The negative effect of emotion in climate action

New research reveals that the emotions of anger, hope and compassion, might have less of an effect on pro-environmental behavior than previously thought

Norwegian University of Science and Technology

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Christian Klöckner, professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) Department of Psychology

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Credit: NTNU

Emotional mechanisms are frequently used to inspire good environmental behaviour. But how effective are they at inspiring actual, sustainable change?

Perhaps not as much as previously believed, according to a new study from the Norwegian Univrsity of Science and Technology (NTNU) which challenged participants to put their money where their mouths are.

The research examined how three climate-related emotions – anger, compassion and hope – can directly increase pro-environmental behaviour. Participants were then invited to donate their participation fees to charity. The results surprised the researchers.

“We knew already that when people are angry, they are more motivated and have stronger intentions,” explains Christian Klöckner, a professor at NTNU’s Department of Psychology, who researches why people make environmentally friendly–or unfriendly–choices.

“When people have a bad conscience, they are more willing to accept climate policies. And we know that people need to hope that something can be done. Otherwise they don’t do anything,” he continues.

“In this recent study, we wanted to put people’s intentions to the test.”

Anger, compassion and hope

The power of these motivating factors has been tried and tested in previous studies. If people are angry they are more likely to want to hold climate criminals to account. If they are compassionate then they are inclined to support victims. And if they have hope they have intention.

The new research surveyed over 2,000 individuals in Norway and Poland. All participants were given 200 kroner or 20 złoty and exposed to a series of short stories, designed to trigger different types of emotions relating to the climate.

“We used these stories to find out whether the participants intended to do something and then gave them the possibility to actually donate the money,” says Klöckner.

"We also gave them another option, to work through a number of pretty boring sheets, where they had to find patterns. In return we, the organisers, donated on their behalf. The more they did, the more we donated.”

This ‘real impact task’ makes the study stand out from other research in the field. The unexpected result was that the number of participants who changed their expected behaviour based on the emotional content they read, was negligible at best.

“Very few, hardly any gave any more money because of the emotions they had been exposed to, as compred to people who did not read the stories. We were surprised,” admits Klöckner.

Hope for the future

That is not to say the results should be exclusively considered in a negative light. The meaning of the research is much more nuanced than ‘people don’t do what they say they’re going to do’.

Klöckner and his research team at NTNU’s Department of Psychology have previously developed an instrument to measure complex emotions triggered by climate change. The emotional picture appears to be more complicated than simple ‘climate anxiety’.

“We looked at psychological mindsets in another project for relating to energy saving,” explains Klöckner. “In one large study to reduce households’ energy consumption, we found our interventions actually reduced energy consumption, but they didn't change people's psychological mindsets.”

Some people change their intentions because of emotional information, while those who make actual positive change (e.g. reducing electricity consumption) are not necessarily doing so for the same reasons.

“The eventual energy saving had very little do with the individuals’ intention to do it.”

A charitable perspective

Non-profit organisations could benefit greatly by this research. Their work is often reliant on financial contribitions from supporters, so understanding what inspires them to start, stop or continue donating is influential.

The World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) was the recipient of donations in this study. Denise Kohn, Senior Corporate Advisor for Partnerships at WWF in Norway, explains that the organisation knowingly uses anger, compassion and hope in their fundraising, often followed by a call to action.

“We know that our financial supporters donate for an average of 5 to 6 years,” says Kohn. “All new research that can help us understand donor motivation better, is of interest.”

The emotional factors involved in climate change are particularly challenging to comprehend, such is the enormity of the issue.

“We have never been particularly successful in fundraising on climate alone; nature is a much stronger entry point, and current political and geopolitical circumstances mean that other issues often take priority in public attention,” explains Kohn.

Ongoing concerns

The research demonstrates that anger, compassion and hope play vital roles in helping shape people’s understanding of climate change. But, alone, they are not sufficient to produce actual measurable change.

Together with their Polish counterparts from the University of Warsaw, the research team from NTNU demonstrates that the motivation behind actual change is more complex than one single overpowering emotion. The research team now intends to fund an even larger survey across ten countries.

