The diverse challenges of climate change are taking an increasing toll on professionals working in the Earth sciences. In particular, those who produce and/or communicate climate science information encounter direct and cultural pressures that can affect their emotional well-being. If the Earth science community is to successfully meet climate challenges, it needs a properly equipped, productive, and healthy workforce.
We represent a broad spectrum of Earth science professionals: an academic climate scientist (D.G.), a human geographer specializing in, among other things, psychological responses to climate change (S.M.), a private-sector meteorologist and emergency preparedness specialist (B.D.), a meteorologist and emergency management risk analyst for catastrophic natural hazards (R.M.), and a climate communicator and sea level rise adaptation planning specialist (S.W.). Motivated by our personal and professional experiences, here we describe and discuss some of these challenges, and we propose resources and organizational changes necessary to support the emotional well-being of scientists and professionals dealing with or studying climate change.