Winter Grief
Winter is coming to an end for many, but some may have already said goodbye weeks ago, much sooner than they had wished. Winter in the US is a month shorter than it was 100 years ago, and it could be affecting us more than we think. Snow depth in Europe decreased by 12% each decade between 1951 and 2018. That change has our cold-weather friends reeling, potentially increasing rates of depression in places that are already in a depressive stranglehold. As Californians, we’re usually undone by the heat, but apparently there’s room for climate grief on both ends of the spectrum.
As winters warm, there are fewer opportunities for the cultural and ritual experiences that revolve around a truly cold environment, and that’s depressing as hell for the people who have built their lives in historically cold places. Ice carving festival? Not this year, Santa. Maybe your elves shouldn’t have burnt all that coal during the industrial revolution.
Whether you’re missing the snow or crying into your astronomical AC bill, climate change has us all feeling some kind of way. The BBC’s series Climate Emotions is a great place to explore these existential concepts and let yourself feel your feelings among friends. So is the Here Comes the Apocalypse community! Join us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, or even by email, if you have (correctly?) decided that social media is a net negative for humanity. Let’s hug it out.