“We will continue to research this subject, to find out more about the differences between people in the complex patterns of emotional responses to climate change and how they relate to real behaviour,” says Klöckner.

Research:
Zaremba D, Marczak M, Michałowski JM, Klöckner CA, Wierzba M, Marchewka A. Impact of anger, compassion, and hope on climate action taking. Sci Rep. 2026 Jun 18;16(1):27882. doi: 10.1038/s41598-026-56796-9. PMID: 42315571; PMCID: PMC13547305.

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Journal

Scientific Reports

DOI

10.1038/s41598-026-56796-9

Method of Research

Survey

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Impact of anger, compassion, and hope on climate action taking

COI Statement

Zaremba D, Marczak M, Michałowski JM, Klöckner CA, Wierzba M, Marchewka A. Impact of anger, compassion, and hope on climate action taking. Sci Rep. 2026 Jun 18;16(1):27882. doi: 10.1038/s41598-026-56796-9. PMID: 42315571; PMCID: PMC13547305.

Study reveals peatlands may have less capacity to store carbon than predicted

University of Nottingham

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A new study has revealed that peatlands may break under their own weight before they reach their carbon storage potential.

Engineers from the University of Nottingham’s Faculty of Engineering used simulation modelling to reveal the physical limitations of peatland carbon storage and showed that as peat becomes thicker and heavier, it can crack, move or slide, with many peatlands already at or beyond their modelled limits of mechanical stability.

Peatlands are carbon-rich wetlands which occupy 3% of the global land surface and 12% of UK land area. They are formed over thousands of years as moss, roots and stems create layers in wet ground locking in the carbon.

This study published in Scientific Reports has revealed that that the weight of these layers can cause instability especially in sloping areas and that peatlands may only expand to 1.48 times their current volume, not the 1.71 that existing carbon projections assume – this represents a large quantity of carbon that may never be stored at all.

For the experiment the team created a computer modelled peatland covering around 500 metres near to a river. The model featured a flat upland, a slope in the middle and a lowland running down to the water. Rainfall, water drainage and plants growing and dying were added to the simulation and peat gathered on a smooth, watertight base.

They repeated the simulation adjusting the middle slope by one-degree margins taking the angle from 0 to 12 degrees, the model tracked the forces building inside the pile over a simulated time period of thousands of years and when the forces beat the strength of the peat, that depth was recorded.

Professor David Large form the Faculty of Engineering led the study, he explains: “Our comparison with UK peat-depth data indicates that many of our peatlands are already at or beyond their modelled limits of mechanical stability. This is relevant to restoration and carbon-credit schemes such as the IUCN UK Peatland Code. Peat depth, slope and stability may need to be considered when assessing whether carbon benefits will be secure over the long term.”

The research also noted that whilst rewetting remains essential for restoring damaged peat and reducing carbon emissions, the resulting changes in water levels and water movement could affect mechanical stability in some settings, particularly in deep peat or on slopes, so this risk should be assessed as part of restoration planning.

Professor David Large adds: "Many peatlands may be closer to their natural storage limits than previously recognised, because the weight of the peat itself can eventually cause instability, erosion and carbon loss.

“This research demonstrates the need to consider peat depth, slope and stability when assessing whether carbon benefits will be secure over the long term.”

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Journal

Scientific Reports

DOI

10.1038/s41598-026-66259-w

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Mechanical thresholds constrain global peatland carbon accumulation

SPAGYRIC HERBALISM

Comprehensive review catalogs over 240 natural compounds from a widely used medicinal plant genus

What are flavonoids, and why focus on erythrina?

Bentham Science Publishers

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New review in Current Topics in Chemistry brings together decades of research on flavonoids isolated from Erythrina plants, a group long valued in traditional medicine and natural product chemistry.

Plants have always been a rich source of chemical inspiration for scientists, offering molecules that can inform new medicines, agricultural products, and more. Among the most chemically interesting plant groups is the genus Erythrina, a group of flowering trees and shrubs found throughout tropical and subtropical regions worldwide, which has drawn sustained interest from natural product chemists for its diverse array of specialized compounds. A new review, published ahead of print in Current Topics in Chemistry, brings together and organizes the flavonoids specifically reported from this genus, offering researchers a consolidated reference point for a body of work that has built up over many years.

