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Search for ‘climate anxiety’ rises in Google 27 times higher than in 2017

Climate anxiety is the biggest issue that people are facing today when they think about the future with climate change.

So, the increase in Google searches around ‘climate anxiety’ is not a surprise. In the first 10 months of 2023, the search queries in English 27 times higher than the same period in 2017.

Climate anxiety searches surged in other languages as well, with Portuguese by 73 times, Chinese 8.5 times, and Arabic 5 times over the same period.

In the last 12 months, Google data reveals a rise in queries about the future together with climate change (up 120%), adaptation (up 120%), sustainability (up 40%) and greenhouse gas emissions (up 120%).

The gender of the searches was not released by Google although women are more concerned about climate change than men as evident in other studies.

Climate change: Rise in Google searches around ‘anxiety’ https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-67473829

6 comments

  1. I wonder why women are more concerned is it because men just think its inevitable and what will be will be or that it is all hype and won’t happen regardless those figures are cause for concern but not to the powers that be it seems…

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  3. It makes sense considering the extreme heat this summer and in many places the extension of summer weather late into the autumn, never mind all the extreme weather events going on all around the world. I would’ve thought the numbers would be even higher, honestly. Thanks for the insight, and for facts to use when necessary.

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  5. Back in 2007, Climate anxiety was one of our concerns about whether to have children or not and many couples are still facing this question. We now one child. When I fight for a better future, I fight for him and his generation and the ones that will follow them. I get angry when older people shrug their shoulders and say “Oh well, I’ll be dead, so it doesn’t matter to me.” Their climate anxiety seems to manifest into ambivalence because they don’t know what to do about it.

    I’m also starting to see climate anxiety manifest into cases of hoarding. Our recycling system has broken down and there is confusion about what or if some things can still be recycled. So, they keep the plastics and tins in their house or garage trying to figure out what the right thing to do is at the cost of their comfort and sanity. I’ve had to give “permission” to friends to let it go to garbage because it’s affecting their health! It’s not their fault the system is broken they shouldn’t have to suffer for it. They need to raise their voices and demand practical solutions, not hide months or years of plastics and batteries in the garage.

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