Dr Gilbz 
Everything feels pretty rough right now. Two horrific wars while the pace of climate change feels relentless, with devastating impacts across the world.
And new results show that climate scientists – like me – are feeling very pessimistic about the future.
So what can we all do to cope with the terrifying reality of the climate crisis?
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Contents
00:00 – A confession
00:28 – The outlook seems bleak
02:00 – Scientists feel broken
03:04 – Barriers to action
03:34 – Take courage!
04:21 – Get involved
05:15 – Fight the fear
07:00 – Stronger together
#ClimateChange #ClimateAction #MentalHealth
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Thanks to my Patreon subscribers, including my Patreon Saints:
Steven Cowling, Eliot Bryant, Baerbel Winkler, Patrick Hillberg, Michael Unterweger, James Harley Gorrell & Lucien Mansell.
Join them here: https://www.patreon.com/dr_gilbz/
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Channels:
@ClimateAdam
@Zentouro
@SimonClark
@JustHaveaThink
@ClimateTown
@AllAboutClimate
References and resources:
Tollefson (2021) https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02990-w
Sanson & Bellemo (2021) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8499628/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-43294221
https://www.carbonbrief.org/mapped-how-climate-change-disproportionately-affects-womens-health/
www.voteclimate.uk
https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/how-to-cope-with-eco-anxiety.html
https://mentalhealth-uk.org/blog/what-is-climate-anxiety-and-what-can-we-do-about-it/
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/is-climate-change-keeping-you-up-at-night-you-may-have-climate-anxiety-202206132761
source
About The Author
If you want to support the channel, liking and sharing the videos really helps. And if you're feeling extra generous, you can subscribe over at http://www.patreon.com/dr_gilbz.
My wonderful subscribers help me spend more time making evidence-based videos, and we have a gorgeous lil community over there… albeit with a you-shaped hole in it 🙂
You should make it a priority to support yourself, and put this all aside. We are on the verge of a more immediate danger. The masters of this world are psychopathic loons and they are taking us to war.
I write expletive omitted correspondence with pictures and hyperlinks to every MP and senator allegedly responsible for leadership, on behalf of the innocent without a voice; the unborn, the very young and other species of flora and fauna. It is possible to write in clear technicolour that leadership is effectively guilty of child abuse, cruelty, indifference and a legacy unworthy of any human above the classification of homicidal sociopath.
Hello, thanks for your good videos, I have a question. 2023 was the warmest year in the air and the sea and 2024 unfortunately following.
But the amount of ice in arctic and antarctic is much more than what anticipated.
For example the ice in arctic in April was the 15th lowest… And now the ice in antarctic although is below the average but increasing in a fast way.
Why?
From fertilized to fertilizer, mortality is the final equalizing justice. No appeal and no bribes accepted.
Push, push, rest, push! It's not an easy road ahead, thanks Dr!
I've been watching so much content about climate change in the last weeks, I just keep despising the government 🙁
Great impassioned video, thanks! Was thinking that I would try and get some doubters I know to see it but felt it was spoiled at the end by the direct action advocacy bit. I can see my cynical friends/family thinking 'O, its one of those extreme climate activist types so we can ignore them'. ☹️ Don't get me wrong, I've done plenty of protesting in my time and completely identify with what Dr Glibz is saying.
I cope partly by living sustainably, partly by writing a book to hopefully inspire others to do the same. It's in Swedish, and the main focus is how to work less, by being more minimalist and focusing on things that really matter in life, instead of consuming things we don't need, which also harms the climate. If I can inspire people to consume less things and reduce flying, and at the same time get more free time and be able to retire earlier, and live a life with a lower impact on the planet, then I'll feel a lot better, knowing I did something good.
You're doing the most important work in the world right now. I know how horrible it is when people downplay and dismiss everything you do, and I don't have good solutions how to not let that be crushing. But giving up isn't an option. Maybe diamonds formed by pressure (crushing) reference? lol
How do I cope? I try do stay positive and try something new: I started to juggle and learn about things like the planetary health diet.
One thing is for sure is that people living in the future will condemn us all regardless of whos to blame. Everyone alive today will be tarred with the same brush . Its really sad that that will be our legacy. That's something i often think about.
"If you believe there is a solution, you are part of the problem." – George Carlin
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As dark and nilistic as that quote sounds, there is a hidden alternative within it.
Our crisis is spiritual.
There are no technical or political solutions to our circumstance, nor is there any further use for the military metaphor in "fighting" climate change.
We cannot fight our way out of the irreversible irreconcillable situation we find ourselves in.
No time to search for the source of the poisoned arrow. Instead, we can bring compassion and loving kindness to this planetary hospice and serve the suffering as best we can by ending the war within first before we go mad with grief and loose the last vestiges of our humanity…
My indigenous teachers, both human and otherwise, place their trust in the transforming earth. Become a voluntary refugee and listen to your heart's GPS. There are great unseen forces at work in the quantum field. Surrender to fearless love and join the journey down the mountain to the imaginal valley…
We are spirits in a material 🌎
Forgive the American dream…
Went vegan 2 years ago. Animal agriculture is off the scale bad for the planet. Started taking trains on holidays instead of flying too both cheaper, interesting and more fun. The industries that profit will just keep profiting if people pay them for their products and services.