What Are Flavonoids, and Why Focus on Erythrina?

Flavonoids are a large family of plant-derived compounds known for their structural diversity and wide range of biological activities, making them a frequent subject of study in pharmacognosy and natural product chemistry. Erythrina species have proven to be an especially productive source of these compounds, and the genus has built up a substantial scientific record documenting the many different flavonoid structures found within it. This review focuses specifically on compiling and classifying that record, rather than examining what these compounds do biologically.

Cataloging 243 Compounds

The review compiles a total of 243 flavonoids that have been isolated and structurally characterized specifically from Erythrina species. These compounds span several distinct structural classes: flavanones, flavones, isoflavanones, isoflavans, isoflav-3-enes, and isoflavones, each representing a slightly different variation on the core flavonoid chemical framework. The review draws on findings across numerous plant parts, including leaves, stem bark, stem wood, root bark, twigs, and root wood, reflecting how differently a single genus can distribute its chemistry across its own anatomy.

A Genus Rich in Novel and Unusual Chemistry

One of the review's central observations is the structural diversity of Erythrina's flavonoid chemistry is, with many of the compiled compounds representing novel natural products first identified within this genus. The review also highlights a particular chemical signature running through much of this diversity: a notable prevalence of prenylated and oxygenated flavonoids, meaning flavonoids modified with extra carbon-based side chains (prenyl groups) or additional oxygen-containing groups. These structural modifications are often associated with distinctive biological and chemical properties, and their frequent occurrence across Erythrina species underscores the genus's distinct phytochemical profile compared to other plant sources of flavonoids.

A Deliberately Focused Scope

The author is explicit about the review's boundaries: this is a compilation and structural classification exercise, not an assessment of the compounds' biological activity or of how they were extracted and purified in the lab. Isolation methods and biological activity data are intentionally excluded from scope. The focus is itself useful by consolidating structural information on 243 compounds into a single organized reference; the review gives researchers a practical starting point for further work, whether that is comparing newly isolated compounds against what is already known, identifying gaps in specific plant parts or species that have not been well studied, or informing future research into the biological potential of these molecules.

The review, "Flavonoids from the Genus Erythrina: A Review Article," was authored by Zelalem Yibralign Desta.

Read the published article here: https://bit.ly/3Tp3yR4

Article title: Flavonoids from the Genus Erythrina: A Review Article

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2174/0129504023486314260724073452

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Journal

Current Topics in Chemistry

DOI

10.2174/0129504023486314260724073452

Article Title

Flavonoids from the Genus Erythrina: A Review Article

 

Finnish research can improve anaesthesia safety for millions of rodents used in laboratory experiments

University of Helsinki

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Vatinoxan prevents eye protrusion in rats. This rat's eyes are normal.

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Credit: Linda Tammisto / University of Helsinki

Researchers at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki have demonstrated that a drug called vatinoxan significantly improves the safety and quality of anaesthesia in rats. The finding can affect a large number of laboratory animals globally since, in Western countries alone, more than one hundred million rodents are estimated to be used every year in biomedical research.

The studies show that vatinoxan inhibits exophthalmos, or the bulging of the eyes out of their sockets, associated with commonly used sedatives. Moreover, vatinoxan improves tissue oxygenation, prevents hyperglycaemia and diuretic water loss associated with these sedatives. Improved anaesthesia produces more reliable study results and directly reduces the number of laboratory animals needed.

“Even a modest reduction would spare numerous animals each year,” says Associate Professor Jussi Honkavaara, who heads the research group.

In her doctoral research, veterinarian Minna Mustikka showed that in rats vatinoxan inhibits exophthalmos, a known adverse effect of commonly used sedatives. The first article of her doctoral thesis has been published in the Journal of Ocular Pharmacology and Therapeutics. Veterinarian Emily Lindh’s doctoral research demonstrates that vatinoxan improves tissue oxygenation by reducing the adverse circulatory effects of sedatives.

Vatinoxan was originally developed for canine sedation through collaboration by the research group and the Finnish Vetcare company.

The research is being conducted in close cooperation with the company and veterinarians from the University’s Laboratory Animal Centre. The scope is currently expanding to mice.

