By Climactic
A podcast on self-care in the climate crisis, by clinical psychologist Bronwyn Gresham.
In 2019 I joined the Climactic Collective - it’s a completely new skill set for me and I thank the br
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The podcast currently has 10 episodes available.
Today we welcome Eav, fellow Climactic Collective podcaster and environmental educator, living in Sydney. Her life journey has been marked by encounters with nature and periods of struggle, that as we will discover steered her in the direction of being a science communicator, an improvisor, crafter and artist. Eav Joined Climactic in March 2020 & she reached out to me, with a mutual passion for caring about our mental health as we take action on climate change.
Her focus is on advocating for our climate community & groups to move forward together with a trauma informed frame. In this chat Eav shares her own lived experience through dark and challenging periods of life where we hear how connection – with others and the natural world – and time to reflect through the lens of understanding, formed the foundation, and the stage, for healing, grieving and going forth in a way that is true to herself, that bring her meaning and purpose.
Be sure to listen in a comfortable place, or perhaps as you wander through nature, to allow the many layers of this conversation sink in.
Resources
Follow Eav on Twitter - https://twitter.com/eavbrennan
Listen to her series on the recovery from the '19/'20 Black Summer bushfires - https://omny.fm/shows/aftermath-1
For local mental health crisis supports - Head to Health
Book: Radical Joy for Hard Times by Trebbe Johnson. Listen to the author here
Learn about Oceanography here - https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/oceanography/
Bronwyn Gresham hosts a conversation between four psychologists about facing the climate crisis.
About Sally
Sally Gillespie, PhD, worked as a Jungian psychotherapist for over twenty years before completing her doctoral research in climate psychology.
Her recent publication, Climate Crisis and Consciousness: Re-imagining our owrkd and ourselves is an intriguing and essential read, venturing into our collective stories and consciousness and guiding us towards a space that has promise even in our difficult reality. Check out her book here
Sally has kindly shared her recommendations for reading and materials.
About Christine
Dr Christine Canty is a clinical neuropsychologist with a passion for climate activism. She is involved in XR Families and the XR Outreach team.
Listen to her incredible speech from the XR Spring Rebellion (about 20 min into this episode)
And in person here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kWqlzW7-nw
About Carol
Carol Ride is the founder of Psychology for a Safe Climate after being a longstanding psychotherapist and climate activist. Our friends in Dumbo Feather spoke to Carol in 2017, and the importance of inner work is as relevant now as it was then.
Recommended Reading and Resources
A great place to start is the Climate Psychology Alliance short podcasts on a range of subjects including eco anxiety, climate grief, communication, etc
https://www.climatepsychologyalliance.org/podcasts.
Another excellent entry point are information sheets and booklets from Australian Psychological Society: https://www.psychology.org.au/for-the-public/Psychology-topics/Climate-change-psychology
Also very helpful are writings on https://www.climateandmind.org/
For an accessible psychological insights and support for climate communication and action you can download Psychology for a Safe Climate’s booklets: Let’s speak about climate change, Facing the heat: Stories of climate change conversations and Coping with climate change distress, all available on https://www.psychologyforasafeclimate.org/publications
For an engaging video introduction to climate communication go to Rosemary Randall’s lecture for the Cambridge Climate Lecture Series 2019 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqXtJt9OoLA.
Ro Randall’s podcast and blog pieces are also excellent on both communication and the activist trajectory https://rorandall.org/.
Paul Hoggett and Rosemary Randall’s insightful short paper ‘Sustainable activism: Managing hope and despair in social movements” (2017) can be found at https://www.climatepsychologyalliance.org/explorations/papers/201-sustainable-activism-managing-hope-and-despair-in-social-movements
Also many excellent short pieces on climate communication on Renee Lertzman’s website https://reneelertzman.com/essays/
For very helpful short pieces on burnout go to https://transitionnetwork.org/news-and-blog/editorial-sophy-banks-on-balance-or-burnout/ and https://grist.org/article/2010-05-12-coming-out-of-the-closet-my-climate-trauma-and-yours/
Per Espen Stoknes identifies psychological barriers to climate action and communication in What We Think About When We Try Not To Think About Global Warming: Toward a New Psychology of Climate Action (Chelsea Green, 2015). This warm and thoughtful book is full of personal stories and strategic solutions for encouraging individual and social responses. Political adviser and climate campaigner Alex Evans gives a short insightful account of how stories and myths hinder or activate change in the The Myth Gap: What happens when evidence is not enough (Eden Project, 2017).
