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World Report View

Climate Change and Mental Health: Ecological Grief

by Theodore Bechlivanis | 21-02-2020 08:54 recommendations 0

When scientists and activists talk about environmental issues, they go to great lengths in order to underscore its immediacy. The ramifications of human activity on the environment are indeed both rapid and severe, but often invisible to the unengaged eye. At the same time, they are devastating to behold for those who study or fight against them.

The phenomenon where scientists, climate activists, and afflicted citizens experience sorrow over ecological collapse is called Ecological - or climate - Grief. Aptly so: it has been described as "the grief felt in relation to [...] ecological losses, including those of species, ecosystems, or landscapes due to [...] environmental change" (Cunsolo, Ashlee; Ellis, Neville. "Hope and mourning in the anthropocene: Understanding ecological grief"). An often-cited example is the despair of marine biologists and conservationists at the gradual death of the Great Barrier Reef. 

Ecological grief is expected to be on the rise as  our environment shifts more visibly and more people become invested in securing a sustainable future. This raises immediate concerns with regard to mental health management; however, it also calls for a radical shift in climate leadership.

Activist circles, scientists, citizen initiatives and the vast areas where those groups overlap have two things in common: first, their goal of protecting the planet, and second, the need to organize, distribute tasks, and support each other. Softening the blow of climate grief requires us to uplift and empower each other, to develop new approaches to leadership and more powerful actions of solidarity. 

The following are questions an effective leader should ask themselves in the context of ecological grief:

- Which members of my community are affected the most, and why?

- How are the tasks I assigned them influencing their morale and perspective? 

- Who can cover for them while they seek help with their mental health?

- How do we, as a community, shield those vulnerable members until they are in a position to confront climate grief successfully?

The above questions can help shape more efficient leadership models. This is achieved by mindfully delegating responsibilities to each member of your group according to their strengths and their sensitivities, and always prioritizing their well-being.

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10 Comments

  • Sameer Singh says :
    Thanks for the report.
    Posted 29-03-2020 09:58

  • Asmita Bhusal says :
    Namaste!
    Thank you for sharing this informative report,
    Hope to see more from you sir!
    Regards,
    Asmita Bhusal
    Posted 23-03-2020 00:03

  • Susmita Adhikari says :
    Hello
    I hope you are doing well

    Thank you so much for this report
    Regards
    Susmita
    Posted 12-03-2020 13:11

  • Jasmine Karki says :
    Greetings
    I do hope everything is going well..

    Thank you so much for sharing your report!!
    Really enjoyed it..

    Green cheers
    Regards
    Jasmine karki
    Posted 09-03-2020 11:07

Kushal Naharki

  • Kushal Naharki says :
    Keep writing
    Green Cheers
    Posted 26-02-2020 10:33

  • Aditi Neupane says :
    Hello Theodore,

    Thanks for writing such nice and informative report .
    Posted 21-02-2020 17:41

  • Sabitri Pandey says :
    It's so informative report that climate change and mental health is so related and we should be aware for that.
    Thanks for introducing this topic
    Posted 21-02-2020 12:13

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