Climate news is often depressing. But as a behavioural scientist, I know I can't wallow

10 Minutes to Save the Planet11:08No more rotting tomatoes

This First Person piece was written by Jiaying Zhao, who is a behavioural psychologist in Vancouver. For more information about CBC's First Person stories, please see the FAQ.

Every morning I'm almost guaranteed to wake up and read some climate news that screams disaster — lives lost in a terrifying wildfire, a devastating flood with hundreds of evacuees or yet another report that says we're past a tipping point. The round-the-clock apocalyptic environmental news weighs me down constantly and I feel hopeless.

If you've noticed the same, you are not alone. But what I've found as an individual and as a behavioural scientist is all that doom and gloom can get in the way of taking action.

That's because those headlines can lead us to believe that there is little an individual can do about climate change — that it's all up to big business and government, when in fact, the research shows that's not the case.

But staying motivated to make individual change is hard when I feel down in the dumps. 

There have been plenty of concrete steps I've been able to take to feel hopeful and empowered to do something about climate change- Jiaying Zhao

That's why my UBC colleague Elizabeth Dunn and I have come up with what we call a "happy climate approach." It's our way of talking about the behavioural changes we have identified that not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions but also provide a greater sense of hope, appreciation, gratitude or fulfillment in our daily lives. Or it could be that these climate-friendly changes provide individuals more opportunities to socialize with others, exercise, or simply create more free time. All these things can improve our mood and happiness.

In my journey to reduce my personal emissions, I've discovered that there have been plenty of concrete steps I've been able to take to feel hopeful and empowered to do something about climate change.

I share some of these as the climate change coach on the new CBC podcast, 10 Minutes to Save the Planet.

For example, if everyone in Canada who drives were to go one day a week without driving, this would save 1.2 million tons of CO2 a year, moving us one step closer toward our emission target.

The things we buy as individual consumers can send a powerful market signal to businesses and nudge them to develop more climate-friendly products and services. 

For example, it's well established that our food choices can have a big impacts on the planet. But being climate-friendly doesn't mean I have to give up foods I enjoy, such as meat. Knowing as a behaviourial scientist that having a variety of experiences can lead to greater happiness, I have applied that principle to my climate-conscious diet.  I've been eating more low-carbon foods, such as fish, chicken, and pork, while cutting back on high-carbon foods like beef, lamb and cheese. And the good news is that some meat options actually produce fewer emissions than some non-meat options. 

Cutting back on these foods would be hard if I were to do it on my own, but it helps when my partner supports my choice. These days, she joins me in making high-carbon foods a treat, especially on celebratory occasions like our anniversary or birthday. 

I've reduced the number of flights I take for work and limited my driving to out-of-town meetings and conferences. I also work from home some of the time. Not only does this save emissions, it also gives me more free time, which has been shown to promote happiness. However, I do miss the social connection from in-person meetings. So when I do fly, I bundle my trips so I can meet up with as many friends as possible to reap the social benefits of happiness.

LISTEN | Tips for reducing car time in enjoyable ways

10 Minutes to Save the Planet11:03Dude, where’s my alternative to cars?

I've also cut my driving from 8,000 kilometres a year down to 2,700 kilometres,  and instead choose to walk or bike everywhere I can. While it's true walking or biking can take more time than driving or be a challenge when it's raining or snowing, or even unsafe when there's no bike lane, these more active forms of transportation also provide moderate physical exercise, which can elevate mood and happiness. One of my favourite things is to walk my pet rabbit while getting lunch and running errands.

If I have to drive, I try to turn every car trip into an informal and free carpooling service, because that's more fuel-efficient, reduces emissions and also allows me to socialize with my friends, which makes me happy. 

WATCH | Jiaying Zhao shares her 'happy climate hacks'

Seek out climate wins

And finally, here's a simple rule I use to protect my mental sanity: For every bad climate news I encounter, I read at least one positive article on the climate. To avoid doomscrolling, I have carefully curated my newsfeed so I can see good climate news on a regular basis, which brings me joy and hope.

For example, I follow the daily good news about the environment from Daily Climate and Happy Eco News, the weekly climate successes reported by podcaster Assaad Razzouk, and the monthly updates on the positive climate news from Euronews Green. I also go out of my way to find scientific papers and reports that show the positive climate impact of any policy, infrastructure or behaviour change.

I know we're a long way from reversing the impacts of climate change. But at least with this approach, I don't dread getting out of bed, reaching for my phone and reading the news on my phone.

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