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How to Channel Eco-Anxiety
Article

How to Channel Eco-Anxiety

Learning to live between despair and hope

Renée Lertzman and Sam Mowe
Tricycle, 2023
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Eco-anxiety – worry and fear of climate change impacts – is growing. In her emotionally intelligent interview with the Buddhist magazine Tricycle, climate psychologist Renée Lertzman offers empathy and a fresh, hopeful perspective on harnessing eco-anxiety to enable positive change. She also discusses the benefits of turning to Buddhist teachings to stay grounded amid difficult emotions and uncertainty.

Summary

It’s normal and healthy to experience difficult emotions regarding climate change.

Many people, especially young people, feel anxiety regarding climate change – sometimes called eco-anxiety or climate distress. People also experience a raft of other emotions, such as sadness, anger, powerlessness, despair, rage, betrayal and guilt. Eco-anxiety differs from generalized anxiety; it represents a healthy and normal response to the reality of climate change. It means you’re “picking up the signal”: You’re taking part in a feedback loop, registering the changes in the world and thereby able to take action in response.

When people seem apathetic to climate change, this doesn’t mean they’re unaware or not having a response. When humans feel threatened, it’s a normal defense mechanism...

About the Authors

Renée Lertzman brings a background in psychology and environmental communications to her work as a climate psychologist and environmental strategist. She works with businesses, nonprofits and governments to support organizational transformation. Lertzman is the founder of Project InsideOut, a community of psychologists, researchers and activists seeking to engage communities on issues of climate and sustainability. Sam Mowe is Tricycle’s publisher.

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