Climate worry reduces farmer well-being

Abstract

Climate anxiety and worry about a changing climate have the potential to reduce individual well-being. We test for this possibility using a national survey sample of farmers, foresters, and growers in Aotearoa New Zealand. This group is of particular interest because changing climate has the potential to radically change their commercial operations. We find that survey respondents who express climate worry report substantially lower subjective well-being. Our estimates are robust to the inclusion of a wide range of controls. Our findings point to the importance of mitigating and adapting to climate change for well-being.