THOSE STORIES RIGHT NOW ON MATTER OF FACT. IT’S HARD NOT TO NOTICE THE WEEKLY ONSLAUGHT OF EXTREME WEATHER HEADLINES. JULY WAS EARTH’S WARMEST MONTH ON RECORD. WILDFIRES ARE RAPIDLY GROWING IN FREQUENCY AND INTENSITY. BETWEEN THE HEAT WAVES AND THE HURRICANES, LIFE IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT FOR MANY OF US. BUT WHAT’S IT DOING TO OUR MENTAL HEALTH? THE AMERICAN PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATION REPORTS MORE THAN HALF OF AMERICANS FEEL VERY REAL ANXIETY DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGE. OUR CORRESPONDENT DINA DEMETRIUS IS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA TALKING TO CLIMATE ACTIVISTS WHO ARE TRYING TO CARE FOR BOTH THE PLANET AND THEIR OWN MENTAL HEALTH. THE ANGER OF A MOTHER FOR HER CHILD’S FUTURE. THERE NEEDS TO BE PEOPLE WHO, LIKE, GIVE A LIKE US TO INSPIRE THE NEXT GENERATION. UNCERTAINTY AROUND EVER HAVING KIDS. WE’RE THINKING ABOUT WHAT THE NEXT GENERATION WILL HAVE TO FACE, THE HOPELESSNESS OF BEING ONE PERSON, FIGHTING A GLOBAL CRISIS. IT’S FROM THIS LIKE VERY HEADY, LIKE HOT HEADED, LIKE WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE WORLD. HOW AM I GOING TO DO IT? LIKE, HOW AM I GOING TO HOW AM I GOING TO STOP THE OIL INDUSTRY? LIKE BY MYSELF. GRIEF AND ANXIETY ABOUT THE HEALTH OF MOTHER EARTH ARE ON THE RISE, AND SO ARE INFORMAL CLIMATE CAFES LIKE THIS ONE IN LOS ANGELES. ALREADY IN 49 COUNTRIES HERE, PEOPLE CAN EXPRESS EVEN EMBRACE THEIR EMOTIONS AROUND CLIMATE CHANGE. WE’RE PROCESSING OUR EMOTIONS IN COMMUNITY RATHER THAN ISOLATION ALONE. DOOMSCROLLING IN OUR BEDROOMS. THIS GROUP’S DIRECTOR, 26 YEAR OLD CLIMATE ACTIVIST MAKSIM BATUYEV, SAYS WHILE IT’S NOT ACTUALLY THERAPY, IT IS THERAPEUTIC. WHAT WE’RE MISSING IS A SORT OF CONTAINER FOR FOR ALL OF THE STUFF THAT IS MESSY, IS UNCERTAIN, SAYS LIKE, HEY, WE ARE ACTUALLY REALLY WORRIED ABOUT THIS, THAT WE DON’T GET A CHANCE TO EXPRESS IN OUR DAY TO DAY LIFE BECAUSE, HEY, WE GOT BILLS TO PAY. IT’S A PUNCH IN THE GUT. AND YET, SOMETIMES I GET FULL OF DESPAIR. CRAIG PRESTON HAS BEEN AN ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVIST FOR 12 YEARS. WE’RE GOING TO LOWER THE CARBON FOOTPRINT OF A WHOLE CITY. HE’S A CHAIRPERSON WITH THE GLOBAL BIPARTISAN GROUP CITIZENS CLIMATE LOBBY, TASKED WITH BRINGING OTHER CONSERVATIVES LIKE HIMSELF INTO THE FIGHT AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE. THAT WEARS ON ME OF MY LIFE FEELS A LITTLE BIT ON HOLD. I DON’T FLY AS MUCH AS I WOULD NORMALLY FLY. I’M EATING DIFFERENTLY. I’M BUYING DIFFERENTLY, TRYING TO LOWER MY OWN PERSONAL CARBON FOOTPRINT. BUT UNLESS WE CHANGE THE CARBON FOOTPRINT OF BILLIONS OF PEOPLE, IT’S NOT GOING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. THE SCOPE OF THAT REALIZATION LED TO AN EMOTIONAL RECKONING ABOUT A YEAR AGO. I JUST DIDN’T HAVE THE ENERGY TO GO ON AND WAILED FOR 25 MINUTES. WAS IT SURPRISING TO YOU? IT WASN’T SURPRISING. IT WAS MORE SHOCKING. THE LEVEL AND THE AND THE STRENGTH OF IT. THE MOVEMENT HAS NOT BEEN WHAT I WANTED, AND HAVING TO DAILY GRIEVE AND ADDRESS THAT AND ACCEPT IT’S NOT WHERE I WANT TO GET TO. BUT WE’RE MAKING SOME PROGRESS. CAN I GET OUT OF BED ANOTHER DAY AND GO DO IT AGAIN? YEAH. CRAIG EVENTUALLY DECIDED TO SEEK THE HELP OF A THERAPIST. SOMETHING MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE DOING COLLECTIVELY. I WOULD SAY OUR OUR NERVES ARE SHOT. THIS IDEA THAT THE CLIMATE BEING IN DISTRESS, UM, THAT WE CAN HIVE OURSELVES OFF FROM THAT SOMEHOW. IT’S CRAZY ACTUALLY. WE ARE CANNOT BE SEPARATED FROM THAT. AND WE WILL FEEL IT. MAUREEN DONLEY IS A THERAPIST IN LOS ANGELES, ONE OF MANY PROVIDED AS A RESOURCE BY CITIZENS CLIMATE LOBBY TO HELP PEOPLE SPECIFICALLY NAVIGATE CLIMATE ANXIETY. THE YOUNGER THE CLIENT, THE THE MORE THEY FIND THEMSELVES IN THIS. LIKE, HOW CAN THIS BE HAPPENING? RIGHT. I’M SEEING SOMETHING RIGHT IN FRONT OF MY FACE, AND YET I’M WATCHING EVERYBODY AROUND ME CARRY ON. LIKE, YOU KNOW, IT’S ANOTHER WEDNESDAY AND AND I DON’T GET IT. FOR ALL GENERATIONS FACING FEAR OR FEELING LIKE THEIR EFFORTS ARE FUTILE. DONLEY SAYS THE PAIN CAN BE PRODUCTIVE. SO THE CLASSIC ANTIDOTE TO ANXIETY IS ACTION. IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE MONUMENTAL. IT’S GOING TO REQUIRE PERSISTENCE TO KEEP GOING EVEN WHEN YOU CAN’T NECESSARILY SEE THE END POINT. IT’S TOUGH. IT’S A HARD ROW TO HOE. AND YET I’M DEDICATED TO KEEP TRYING TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER ON CLIMATE ACTIONS THAT WOULD WORK FOR THE MASSES AND WORK QUICKLY ENOUGH. THERE IS FORWARD MOMENTUM BEING MADE ON ANY NUMBER OF ISSUES. IT’S NOT AT THE SCALE IT NEEDS TO BE AT YET, BUT THERE IS HOPE. THERE IS BRAVERY. THINGS LIKE BRAVERY. THINGS LIKE COURAGE. YOU KNOW, I DON’T KNOW, ALL SEEM LIKE OTHER FEELINGS TO ADD TO THE TOOLKIT THAT LIKE, YEAH, MAYBE WHEN WE USE THOSE WE, WE SORT OF EARN OUR HOPE IN