Joanna Macy’s work has sustained generations of environmental activists. Her most recent book, highly recommended, is Active Hope: How to face the mess we’re in without going crazy, co-authored with Chris Johnstone, (New World Library, 2012). Watch her videos and podcasts on https://www.joannamacy.net/main#multimedia
Sally's book, Climate Crisis and Consciousness: Reimagining our world and ourselves, is available from Routledge https://www.routledge.com/Climate-Crisis-and-Consciousness-Reimagining-Our-World-and-Ourselves/Gillespie/p/book/9780367365349
(30% discount code is ADS 19) or get your library to order it in!
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A panel discussion led by Margaret Klein Salamon, author of Facing the Climate Emergency: How to transform yourself with climate truth
Yes, we're facing catastrophic collapse. Yes it’s terrifying. But you don't have to be paralyzed by your fear, grief, and other painful feelings. You can use your pain to transform yourself, your friends, and your world. You can become the hero humanity needs. I want to show you how. - Margaret Klein Salamon
Margaret Klein Salamon, author of Facing the Climate Emergency: How to transform yourself with climate truth, and founding director of The Climate Mobilization in the US will lead a panel discussion that explores the emotional challenges of facing the climate emergency.
She will be joined by:
Dr Sally Gillespie, author of Climate Crisis and Consciousness: Reimagining our world and ourselves and co-founder of the Climate Wellbeing Network in Sydney. She writes: Joining with others to address the climate crisis is a potent catalyst for reshaping an isolated experience of self into a connected one.
Dr Charles LeFeuvre, Vice President of Psychology for a Safe Climate, he is a psychiatrist and psychotherapist and has been involved in writing and speaking about psychological approaches to climate change over many years.
Dr Susie Burke, a Fellow of the Australian Psychological Society, and author of the Climate Change Empowerment Handbook. She has a particular interest in how to raise children in and for a climate altered world.
This event is hosted by Psychology for a Safe Climate and chaired by Carol Ride, President.
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Bob Doppelt is the Executive Director of the Resource Innovation Group (TRIG) and the founder and Coordinator of the International Transformational Resilience Coalition (ITRC).
Trained in both counseling psychology and environmental science, he has combined the two fields throughout his
From 2003 to 2011 he directed the Climate Leadership Initiative (CLI) at the University of Oregon, where he still teaches part time.
Bob is the author of Leading Change toward Sustainability: A Change Management Guide for Business, Government, and Civil Society (Greenleaf Publishing, 2003).
What is transformational resilience?
Special Guest: Bob Doppelt.
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Ever wondered about the phrase ‘think globally, act locally’? Or how your local community could transition to zero emissions? Well we are stoke to say that this visionary work is underway right now! In this episode we chat with the delightful Imogen Jubb, Australian National Manager of Zero Carbon Communities, a Beyond Zero Emissions initiative. Imogen has had an impressive sustainability focused career, beginning in ecology, then climate change communications and now on one of the biggest and most promising solutions, transitioning communities at scale to beyond zero emissions. She has authored the Zero Carbon Communities guide and was the principal director of the Australian Local Government Climate Review 2018. She is an elected Board Member of the Australian Energy Foundation and previously worked with the Bureau of Meteorology and CSIRO where she co-authored reports with some of Australia’s leading climate-change scientists. Listen in to hear all about this, and how Imogen has sustained her passion and connection with this challenging work.
And for those who identify as women out there, if you feel inspired and could benefit from leadership support, check out the Womens Environmental Leadership Australia who are now taking applications for 2020. So much going on. Get amongst it!!
Special Guest: Imogen Jubb.
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Climactic Community Corner
Night Terrace Kickstarter
Nature for Life Rally - November 28th, 12pm, Melbourne Parliament, Spring Street.
Meet Paul Shelton.
Paul is the director of Growing Spaces, Member of the founding committee of Transition Australia and past president of Transition Darebin for four years. Winner of Darebin Sustainability Awards local hero in 2016 and Winner of Australia’s most edible street, which I presume we can also thank his amazing wife for also!
