Young people, including college and university students, are bombarded with bad news about the world they will inherit. Vital fields such as ecology and environmental science paint a picture of the planet's natural and physical systems under stress, and the negative impacts of climate change are becoming more widespread, more frequent and undeniable.

Globally, the energy sector – particularly the penchant for burning fossil fuels to produce heat and electricity – is the largest contributor to climate-changing emissions. In the United States, the transportation sector dominates the energy sector in terms of total emissions, but not by much. It's no surprise that many young people are suffering from climate anxiety and are struggling to find hope for the future. (Darrin Magee, more at seattletimes.com)