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Table 1 Domain I. Youths’ apprehensions about climate change

From: Understanding youths’ concerns about climate change: a binational qualitative study of ecological burden and resilience

Theme

Sample quotation

Climate emotions

[Food disposal] causes me anxiety, because I feel like I have this huge responsibility on my shoulders. That when I throw things away, it’s wrong, it’s going to end up in the waste disposal center. I’m participating… in climate change. And I feel quite guilty (15 F.Fr).

Exposure to climate change information

Through family:

She knows there’s droughts sometimes in California, especially in the past few years, and wildfires, and she will ask if it’s due to global warming, then we’ll talk about what causes global warming (PF.US).

Through media and technology:

Whenever I get nervous about something, I have my phone in my bed and I’m always looking stuff up. I definitely have lost some nights of sleep (17 M.US).

Younger children’s perceptions

One time I saw a video about polar bears not having homes. So I looked into that a little bit, but not that much (12 F.US).

Inheriting the problems

of previous generations

They’re throwing the responsibility this way. It’s not something you throw at another generation. It’s something you’re supposed to share (17 M.US).

Identities and communities

A lot of people who are vegan, I feel like obviously they are doing it for the environment to a certain extent, but there’s also very much a culture of weaponizing that against other people and be like, “Oh my god, you’re not as cool as me” (17 F.US).

Green marketing

They really aren’t [sustainable]. And they’re really just trying to get a quick buck out of people’s collective anxieties over a serious issue (17 M.US).

Family planning

If we have children, I don’t want them to live in a world that is a garbage can, where you can’t breathe (12 F.Fr).