Like many others, my first experience of activism was watching others do it. But through the sense of empathy and connection we feel for others, this can be a crucial prequel to participation. Our brains become wired ready for this type of observational learning when we’re infants. As babies in our cots, it starts by …
Why invest all that time, energy and emotions – even risking your freedom – knowing you’ll never visibly impact the earth’s temperature? We know your eco-anxiety level helps predict whether you’re an eco-activist, so anxiety and concern may partly explain. And emotions certainly play their role. That much was clear when I asked Rosie, a …
In this blog, I’ve tried to focus down on how we might respond to eco-anxiety. The best way to do this is to look more closely at the three components that Panu Pihkala, at the University of Helsinki, identified in his process model of eco-anxiety: Self-care and, and care for others with eco-anxiety, sounds an …
Do you lie awake at night thinking about food shortages, conflicts over vanishing resources, nature loss and mass migrations? I was spurred on to create this blog (and accompanying podcast) after receiving a voice message from Kalina, who told me: “I get really anxious about the environment…I just really worry about some of the global …
My experience of the Rhone Glacier got me thinking more about “last chance tourism”. Is it an indulgence or could it play a role in helping people become more attuned to environmental issues? So I knocked on the door of someone who has been seriously studying it. Dr Emmanuel Salim is a geographer working in …
Read more “Does last chance tourism help us think about the environment?”
Switzerland is a country where global warming is visibly and dramatically impacting on the landscape. But how does the experience of seeing these changes affect the tourists who flock to Switzerland every year? The Rhône Glacier is perhaps the most prominent example of melting glaciers in Europe, and in the last few decades it’s been …
It’s difficult to ignore the disconnect here – with highly mobile international students rubbing shoulders with others who have directly experienced the effects of climate change. This disconnect is particularly striking when observed in our relatively small international student community, but it highlights a global question: why do we carry on producing large carbon emissions when we know these are damaging the lives of others?
As climate change progresses, more non-native species will be visiting our shores, our woodlands and fields – our rivers and trees. How people react when they encounter these new arrivals may determine our success in managing them. Without that management, our local flora and fauna, our food supplies and our health may be at risk. …
Read more “Alien species – the climate change invaders in your garden”
Recently, I was asked to develop some “green” communications for my university department. I had two two climate conscious students, our wonderful Sustainability Champions (Hannah and Sage) to help me. Together, we hoped to shift the attitudes of students and colleagues in a more environmental direction. But what sorts of communications might help achieve that? …
Today (20th March) is the Spring equinox for 2025 – when the hours of daylight are the same as the hours of darkness – and Spring has officially started. As well as the daffodils and crocuses, you may also be noticing some changes in the behaviour of animals around you. Perhaps you’ve been hearing the …