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Journal

Journal of Ocular Pharmacology and Therapeutics

DOI

10.1177/10807683261463884

Article Title

Vatinoxan Prevents Medetomidine-Associated Exophthalmos and Increased Glucose Concentrations in Blood and Aqueous Humor in Rats

 

Researchers: Parents should combine words with gestures to help their children learn

New study shows that parents and children who use speech and gesture have sustained and synced brain wave activity

University of Iowa

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In a new study, researchers at the Universit of Iowa offer a simple way to help children learn. By combining spoken instructions with hand gestures — such as pointing, demonstrating, or using movements to illustrate an idea — adults can help children stay engaged and understand information more easily. The study also shows that the quality of time spent learning together may matter more than the amount of time, giving families a practical strategy they can use during homework and everyday instruction.

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Credit: Justin Torner, University of Iowa

As children return to school, new research from the University of Iowa shows how parents can help their kids learn while literally being on the same wavelength. 

In a new study, neuroscientists found that adults who use speech and hand gestures when interacting with their child achieve “neural synchrony,” where brain waves in the parent match their child’s. Ece Demir-Lira, associate professor in the UI Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and the study’s corresponding author, says combining words with hand gestures can be applied by parents and teachers alike.

“We find it’s not how much time a parent is with their child, it’s more about the nature of the interaction,” Demir-Lira says. “Those interactions can be even richer if the parent provides additional cues to their children via speech and gesture or encourages their kids to gesture with their hands, too.”

Demir-Lira and graduate student Ying Li wanted to understand how parents help young children solve problems. The researchers especially were interested in whether a particular level of engagement — which they call scaffolding — was best to help kids learn. Previous research has indicated kids learn best when instructions include speech and gestures, but those studies didn’t include parents and children working together or monitor in real time what was happening in their brains.

The researchers enlisted 42 parent-child couples to complete variations of a seven-piece puzzle. The only instructions they were given was the shape to make with the puzzle pieces, such as a bird or a house. While they worked to complete the puzzle, the researchers monitored both participants’ brain activity simultaneously every 30 seconds through a technique that measures blood flow in the brain. The team also recorded the parent-child couples, to track their speech and actions during the puzzle tasks.

In their study, Demir-Lira and Li found that when the parent added gestures to their verbal instructions, blood flow rose in the adult brain’s perception area — the region that senses another’s success or struggle — and simultaneously in the problem-solving area of the child’s brain.

“The same brain wave in the parent and child goes up and down in synchrony together, like two dancers dancing,” Demir-Lira says.

The researchers found that adults who relied only on speech to guide their child with solving a puzzle showed a corresponding rise in brain activity at the beginning, but that connection weakened as the task progressed before rebounding toward the end. Demir-Lira interprets this as an initial burst of connectivity as the two attempt to complete the puzzle, followed by a period when the child loses focus, and ending with another attempt by the parent to help the child complete the puzzle. 

Parents who gave no verbal or physical instructions had the lowest linked brain activity with their child, the researchers report.

While not directly addressed in this study, the researchers believe parents who used speech and gesture were more successful in guiding their child in puzzle solving because they could accentuate a vocal cue by pointing to a puzzle piece or showing how two puzzle pieces go together.

“We think speech and gesture divide the information; they complement each other. Gesture implies spatial relations, which speech is not as good at accomplishing,” Demir-Lira says.

She has seen this when helping her 9-year-old daughter with math problems. For example, when Demir-Lira combines oral instructions with gestures to highlight both sides of a math equation, she says her daughter seems to more easily grasp the material.

“It’s about being more efficient at packaging the information, so the child can understand it more easily,” she says.

The study is titled “Parental speech and gesture scaffolding moderate the neural dynamics of parent-child synchrony.” It was published online on June 26 in the journal Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience. Li is the study’s first author.

The National Institutes of Health, through the Clinical and Translational Science Awards program, funded the research. Li’s involvement was funded by an NIH Predoctoral Training Grant.

 

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Journal

Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience

DOI

10.1016/j.dcn.2026.101771

Method of Research

Observational study

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Parental speech and gesture scaffolding moderate the neural dynamics of parent-child synchrony