Ongoing ecological and climate crisis affects all life on Earth—human and more than human. Because so many factors are involved that include the destruction of ecosystems and loss of species as well as social, economic, and political issues, this is now being called the “polycrisis.”
In the face of this global crisis, some humans are experiencing both acute and chronic mental health impacts broadly known as climate or eco-anxiety. The American Psychological Association points to several sources of eco-anxiety, from the “unrelenting day-by-day despair” that can occur during droughts to the stress that comes from “watching the slow and seemingly irrevocable impacts of climate change unfold, and worrying about the future for oneself, children, and later generations.”*
Victims of climate change are especially vulnerable and many have become climate refugees. Some people in the developed world may feel eco-anxiety because they are “deeply affected by feelings of loss, helplessness, and frustration due to their inability to feel like they are making a difference in stopping climate change.” This might develop into guilt as they consider how their own actions may have contributed to the current state of the environment. Psychologists are now acknowledging the extent to which internalizing ecological concerns and experiences truly affects human well-being.
Here in these pages you will find a wealth of resources in response to these challenges—resources dedicated to understanding and coping with global eco-anxiety and eco-grief both individually and as a human community.
Many of these resources touch on both the challenging aspects of eco-anxiety and the creative responses to these feelings.
*all quotes from the March 2017 report “Mental Health and Our Changing Climate: Impacts, Implications, and Guidance,” a collaboration of ecoAmerica, the American Psychological Association, and Climate for Health.
| Videos
Here you will find multimedia content dating back to 2018. All of the content in this section is organized chronologically, with the most recent listed first. |
Podcasts This section contains both entire podcast series that give substantive attention to the issues of eco-grief and anxiety, and individual episodes of interest. |
| Books This list of resources provides bibliographic information (and links, where applicable) to full volumes dedicated to these topics. The majority of the books date from 2015 to the present, though there are some older offerings, as well. |
Journal Articles Recent academic articles on this topic are listed here. |
| News Articles In this section we list and link to news articles concerning eco-anxiety and eco-grief from 2019 to the present. |
Reports Official reports on this topic from environmental and religious organizations can be found here. |
| Links & Additional Resources General links related to this issue are located here, in addition to information on certification programs and course syllabi. |
SOS Here you'll find quick, easy-access resources to help you if you're experiencing climate and eco-related distress and anxiety in the moment. The collection includes numerous meditations, EFT practices, and more to directly address eco-anxiety, as well as a number of helpful meditations for generalized fear and anxiety. |