'NOVA Polar Extremes' is a Great Documentary..! And definately NOT Boring.. Trust me..! Only one tiny Ad.. Free on YT..!
We need a patient urgency – looking after ourselves, communities and movements whilst fighting a global emergency. Remember it’s not all on your shoulders – we’re a movement. Breathe deep and remember that there is no alternative to activism – we can’t give up. In fact we have great freedoms to protest in comparison to autocratic states. There’s great potential for change there.
I've been struggling with my feelings regarding climate change since I was about 15 (in the mid 2000s). It's not gotten better over the years, constantly going back and forth between depression bc I cared too much, or being apathic bc I just couldn't care anymore. I feel like the whole situation is hopeless, humanity has proven over the decades corporate greed is more important than the wellbeing of our planet, not to mention the campaigns of big oil etc to shift the responsibility to the consumers. At this point I feel like we deserve to go extinct for our hubris, it's just a damn shame we're pulling the entire planet down with us. Organisations such as extinction rebellion aren't going far enough with their actions in my opinion. I don't want to incite any violence or harm against people, but if people would destroy oil refineries and such, I will cheer for them, this madness has to stop asap.
There's only 1 way any of us can make a difference. Adress the climate crisis in our immediate surroundings. Nobody can force others to think like us. Just keep doing what you are Dr. Gilbz. Our problems are similar in the USA. I believe the biggest problem is misinformation.
At any rate. Humans will be on the verge of extinction around 75 years from now. Rest easy knowing you did what you could. Try to live within your means and have a small carbon footprint.
Um beijo do Brasil
I stepped into my garden yesterday in Northern Canada to find it was nearly 30 degrees C and not even the middle of May yet. The smoke rolled in today, choking me out of my green space. I oscillate between despair and activity – maybe food independence matters, maybe increasing my rain water storage matters, maybe some energy independence matters. I feel like a witness in the bleachers watching a slow moving train wreck, wondering if the carnage will spare me or if I even want to be spared.
It wasn't that long ago (the year was 2003) when they attacked some scientists – they called them 'mad' etc. Those were the climate scientists who came to the attention of the media with their claims that "humans would be extinct by 2050". I find it particularly disturbing that those scientists that were once way out on the 'fringe' are now coming closer to the accepted science, today.
Save Our Planet Now!
I've watched it happening for more thna 40 years and I have had to stop worrying about it because it is clear that the the powers that be do not care. Nothing i do now will make any difference although I avoid travel as much as possible and never use aeroplanes
Enjoy this world, no worries .. The atmosphere is logarithmic, not linear ..extra co2 is absorbed in the ground.. amazing world 1carbon 2 oxygen we breath don't we
I know it can be depressing witnessing a climate crisis of our own making, one that affects the whole earth. But we can still look to the future with hope. I know that some people on YouTube get touchy whenever someone mentions religion, but did you know that the Bible foretold the events we see happening today, and the Bible also promises that God will soon act to save His planet and protect our future. At Revelation chapter 11 verse 18 God promises that He will destroy those who are destroying the Earth, and other scriptures in the Bible show that God will not let it be destroyed or become uninhabitable. This subject is too complex for me to do it justice in one YouTube comment, but please don't give up hope – if it was left up to human governments to save the planet we would be doomed, but the Bible promises that God's heavenly government will save humankind very soon now. ❤
Hmmm. I've been intersted in this for about 35 years and quietly helping out in the background for around 20. On the plus side, we do have an election coming up, the Climate Change Act has been law in the UK since 2008, and efforts worldwide are still being made to move towards net zero since the Paris Agreement at CoP 21. The direction of travel is still there, although progress is too slow, and more innovation is needed to make a number of the solutions for things like vehicles and central heating, and the most difficult to decarbonise industries, more affordable, and better. I think the direction of travel is still there, although just at the moment the fossil fuel industry and others are putting in a concerted effort to delay, distract and dilute net zero progress. I think progress will continue, although, sadly, many people will only be convinced as the impacts get worse or affect them personally.
I spend my days increasing my capabilities as they relate to sustainability, survival skills, and overall available resources. Bonus points for working out on a given day. Helps keep the demons at bay/fear suppressed. But deep down I am fucking outright terrified and I know whats coming is going to be horrific, and unavoidable at this point.
SWITCH OFF TV – ALL GONE
Thanks ; those suggestions are awesome🌿🦋🪶
above 2.5 is end of civilization .. above 3 is extinction .. too many feedback loops ..
You and others need to get this onto the mainstream TV .. General public need more details more straight answers .. those at the TOP respond to being exposed , like in the Post Office Scandal …
Thank you for doing this it’s such a difficult topic and challenging to bring about especially within companies, thanks 🙏
We have the technologies to solve climate change, but we don't have the technologies to withstand (without a major collapse) climate change that isn't being solved. So more science and engineering is indeed needed, because political and economic decision processes are just too slow to apply the technology we have in the time we have.
