The most obvious cause of climate grief is the loss of ecosystems that people have historically lived in. This can dramatically upend a person's life very quickly, leading to the symptoms of climate grief.

Michigan State University

To simplify climate grief studies, researchers have identified 3 common "subtypes" of climate grief. In other words, these are the common sources of climate grief.
- Loss of ecosystems
- Lost of environmental knowledge/culture
- Anticipated future loss

3 Primary Climate Grief Types

Comtesse, H.; Ertl, V.; Hengst, S.M.C.; Rosner, R.; Smid, G.E. Ecological Grief as a Response to Environmental Change: A Mental Health Risk or Functional Response? Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 734. https://doi.org/10.3390/ ijerph18020734

Ecological Grief as a Response to Environmental Change A Mental Health Risk or Functional Response

As a result of climate change, many people are forced to change their lifestyle and abandon long-held knowledge and cultural traditions. Many cultures/groups that have lived off the land for generations find their experience irrelevant. All of this combined makes climate grief more problematic.

Climate Grief: Loss of environmental knowledge/culture

Researchers noted that one common fear was the loss of ecosystems before it actually happened. Many see continued ecological destruction and feel powerless on how to stop it. This amplifies climate grief.

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