takes this subject very seriously. He rides a bicycle to and from work, and plans far ahead of each “Conference of Parties” (COP) meeting as to what needs to happen to create real change in policy-making, so as to avert catastrophe. Seeing this, in the course of the interview, I asked him something like, “If it’s not too personal a question, how does all this affect your disposition, your outlook on life? Have you noticed yourself becoming increasingly frustrated or morose?”
He smiled. “Don’t worry about me,” he replied graciously. “If you want to worry about someone, let it be your children and grandchildren.”
Apparently, with his aplomb, Ram is the exception as opposed to the rule. Here’s an article that looks at the declining mental health of many climate scientists.
Craig,
I’m not sure publicizing an article establishing “climate scientists” have mental health issues is a really productive piece of information.
No doubt your acquaintance like many others dedicated to their chosen field, are tireless and intensely absorbed with pursuing their agenda. However, the same could be said of religious Zealots etc.
You obviously have empathy for individuals discussed in your source article such as Kim Cobb,a professor at the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Georgia Tech.
The article reports Kim Cobb entered an “acute mental health crisis” when Trump was elected. By her own admission, most mornings she could not get out of bed, despite having four children to tend to. She would sob spontaneously. She obsessed about the US government not doing enough to address climate change and confront its consequences.
A colleague, Priya Shukla, a Ph.D. student at the University of California-Davis, was so affected by the 2016 election she began obsessing with podcasts on S-Town, featuring fellow troubled and eccentric radical extremists focusing on the apocalyptic effects of climate change.
Unsurprisingly, she suffered a mental breakdown.
Or Sarah Myhre, a former senior research associate at the University of Washington’s School of Oceanography,reports she experiences “a profound level of grief on a daily basis because of the scale of the crisis that is coming, and I feel I’m doing all I can but it’s not enough”. Sarah denies being clinically depressed, but suffers from anxiety exacerbated by the constant background of doom and gloom of science.
She sympathizes with fellow sufferers who avoid anyone outside their immediate scientific coterie. She admits, “Fuck those people” is their collective motto, and blames Trump for her weeping hysterically each night because her group of “true believers” expertise and foresight is not not broadly recognized,
Katharine Wilkinson,( Ph.D. in geography and the environment) is vice president for communication and engagement at Project Drawdown, (an organization of climate change scientists and activists).
Katherine’s rage is focused toward denialism and “bystanderism”, (people saying “they care about it” but not engaging in meaningful action). Her explains all serious climate change scientists and advocates have a “dark emotion that is dominant(anger or rage) towards those transgressors.
Peter Kalmus ( astrophysics Ph.D. from Harvard and Columbia) belongs to a group which includes biologist Camille Parmesan, a who in 2007 contributed to Al Gore’s a Nobel Peace Prize, climate scientist Faith Kearns, and many others are so professionally depressed they pledged never to bring children into the world.
Many report feeling suicidal. ““I have no child and I have one dog, and thank god he’ll be dead in 10 years” sobs one unhappy scientist.
Perhaps Peter Kalmus expresses it best when he states “the unrelenting momentum of climate change obsesses me. I’m always thinking about it, the burden is immense. Whenever friends talk about flying off to vacation, I feel compelled to point out the large carbon cost to flying. I’d like to take a vacation from thinking about it. I’m not sure that is psychologically possible.”
Peter continued, “Since I’ve changed from astrophysics to climate change, I notice myself becoming disconnected from former friends and family, it’s to hard to take their blase attitudes. I now prefer to only associate myself with fellow (climate change) scientists and activists”
Okay, wow!.
Er,… Craig, you are correct. It is indeed alarming and very sad. These people really
are mentally impaired !
The really have lost the plot and forsaken science for belonging to a cult! Listen to their own words. Any responsible qualified psychologist would recognize the symptoms.
Thank you for drawing attention to the sort of unstable, hysterical, deranged minds orchestrating radical climate change activism.