It's hard to get your head around climate change. And it's not just you - our brains simply aren't wired to think about problems at that scale. And why would they be? Understandably, this can lead to all kinds of mental outcomes that don't actually solve the problem. In fact, it's counterproductive.
Dr. Sarah Jaquette Ray is an author and professor of Environmental Studies at Cal Poly Humboldt. On Climate Magic, she connects the dots between how you feel about the climate and your agency to do something about it. She explores the big and small questions about your relationship with the climate: what happens to your own mental health when you're proactive about climate solutions? What do we know about PTSD for wildfire survivors? How do culture and your brain conspire to make you want to stick your head in the sand? What exactly is climate anxiety, and how can someone get past it? What's Gen Z got to say about it all?
She'll also highlight the everyday citizens who are rolling up their sleeves, despite--and because of -- their debilitating despair. Climate Magic is about the emotional life of climate politics. You want to thrive in the Anthropocene, and the planet needs you to tap the root of your inner skills to build a better world. It's not rocket science... it's Climate Magic.
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More from Sarah Jaquette Ray:
linkedin.com/company/climatemagicpodcast
A Field Guide to Climate Anxiety: How to Keep Your Cool on a Warming Planet
NPR's Hidden Brain: When it's All Too Much
KCRW: Helping Students Cope with Stress Around Climate Change
Harvard Political Review: On Climate Emotion
Climate Change and Happiness: Coping with Climate Anxiety on Campus with Sarah Jaquette Ray
In This Climate: Existential Loneliness, the Climate Crisis, and Intrinsic Hope
KCET: "Overwhelmed by Climate Change? Try Reframing Your Impact
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