Five Ways to Stay Positive in the Face of Climate Meltdown
“The climate crisis is huge and scary. Even the most environmentally aware of us instinctively want to suppress that fear, to put it on the bottom of the mental list and wish it would go away”. The fight for climate justice wearing you down? Read a handy illustrated guide for an environmentally-conscious morale boost.
Words by Claire Harris and Illustrations by Suzie Cichy
When my son turned six recently, I took him for a milkshake at the café down the road. It was one of those days when the rain came down in hard torrents and we watched as puddles turned into rivers outside.
“Mummy,” he said, “does this mean Bangladesh is getting smaller?”
“Yes,” I said. Yes, it does. We finished our drinks.
When small children are processing the catastrophic impact of human activity on the world's climate as part of their daily conversation, you know that times are changing – and fast. The enormity of the situation that faces us (and I say “us”, knowing that many are facing it in far starker, far more tragic ways than I am at this moment) can feel too big to contemplate. But there are ways to arm yourself – with knowledge, with mutual motivation, and with a way to grieve the loss of what we knew without losing the will to fight for a future.
Tend to your corner of the earth
Whether it’s a back lane, a spot in the park you particularly love, a city garden or even a houseplant, focus on the nature that you can nurture. By taking the time to care for the places and living things in our immediate environment we can help shift our focus from the cacophony of doom that fills news feeds, not only improving our mental health but helping to strengthen local ecosystems. Sometimes it’s just as important to focus on what we can control.
Make those changes
You already know to turn the thermostat down and get on top of your recycling. But as galling as it is, fundamental changes to the way we live our lives are important (even though it’d help if Big Government got on board too). Moving to a plant-based diet and reducing food waste have been pointed to in the recently-published report from the UN’s International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as two of the most important shifts you can make at home. Get a WhatsApp group on the go to keep the motivation up among friends. Shop locally for the meals you need and no more. Fall back in love with the charity shop trawl. You can do it!
Assemble
Not everyone takes action in the same way, but it’s easier to make an impact together. Seek out local activities and groups that work for you – whether that’s your local Extinction Rebellion group or Parents for Future, which is aimed at getting the climate on the agenda in educational settings. You could get involved with the COP26 Coalition, which is crowdfunding to bring Global South delegates to the COP26 conference in November. The Climate Fringe website is packed with events in Glasgow and beyond. These look at the issue of climate change and COP26, and present ways to meet and hear from campaigners, thinkers, artists and more.
Celebrate the best of us
Despite our myriad flaws, human beings are clever things. Do we deserve a future on this planet after what we’ve done to it? That’s debatable. But whenever I feel particularly nihilistic about the prospect of climate breakdown I talk to friends, go see some art, remind myself of local community and of the strength of support networks. One of the positive emotions that tends to emerge at times of crisis is compassion. And that’s what will carry us through.
The Climate Psychology Alliance is a brilliant organisation that helps make sense of the impact on our mental health that the climate crisis can have – and what we can do about it. Head to their website or their Scottish Facebook page, which has regular updates on events, talks and webinars.
www.climatepsychologyalliance.org