Introduction: Eco-Anxiety, Climate Change, and the Coronavirus

This chapter introduces the overall aim and scope of this anthology, providing a survey of recent research into various expressions of eco-anxiety and other ecological emotions, particularly as they pertain to climate change and the coronavirus pandemic. Several possible frameworks are discussed, including “global anxieties” and “macrosocial worries”. The author points out that eco-anxiety can manifest both in adaptive and maladaptive forms. The phases of how societies reacted to the COVID-19 pandemic are compared with the phases of societal reaction to climate change. The impacts of COVID-19 on people who experience climate anxiety are discussed. Various forms of coping and resilience are briefly explored. The chapter also includes summaries of the chapters in this book, which include international and interdisciplinary perspectives on the challenges that the climate crisis and the pandemic pose to mental and environmental health.