In life, losses happen and grief is real. Don’t be bright-sided. Sane people don’t bounce into funerals and implore the bereaved to be happy and deny death. It doesn’t work for climate change either. Homes are being lost. Species are dying. Ecosystems are being decimated. Mega-droughts are withering as yet productive agricultural land.
All of this death, destruction and uncertainty affects people. A 2021 international survey of young people aged 16-25 found that 84% of respondents were extremely or moderately worried about climate, and more than 45% say their feelings about climate change negatively impact their daily lives.
Climate anxiety and dissatisfaction with government responses are widespread in children and young people in countries across the world and impact their daily functioning. A perceived failure by governments to respond to the climate crisis is associated with increased distress. There is an urgent need for further research into the emotional impact of climate change on children and young people and for governments to validate their distress by taking urgent action on climate change.
Denial and bright siding might help a few, but for those of us living in reality, we have to accept that loss, grief and uncertainty are growing as climate change deepens. The best world leaders have done to date is to promise that our children will solve our problems. That has led to the betrayal felt by younger generations. By accepting this reality, we put ourselves in a position to find groups and methods for dealing with our predicament.
Science communicator Britt Wray proposes three components to climate activism.
- Becoming aware of our dire situation
- Allowing for emotional responses
- Taking action
She acknowledges climate change and its emotional impacts in referring to those impacted as generation dread. She then notes that the way out is not to deny and avoid awareness and sorrow, but to accept and go through these feelings.
In a Radio Ecoshock interview, Wray suggests a few existing communities for coping with reality and processing grief, including the Good Grief Network, Climate Awakening and Climate Cafes.
It is comforting to know that we are not alone. Others feel grief and helplessness, as well. These communities are home to people who can help us process grief, see possibilities for recovery, and find purposeful activities that contribute to solutions. As dire our situation is, or even as it grows more so, networks of comfort, camaraderie and purposeful action bring us hope of lasting change for the better.
It can be challenging to move on from grief into action. That is where we need to work together in supportive networks. We build resiliency into coping as a society, as well as, in building communities that can withstand, offset, adapt to, and possibly reverse impacts of climate change.
For my part, I am leaning into my background in agriculture research and social activism in seeking out and reporting on local food production, equity and peaceful reconciliation. I understand that this area is not for everyone, and that climate change will still lead to weather disasters and make local production impossible in numerous locations. That is why we also need contributors to step up in diverse topics, such as humane migration, disaster relief, comforting those with PTSD, and lobbying government officials.
There are so many areas where we can help, I am sure that nearly everybody can find a place to contribute to dealing with coming changes. We can build up resilient networks of emotional, housing and food support. Together, we can leave a home for future generations.
To finish, here is a video of a Britt Wray talk.