A conservative friend of mine asked me yesterday why I was left wing. My answer was : " I'm a scientist." It's really that simple.
Here in Spain, I've had to move from the mediterranean to the atlantic to escape the extreme summer weather and drought we are currently experiencing.
So when a conservative says we can't screw the economy to avoid climate change, I always say that the economy will be screwed by climate change in a totally uncontrollable fashion.
Thank you for sharing, I feel the same but increasingly getting numb. Activity in writing and reading and vizualising climate change is keeping my head barely on the surface. Now I am getting to know local climate policy in detail and maybe put a word or two about to public. I've been asked to participate local government election, but as an unknown, and not-so-social person I have doubts for getting in. Maybe art is more me to influence, the feedback from my photoexhibition "climate change and human" is encouraging and that is a one way to drag myself along. But, since one cannot alone save the world, some mercy should be given in being aware of all current and becoming catatastrophes. (Cheers from Finland)
It does not matter if climate change or not, no one should care about this. Planet have been here for billions of years. So as long as you don't reproduce everything will be fine.
Just don't take life too serious.
The only thing you should care is about how to minimize the amount of pain and suffering in your life and people around you. This way you can live a happy life! Anything else is trash.
My thoughts are with you .But at grass root level we are fighting for low carbon society
Hopefully you will not let the situation affect you too much on a personal level, especially seeing as you are doing everything you can to bring about change. There is always hope, even if it is not in plain sight at the moment. Strength to you and thanks for all the great videos which allow us laymen to keep up to date with complex scientific concepts.
I follow the Fullycharged show, Simon Clark , climate Adam , Potholer54 and climate town etc. Have reduced my Gas , Petrol ,Diesel and air travel to Zero. Its just slow going. As an electrician every day i try to reduce energy demand through efficiency but it involves replacing an awful lot of stuff plus refusing to install wasteful crap like tanning booths. We are all now potentially empowered to do a little even changing banks or our Pension investments in the case of Nest , our energy suppliers (i'm with Octopus energy) adding LED lights , PV , EVs , co-op windfarms (Ripple energy) Some of us can do a lot but we need to just keep up the transition.
Thank you Dr. Gilbz – I’ve been in the fight for 20 years, and will keep going until I can’t any longer…
Here in the USA we have all of what you all are speaking of plus we are tittering on the edge of having an insane authoritarian madman taking over the US. If that happens we’re cooked.
I'd love if we could vote our way out of this, but I live in the US where neither of my 2 options actually believe in climate change. Do I pick the one that says & acts like they dont believe (Republican)? Or the one who tells me they believe but doesn't act like it (Democrats)? Its not much of a Democracy if you ask me. I was planning to NOT vote (for the 1st time ever), to avoid lending credibility to this sham system. What do you recommend for people in countries with shambolic elections? Thanks for the great content!
I don't know about you all, but I felt a different feeling from thinking of the climate crisis. It's not that we're doomed, but rather, the realization that everything humanity has ever accomplished ultimately meant nothing at the end, and our civilization, is ultimately built on one lie after another. With the knowledge that we have all the chances we could take to avoid this catastrophe, and we blew it, I kept wondering whether we can actually look at ourselves in the mirror, whether we saved ourselves or not.
If our civilization's collapse is inevitable, I hope that our civilization will never be remembered, and the memory of everything can finally fade away. But if we did save ourselves, I only hoped that we can retire from civilization itself and live a quiet life. Only one thing is certain, and that is by fighting for a better world, we have only exposed the futility and failures of everything we have ever accomplished.
And hence, I kept wondering whether there's any point saving ourselves at all. It's not whether we can be saved, but rather, should we be saved at all?
I sold my car and now walk where I want to go. Hug a tree and have a nice day!
In 2023 we consumed 172,000 TWh of energy with 82% coming from fossil fuels. As a result, we set another record for CO2 emissions – 37.4 billion metric tons. After years of hype and development, wind and solar only produce 3% of global energy. But governments still measure their success in terms of economic growth and consider flagging fertility rates a cause for panic. Since we can't replace fossil fuels with clean energy, after efficiency (which can produce marginal gains) the only way to reduce emissions is energy austerity which will produce economic degrowth. In a competitive world, no one wants to be the first to sign up for that, and in an unequal world, underdeveloped countries will expect developed countries to assume the lion's share of the burden, so global consensus is virtually impossible. The only question is how much longer it will take for conditions to become so bad that there is no other option. We don't know because of climate feedback and tipping points – factors that could cause things to take a turn for the worse. It's a slow-motion trainwreck that could quickly speed up.
Humans were designed to survive in hunter-gatherer tribes and to compete with other tribes to exploit the environment. It worked as long as there was someplace else to exploit. We have run out of places and are now like lemmings on the edge of the cliff. However much we claim to be intelligent, we are sadly not emotionally equipped to be the world's caretaker.