Climate Reality Check and Building Mental Resilience

On this Monday broadcast following daylight saving time, Kim Monson welcomes geophysicist Walt Johnson to discuss his new climate documentary “A Climate Conversation,” which challenges mainstream climate narratives with historical data and expert analysis. In hour two, psychologist Dr. Carrie Johansson joins the studio to share practical strategies for overcoming anxiety and building mental resilience.

Overcoming Anxiety Through Action and Resilience

Start listening at 59:53 – Hour 2

Psychologist Dr. Carrie Johansson brings her expertise to the studio to discuss her new book “Self-Help on the Go, Because You Are Not Broken, But Life Gets Tricky Sometimes.” She explains that her specialty is helping people escape victim mode, where feelings of helplessness and anxiety build on each other and prevent forward movement.

Dr. Johansson notes that anxiety rates have increased dramatically, particularly among those under 24, citing an APA study showing a 60% rise in anxiety levels in recent years. She attributes much of this to systematic messaging that encourages fear of others, fear of difference, and fear of discomfort. The COVID-19 pandemic, she observes, both increased anxiety while simultaneously eroding resilience.

The key to breaking free from anxiety, Dr. Johansson explains, is action rather than waiting to feel comfortable. She emphasizes that motivation comes after starting, not before, and encourages listeners to take small steps toward their goals. When discussing parental concerns about children’s mental health, she advocates for being a “champion” rather than a “rescuer,” teaching children to believe in themselves while maintaining open family communication.

“Resilience is that notion that you can bounce back after something hard happens. Anxiety will tell you that you shouldn’t or you can’t. And resilience will say, like, I’ve got this. So resilience is the opposite of being in victim mode.”

Dr. Carrie Johansson, Psychologist and Author

Challenging Climate Narratives with Historical Context

Start listening at 29:42 – Hour 1

Walt Johnson, a geophysicist and executive producer of the documentary “A Climate Conversation,” joins Kim to discuss the importance of having honest, open dialogue about climate science. Johnson explains that his documentary brings together experts including Gregory Wrightstone, author of “Inconvenient Facts,” and Ron Stein, co-author of the Pulitzer Prize-nominated “Clean Energy Exploitations.”

Johnson emphasizes that his documentary examines the complete historical record of Earth’s temperatures, revealing that current warming exists within natural climate cycles. He points out that policies pushing for net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 would cost an estimated $1.1 million per adult American, a figure that Ken Gregory, a mechanical engineer featured in the film, calculated. Johnson warns that such policies could make the United States economically dependent on China for critical minerals and manufacturing.

The documentary also addresses the human cost of green energy policies, including footage from cobalt mines in the Congo where children work in conditions Johnson describes as worse than historical American slavery. This ethical dimension leads co-author Ron Stein to refuse to own an electric vehicle on moral grounds.

“Deep down, I think it’s about power, which is authority. I control. I mean, it’s controlling all of our lives. And it shouldn’t. And it’ll destroy our economy.”

Walt Johnson, Geophysicist and Executive Producer