What even is Climate Psychology?
Written by Elizabeth Acuña Driscoll
CERI Co-Founder and Faculty Member
Climate psychology studies the psychological effects of climate degradation and how our thoughts and emotions can influence our response to the climate crisis.
Environmental degradation is a crisis of the mind as well as the planet. In order to address the climate crisis, we need to address our thinking about nature and our place in it.
The dominant Western worldview is based on a dominion over relationship with nature, which sees the world as a collection of objects to be manipulated and controlled. This worldview leads us to see nature as something to be exploited rather than as a living system that we are interconnected with. This mindset has led to the development of unsustainable technologies and practices contributing to the climate crisis.
The changes to our climate are causing a crisis of meaning for many. As we see the Earth's systems being disrupted, we are forced to confront our mortality and the limits of our control. This destruction can lead to feelings of anxiety, depression, and despair. Leslie Davenport writes “a sense of belonging is one of the most powerful psychological needs in our human experience. Belonging often includes a place that has been built from a blend of connections, memories, history, hopes and dreams. With climate change, a rupture with our bonds of place and community may begin.” We are seeing the psychological impact of centuries-long separation of humans and nature leading to suffering and disconnection from self and others.
Further, climate psychology examines how environmental degradation can lead to other psychological problems, such as post-traumatic stress disorder. For example, the consequences of people displaced from their homes or who have lost loved ones in environmental disasters may be at increased risk for these problems.
Climate psychology can help us understand the root causes of the climate crisis and develop more effective solutions. It can help us to heal the psychological wounds that this crisis has caused and to build a more sustainable future. Relating differently to nature, we could consider a shift to a more ecological worldview, which sees the world as a web of interconnected relationships. The climate crisis could be an opportunity for addressing our internal and external challenges.
Climate Psychology can help to:
Increase awareness of the psychological effects of environmental degradation. It can raise awareness of the emotional toll that climate change is taking on individuals and communities. This can help people understand and cope with the anxiety, stress, and grief that they may be experiencing.
Climate psychology can help people build resilience in the face of climate change. This can help people cope with environmental degradation's challenges and thrive in a changing world.
It can help develop more effective solutions to the climate crisis. Our increased awareness can help people to identify the root causes of the crisis and create solutions that address these causes.
If you want to learn more about climate psychology or are curious about presentations and workshops for your organization, reach out at: info@climateemotionalresilience.org