Ah, another study in the well-worn genre of “Let’s Dress Up Emotional Hand-Wringing as Science.” In Worry’s Clout: Concern, not positive affectivity, drives climate activism, Bechtoldt and Schermelleh-Engel give us an exquisite specimen of a paper that would make even the most devout doom-prophet weep with joy. This isn’t science; it’s a therapeutic validation session masquerading as empirical research.

Let’s slice it apart, shall we?

1. The Authors Swallow More Narratives Than the IPCC Can Churn Out in a Decade

This paper operates on a remarkable premise: that global climate apocalypse is so imminent and severe that emotional distress is not just expected, but the most logical driver of activism. The authors cite the IPCC, but—amazingly—go even further. The IPCC at least pretends to retain some caution, acknowledging uncertainties and discussing various potential scenarios. Not here! No, in this study, climate catastrophe is an established, omnipresent, existential crisis.

Consider this masterpiece of hyperbole:

“Climate change proceeds fast.”

Ah, yes. So fast that global temperatures have risen by a whopping 1.2°C in over a century. So fast that sea level rise is occurring at the breakneck speed of about 3mm per year. One wonders how these authors manage to draft their papers when civilization is obviously seconds away from collapsing into a Mad Max wasteland.

Then we get this:

“Due to its existential threat and the irreversible losses climate change has already incurred, it evokes profound emotions among many individuals.”

Irreversible losses? Already incurred? As in… all those projected disasters that have stubbornly refused to materialize? The UN said in 1989 that entire nations would be underwater by the year 2000. We’re still waiting.

Meanwhile, existential threat is a nice touch—conveniently ignoring that most people on Earth have never been healthier, wealthier, or more secure. But why let reality interfere with the narrative?

2. The Study Relies on Subjective Mush, Then Douses It in Statistics to Pretend It’s Science

This is where it gets fun. This paper is a case study in what happens when you take emotional self-reporting (read: surveys filled out by a handful of people who signed up for online questionnaires) and then crank up the statistics blender to full power. What do we get? An elaborate numerical justification for focus group psychology, dressed up as hard data.

Behold the foundation of their analysis:

1. They invent a new scale for climate activism (CLAC). Because, naturally, existing methods of measurement weren’t just right for their particular doomsday framework.
2. They measure “climate worry” through self-reporting. A notoriously precise and objective method, of course.
3. They then plug these soft, wobbly variables into a “continuous time structural equation model”—which is academic jargon for “we ran a lot of regressions to make correlations look predictive.”

They even admit their fundamental problem:

“Recent reviews conclude that emotions are ‘consistently among the strongest predictors’ of climate action, yet all these associations are based on correlational data.”

Yes! Correlational data! The thing that is not causation.

It’s the same logic that finds ice cream consumption and shark attacks to be highly correlated, then concludes that eating ice cream must summon sharks.

And let’s not forget the best part:

“There is limited data available on activism itself and the connections between activism and its impact on greenhouse gas emissions.”

So we don’t even know if activism works, but let’s analyze why people feel driven to do it! This is akin to studying why people love rain dances while admitting we have no proof they affect the weather.

3. Worrying More Makes You Activistier! Also, Activism Makes You Worry More!

The paper’s grand revelation is this stunning insight:

1. People who worry more about climate change are more likely to become activists.
2. Being an activist makes you worry even more.

Ah, the self-sustaining hamster wheel of climate anxiety! This is fantastic news for psychologists, terrible news for activists hoping to, you know, fix the problem they claim to care about.

The authors phrase it rather elegantly:

“If worry drives climate action, which in turn heightens worry, this could create a self-sustaining cycle that gradually depletes emotional resources.”

Translation: climate activism is an emotional pyramid scheme where everyone gets more stressed, nobody fixes anything, and the cycle continues. At least multi-level marketing scams offer you an air fryer after recruiting ten people.

4. Positive Feelings About Climate Change Are for Denialists, Apparently

One of the juiciest nuggets of nonsense in this paper is the section on “climate-related positive affectivity.” You might think that feeling hopeful, enthusiastic, or motivated about climate change would be good for inspiring action. Nope! According to our intrepid researchers, feeling positively about the climate means you’re just in denial.

“Climate-related positive affectivity is a stronger indicator of denial-based hope rather than constructive hope.”

Translation: If you’re not filled with despair, you’re obviously an ignorant fool ignoring the problem.

This is some real 1984 doublethink. So the correct response to climate change is to stew in relentless anxiety and worry? That’s a great way to promote sustainable mental health. But hey, if more therapy sessions are needed, at least that’s a stimulus package for psychologists!

And it gets better:

“Climate activism marginally predicts lower levels of positive affectivity.”

Ah, so if you start out somewhat hopeful, activism will beat that right out of you. Because nothing says “effective movement” like a recruitment pipeline that turns idealists into emotionally drained husks.

5. The Study Quietly Admits Climate Activism Is a Fringe Pursuit

Despite their best efforts to paint climate activism as a grand, noble movement that represents The People™, the actual participation rates tell a different story:

“Despite the urgency of the climate issue, only a minority of individuals actively participate in climate activism.”

