Explore emotional dimensions of climate change

1. Students will identify an array of emotions triggered by environmental degradation.
2. Students will synthesise and propose strategies to manage these emotional elements.

Lead-in/ warmer ideas (5-10 mins)

Introduce some of the emotions brought about by climate change by sharing this quote:

No need to give a PowerPoint about CO2 levels. Talk about how it feels to be living at this time. Talk about what you think the future holds. Talk about your fear, dread, rage, grief and everything else. This contributes to transformative change; it helps us collectively wake up from the trance of denial.

Margaret Solomon Klein, Psychologist

Prompts: What emotions are addressed in this quote? Have you ever felt these when considering climate change? Do you agree with this statement? Why/Why not?

Main activities (45 mins)

1. Identifying climate emotions 

Students jot down any emotions that come up for them while watching the news clip below.

Prompts: While watching the news video, note down your own personal responses to what you’re experiencing. Some strong reactions might come up and we will look at ways of managing these after the activity.

After watching the video, participants have the opportunity to share their feelings (anonymously if they wish) via a polling tool like Mentimeter.

Prompts: How do you feel about this crisis? What came up for you while watching the video?

Finally, students reflect on the significance of acknowledging climate emotions. This could be conducted as a writing task or a small group discussion in class or breakout rooms. No matter what the format, it is recommended that students have the opportunity to share their experiences.

Discussion prompts:  

• Were you surprised about some of the emotions that were shared? Why or why not?
• Think back to Margaret Solomon Klein’s quote. Do you believe acknowledging and sharing climate emotions helps or hinders our ability to deal with the climate crisis? Explain your thoughts.
• How can we take care of our mental health in a changing climate?

2. Strategies to deal with climate emotions

Students research and share resources that give advice on dealing with the feelings that come up when confronting climate change. These can be shared on any platform, for example a Teams channel, Miro board or Padlet. You can find some example resources in the ‘Further reading’ section below.

Prompt: Take 5 minutes to find a resource that gives practical advice on how to deal with climate anxiety/ climate emotions. Add a short description of one of the strategies in that resource that you find particularly helpful and why you feel this speaks to you. Take a moment to explore your peers’ resources. Like and comment on the ones that resonate with you.

Finishing up (5 mins) 

Participants share one takeaway from the session. 

Prompt: What is one thing that you take away from today? What surprised you?

You can copy or adapt these words to explain more in your class or online space:

• Have you heard of the term “climate anxiety”? Have you experienced unease when reading or watching the news about climate change? Climate change extends beyond a mere scientific concept; it touches the very core of our emotions and lives as it poses an existential threat.
• While understanding the science is crucial, it’s equally important to recognise how climate change makes us feel. Emotions play a vital role in how we respond and take action. From worry and sadness to hope and determination, climate change evokes a range of feelings. By acknowledging these emotions, we can better connect with the issue, inspire action, and work together to find solutions that benefit us and the planet.
• To experience these sometimes difficult feelings is completely normal. Most of us will respond this way to an existential threat. The climate crisis can trigger fear, grief, anger, guilt, despair and at times apathy. The lack of inaction from those in power can make us feel despair and frustration. Many people also feel ambivalent as we know something needs to change, but we don’t know where to start and change can be scary. This ambivalence is paralysing. Many of us fall into coping mechanisms such as unrealistic hope or denial of the severity of the problems we are facing. 

You may find the following tools and resources useful:

• Run remote/ asynchronous discussions via a Canvas discussion board, Teams chat or other collaborative spaces like Padlet and google docs
• Mentimeter to create a word cloud

You can use this at any point during your subject or course. If you decide to use it early in the course, you can refer back to these concepts when they appear relevant to different topics. If difficult topics come up in your subject, please make sure to give students the space to share their experiences. The activities above would also work with:

• Small or large class cohorts
• In-person, blended and online learning
• Classes with international student cohorts
• Social Sciences, Business, Design, Architecture and Building, Engineering and subjects where students consider the impact of their discipline and profession on society

• Dealing with climate anxiety: tips, tools and resources (Climate Council | Blog)
• Coping with climate change distress (Australian Psychological Society | Information sheet)
• How To Turn Climate Anxiety Into Action (Earthrise | Video)
• How to turn climate anxiety into action | Renee Lertzman TEDtalk
• How to heal in the anthropocene | The Guardian article
• How climate change affects mental health | Yale Climate Connections blog