Climate Anxiety Is Not the Problem

About this episode

The episode discusses how climate anxiety is not the problem, but rather the lack of support and education around it.

In this week's episode I am discussing how climate anxiety is not the problem. I will explore how we educate, support and practice in a time of climate breakdown without overwhelming young people or asking them to numb themselves to reality. Topics include: Climate anxiety is not the problem; unsupported climate anxiety is. Climate education cannot just give young people facts - it has to help them emotionally metabolise what they know. Emotional literacy needs to include the body, not just naming feelings. Adults and teachers need to do their own emotional work, otherwise they may shut down young people’s grief, anger or fear. Climate anxiety can be a sign of care, intelligence and relationship with the world, not pathology. The “Goldilocks zone” is really useful: enough feeling to care and act, not so much that people collapse. A climate breakdown risk-benefit assessment feels like one of your most original contributions. The neutrality/politics section is one of the most interesting: teachers do not need to be party-political, but silence and false balance are not neutral. Resilience should be framed as community, belonging and collective capacity, not individual toughness…

People in this episode

Host: The Outdoor Teacher

Topics covered

• climate anxiety
• climate education
• emotional literacy
• community resilience
• nature connection
• hope and agency

Keywords

• climate anxiety
• emotional support
• climate education
• resilience
• nature connection
• youth mental health

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