Oops.

“…none of the 14 climate activist behaviors were endorsed by more than 7% of participants.”

That’s… not great. It turns out that most people—despite endless media fear campaigns—don’t see climate change as a justification to glue themselves to a highway or smear paint on the Mona Lisa.

In reality, what we have is a tiny, self-selected group of hyper-anxious activists who are so stressed out about the climate that their activism makes them even more stressed. Sounds fun!

Conclusion: A Masterpiece of Academic Navel-Gazing

This paper is not science. It’s a detailed emotional diary wrapped in statistical tinsel to give it the illusion of rigor. Its core message is that climate activism is driven by anxiety and creates more anxiety, while hope and optimism are signs of denial. The study acknowledges that its entire genre is built on correlational fluff but plows ahead anyway. And it admits that actual climate activism remains a niche hobby for a small, self-selecting group of neurotic catastrophists.

So what’s the takeaway? If you want to be a happier, saner person, steer clear of climate activism. If you want to be part of a self-perpetuating misery cycle, go right ahead and get radicalized.

Meanwhile, the rest of the world will continue living normal lives, waiting for the next generation of doomsday predictions to also fail spectacularly.

Cheers!

H/T Jessica Weinkle

Essay by Eric Worrall

Europe has suffered repeated wind power outages since October 2024. Is climate change to blame?

Global Warming May Be Reducing Wind Speeds in Europe

By Charles Kennedy – Feb 17, 2025, 11:30 AM CST

…

The warming of the layer of the atmosphere closest to the surface and the warming of the earth’s surface are increasing the instances of the so-called “stilling” phenomenon in which wind speeds drop in the summers, according to modeling from a team of researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign cited by Bloomberg.

Even small declines in wind speeds could slash wind power generation, the lead researcher Gan Zhang, a climate scientist and professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, told Bloomberg.

“The energy system is a marginal market,” Zhang said. “That means if you change the margin by 5 to 10%, the price response can be huge,” the scientist added.

…

For example, Germany has been experiencing lower-than-normal winds for four months, which have reduced wind power generation, boosting electricity prices and the reliance on fossil fuels.

…

Read more: https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Global-Warming-May-Be-Reducing-Wind-Speeds-in-Europe.html

The study referenced by the article;

Amplified summer wind stilling and land warming compound energy risks in Northern Midlatitudes

Environmental Research Letters

DOI:10.1088/1748-9326/adb1f8

Authors: Gan Zhang

Wind energy plays a critical role in mitigating climate change and meeting growing energy demands. However, the long-term impacts of anthropogenic warming on wind resources, particularly their seasonal variations and potential compounding risks, remain understudied. Here we analyze large-ensemble climate simulations in high-emission scenarios to assess the projected changes in near-surface wind speed and their broader implications. Our analyses show robust wind changes including a decrease of wind speed (i.e. stilling) up to ∼15% during the summer months in Northern Midlatitudes. This stilling is linked to amplified warming of the midlatitude land and the overlying troposphere. Despite regional and model uncertainties, robust signals of warming-induced wind stilling will likely emerge from natural climate variations in the late 21st century under the high-emission scenarios. Importantly, the summertime wind stilling coincides with a projected surge in cooling demand, and their compounding may disrupt the energy supply-demand balance earlier. These findings highlight the importance of considering the seasonal responses of wind resources and the associated climate-energy risks in a warming climate. By integrating these insights into future energy planning decisions, we can better adapt to a changing climate and ensure a reliable and resilient energy future.

Read more: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/388710476_Amplified_summer_wind_stilling_and_land_warming_compound_energy_risks_in_Northern_Midlatitudes

German consumers in particular had a rough ride the last few months;

Lower Wind Generation in Germany Raises European Power Prices

By Tsvetana Paraskova – Jan 29, 2025, 4:45 AM CST

…

The German predicament, where wind speeds have been below average for extended periods of time since October 2024, is affecting regional prices as Germany’s utilities are also raising electricity imports from neighboring countries.

…

Germany’s wind power output fell by 16% in the first 28 days of January from the same period a year earlier, per data from LSEG cited by Reuters columnist Gavin Maguire.

As a result, Germany’s power producers have boosted fossil fuel generation, with coal and natural gas power plants raising their electricity output by 4.5% so far in January from a year earlier, according to LSEG data.

At the end of last year, Germany’s power prices spiked as the so-called power margin, the available electricity supply to meet demand, sunk as low wind speeds and colder weather were straining the power system.

…

Read more: https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Lower-Wind-Generation-in-Germany-Raises-European-Power-Prices.html

My question – does this mean we can get rid of wind turbines and the motivation to build those horrible turbine eyesores by burning more coal?

Who knew the Germans still have coal plants?

Of course, we must preserve the extreme weather narrative, so let’s assume that when wind does happen, the resulting tornadoes and hailstorms will smash all the solar panels. The following is from 2023;

Perhaps the green jobs advocates keep promising are mostly running jobs – running out in the middle of a hailstorm to pull padded covers over all the solar panels.

What fun times we live in.