Paul is someone who has thought deeply about the question, what life do we want to live? And together with his family made meaningful changes, and even wrote a blog about it called A year of Treading Lightly. In this episode he speaks frankly about the challenges this brings, and experiences of raising his kids to understand climate change and build their emotional resilience.
At a time when we are facing the reality of feared futures, this episode offers complimentary breathing space. A perspective that synthesises the painful reality with possibilities of growth and meaning.
Paul organised a national convergence this year for Transition towns, attracting 120 locals and 50 people from around Australia. Their focus was on generating powerful, visible and interdependent actions.
Transition Towns are focused on balancing motivating visions of what’s possible along-side here and now proactive local approaches. The movement embodies the spirit of empowerment, a powerful blend of self-determination and community connections that together inspires and generates communal resilience.
So wherever you are, thank you for listening, for caring deeply with us.
Enjoy and soak up the joyful energy of this episode.
Special Guest: Paul Shelton.
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Bronwyn has a great chat with community stalwart, long-time activist, former school teacher and community radio host Anthony Gleeson, and gleans three key lessons about personally sustaining activism.
Also, we celebrate our 75th numbered episode and 100th episode in total. Thanks to you for being with us, we honestly couldn't do this without an audience, and we appreciate you joining us to share in these stories.
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Community Corner
Stop Adani Melbourne's September actions targeting GHD, Adani engineering contractor.
Special Guest: Anthony Gleeson.
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Matt Wicking is a well-known figure in the environmental community. Through years of mentoring and facilitating at the Centre for Sustainable Leadership, he's worked with some of the leaders in the community, and helped them find their strength. Two of Climactic's own, Georgia and Maxine, have been taught by Matt. He showed great humility and grace by being willing to speak to us not only about his work, his mindset and approach to life in the time of climate change, but also his issues and burdens.
This is a timely discussion, as many of us are feeling tired and overwhelmed in the wake of the Australian election, and need to hear how to set a basis for our own strength. To care for ourselves, so we can be of service to others.
We hope you enjoy this candid, heartfelt, and extremely relevant chat with Matt Wicking, and follow the links to check out his work.
Credits:
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Special Guest: Matt Wicking.
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Holly Hammond is a stalwart of the social activism community, but when she's not on the baricades or on a march, she's practising radical self-care, and helping others to do the same. Burnout is endemic in the activist community, but maybe it doesn't have to be. Holly's efforts, and organising, have helped scores of members of the community overcome burnout, overwhelm, and emotional fatigue. With host Bronwyn, a self-care advocate in her own right, this conversation dives deep into how we need to look after ourselves, while looking out for others. Please check out the resources, Holly's sites, and if you're feeling overwhelmed, feel free to reach out to us and we'll get you connected with the great people in the community eager to help.
Tools referred to in this podcast:
*Reviewing activitist year *
Healthy goal setting
Desired feelings
Resources for sustaining activism
Climactic Community Corner — Send us your own message, up to one minute, to play on the show, to @climacticshow on Facebook or [email protected]
Credits:
Special Guest: Holly Hammond.
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The Climactic Collective is the next phase for Climactic, and it starts now.
Member of the Climactic Collective Bronwyn Gresham brings us this interview with Carolyn Ingvarson, founder of the influential group Lighter Footprints. Based in the eastern Kooyong area of Melbourne, the group started initially in response to the film, An Inconvenient Truth, as a way to gather like-minded locals to make improvements in their home and personal sustainability. But the group has grown into something much bigger, and is now the gold-standard for the type of influence and impact a community group can have.
Instrumental to this has been Carolyn's leadership. Bronwyn is able to peel back Carolyn's experiences and victories, and learn her fears and doubts. In the process, this episode delivers a powerful story about reconciling with your own perceived weaknesses, and how to harness them to become strengths.
We hope you enjoy this first episode from this new phase of Climactic. Any feedback would be warmly welcome. Email us at [email protected].
Credits:
Hazel Fidecaro — Producer
Rich Bowden — Editor-in-Chief
Mark Spencer — Founder
Maxine Bazeley — Host
Georgia Sheil — Host
Bronwyn Gresham — Host
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The podcast currently has 10 episodes available.