Calderdale young people 'suffering mental health problems' over climate change worries

The report from the Youth Council says: “There is a constant worry whether we’ll be able to continue living in a sustainable world.

“It’s something that unites all people and young people especially are looking for a change in the approach to climate change.

“Many of us have solutions but our voices are not being heard and this adds to our anxiety – if we are the generation who are meant to solve climate change then we need to be listened too and our voices acted on.”

It worried members of Calderdale Council’s Children and Young People’s Scrutiny, with chair Coun Colin Raistrick (Ind, Hipperholme and Lightcliffe) who said it was “very provoking” and it seemed young people were really anxious about it.

Calderdale’s Member of the Youth Parliament representing the Youth Council, Praneetha Bharath, said when they were at primary school they had been taught about climate change and little things they could do to help, like recycling or walking to school, and to protest about it.

“We have this idea taught to us from a young age that we have this massive responsibility,” she said.

The young people felt these many years later that there will still protest but not much changed.

“Which just makes us feel quite hopeless and that we aren’t been listened to, and that we are just being given a burden to carry in the future,” she said.

Coun Felcity Issott (Con, Ryburn), who teaches climate change to 11-16-year-olds for an academy trust at schools between Hull and Doncaster, wanted to know more about the sample size and how the data was gathered.

“I’m not saying we shouldn’t be doing anything about it because I agree it is an issue but the language is quite emotive and shocking, and I wondered if the sample size was big enough for us to be putting everything behind it,” she said.

Youth worker Claire Whiteley said the young people did a lot of work on the subject – some of the research was from conversations with their peers and some was based on national surveys done, including the COP26 climate change conference last year.

“That is their understanding of their peers that they talk to, but also the research they have looked into because, to be fair to them, particularly the ones that are really passionate about green issues on the Youth Council, they are very, very well researched and well-informed young people,” she said.

Coun Issott said her impression from the children she taught was a little different: “I agree that there are lots of students that are worried, but equally there are lots of students that are worried about lots of other things too, and it’s the language we are using is quite strong,” she said.

Coun Dot Foster (Lab, Sowerby Bridge) said there were absolutely mental health problems caused by the panic around climate change because it was suddenly dawning on people there was not long to do anything about it.

“It’s a bit of a wake up call for us as adults to be reminded that that actually our actions as adults have impacted the planet to such an extent that it is going to be making things really difficult for the next generation,” she said.

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