Published in:
Open Access
06-06-2022 | COVID-19 | Short Communication
Bushfires, COVID-19 and Young People’s Climate Action in Australia
Authors:
Hasini Gunasiri, Yifan Wang, Teresa Capetola, Claire Henderson-Wilson, Rebecca Patrick
Published in:
EcoHealth
|
Issue 2/2022
Login to get access
Abstract
Australia’s summer bushfires of 2020–2021 were catastrophic, negatively impacting people, and the natural environment. This climate change-related event exacerbated the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on public health. Young people are a priority population whose health and livelihoods are significantly impacted by these events. At the same time, young people are active agents for climate action. This exploratory mixed-method study draws on descriptive analyses of survey data (n = 46) and thematic analyses of interview data (n = 6) which demonstrated that some young people, whilst concerned about existential and real impacts of climate change, use contact with nature to cope and as motivation for taking climate actions.