Editor:
The following letter is an open letter to Coast teens.
Your climate anxiety is being called a “mental health problem.” Of course, psychiatrists see every personality quirk as a disorder to be drugged into numbness. One thing those shrinks got right—fear can derail your life. But instead of popping a pill, there is a more organic remedy. Start asking questions. Get curious. Think your way to the root of the problem. In other words, be a radical.
This summer, just for fun, become a radical. Make a sport of challenging the fear porn that gushes from mainstream media. Together with your friends, escape the Matrix of mob opinion by debating the climate issues.
For the fun of it, dare to question everything. Find out for yourself what’s true and what’s bogus in the climate debate. In this way, become resilient against the daily tsunami of doomsday news. Resilience grows through familiarity with facts. But beware: side effects may include losing friends who feel unsafe when asked to think. Ask your doctor if debating the big issues is right for you.
Have a radical summer!
PJ Reece, Gibsons
