IT’S NOT YOU, IT’S CLIMATE CHANGE: ANALYZING THE CONTRIBUTIONS TO CLIMATE CHANGE ANXIETY (CCA) IN SOUTH FLORIDA

South Florida is at the frontlines of climate change impacts. Facing increases in heat waves, flooding, and intensity of storms, climate change has direct detriments on the residents of this region. This research examines the evidence of Climate Change Anxiety (CCA) within Broward, Miami-Dade, Monroe, and Palm Beach counties. Using the CCA instrument developed by Susan Clayton and Bryan Karazsia in 2020, this study replicates analyses of variables conducted in prior research on the national level. This research found South Floridians are experiencing moderate levels of anxiety caused by climate change. Additionally, significant relationships exist between CCA and newly examined variables such as family situations, politics, and sociological perceptions. Sociological perceptions such as identities described in Dan Kahan’s Cultural Cognition Theory help us understand how having different views of society and life may alter how an individual is affected by CCA.