Week 16 Reflection
Climate Justice, Digital Activism, and Gender, Prof. Frances Roberts-Gregory
By Cormac Madden, 5/1/2019
Our final topic for the semester was "Love, Memory, and Ecological Healing," which came with a number of articles that focused on the effects of climate change on mental health and some strategies for dealing with the mental health effects of climate change. Gifford and Gifford (2016) give a brief overview of these many effects, which can range from eco-anxiety to the "solastalgia"that is felt by those who witness the gradual degradation of a familiar landscape or ecosystem. Askland et al. (2018) explore a specific case of this solastalgia, examining the effects of coal mining on one specific New South Wales community. They argue that the destruction of landscapes can have profound mental health effects on the people who live near and love those landscapes, including ecological anxieties brought on by the deception of energy companies. Simms (2017) explores another community facing the destruction of its homeland, that of coastal Louisiana, and examines the attachments that people feel to the coastal wetlands. Simms finds that these attachments come in three main categories: a feeling of a sense of place, the importance of social relations, and the resilience of the people. Finally hooks (2000) presents an argument for prioritizing an ethic of love, in contrast to the prevalent ethic of domination. This ethic would emphasize caring for others, a sense of community, and service to others in the goal of procuring liberation, equality and freedom.
bell hooks' ethic of love philosophy is incredibly attractive to me, as it promotes empathy, care, and community practices in the creation of a better world. I feel that we should strive to promote these principles, rather than to promote violence and apathy. Still, just espousing these beliefs is not nearly enough. Endorsing an ethic of love requires tireless work and an evaluation of your own positionality and privilege, as hooks writes. I also enjoyed the exercises contained in Davenport (2017), which offer relief from the stresses and anxieties of climate change and its effects on mental health. I feel that the importance of prioritizing mental health initiatives, especially in fields such as climate change where its effects may not feel as obvious, is crucial to establishing a healthier, better world.
Key Terms
Solastalgia: The distress brought on by environmental change.
Sense of Place: The attachment that one has to their home or home environment.
Eco-anxiety: Anxiety that is brought on by habitual worrying about one's environment.
References
Askland, Hedda Haugen, and Matthew Bunn. 2018. "Lived experiences of environmental change: Solastalgia, power, and place." Emotion, space, and society 27:16-22.
Davenport, Leslie. 2017. Emotional Resiliency in the Era of Climate Change. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Gifford, Eva, and Robert Gifford. 2016. "The largely unacknowledged impact of climate change on mental health." Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists 72(5): 292-297.
hooks, bell. 2000. "Love as the Practice of Freedom."
Simms, Jessica. 2017. "'Why Would I Live Anyplace Else?': Resilience, Sense of Place, and Possibilities of Migration in Coastal Louisiana." Journal of Coastal Research.
By Cormac Madden, 5/1/2019
Our final topic for the semester was "Love, Memory, and Ecological Healing," which came with a number of articles that focused on the effects of climate change on mental health and some strategies for dealing with the mental health effects of climate change. Gifford and Gifford (2016) give a brief overview of these many effects, which can range from eco-anxiety to the "solastalgia"that is felt by those who witness the gradual degradation of a familiar landscape or ecosystem. Askland et al. (2018) explore a specific case of this solastalgia, examining the effects of coal mining on one specific New South Wales community. They argue that the destruction of landscapes can have profound mental health effects on the people who live near and love those landscapes, including ecological anxieties brought on by the deception of energy companies. Simms (2017) explores another community facing the destruction of its homeland, that of coastal Louisiana, and examines the attachments that people feel to the coastal wetlands. Simms finds that these attachments come in three main categories: a feeling of a sense of place, the importance of social relations, and the resilience of the people. Finally hooks (2000) presents an argument for prioritizing an ethic of love, in contrast to the prevalent ethic of domination. This ethic would emphasize caring for others, a sense of community, and service to others in the goal of procuring liberation, equality and freedom.
bell hooks' ethic of love philosophy is incredibly attractive to me, as it promotes empathy, care, and community practices in the creation of a better world. I feel that we should strive to promote these principles, rather than to promote violence and apathy. Still, just espousing these beliefs is not nearly enough. Endorsing an ethic of love requires tireless work and an evaluation of your own positionality and privilege, as hooks writes. I also enjoyed the exercises contained in Davenport (2017), which offer relief from the stresses and anxieties of climate change and its effects on mental health. I feel that the importance of prioritizing mental health initiatives, especially in fields such as climate change where its effects may not feel as obvious, is crucial to establishing a healthier, better world.
Key Terms
Solastalgia: The distress brought on by environmental change.
Sense of Place: The attachment that one has to their home or home environment.
Eco-anxiety: Anxiety that is brought on by habitual worrying about one's environment.
References
Askland, Hedda Haugen, and Matthew Bunn. 2018. "Lived experiences of environmental change: Solastalgia, power, and place." Emotion, space, and society 27:16-22.
Davenport, Leslie. 2017. Emotional Resiliency in the Era of Climate Change. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Gifford, Eva, and Robert Gifford. 2016. "The largely unacknowledged impact of climate change on mental health." Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists 72(5): 292-297.
hooks, bell. 2000. "Love as the Practice of Freedom."
Simms, Jessica. 2017. "'Why Would I Live Anyplace Else?': Resilience, Sense of Place, and Possibilities of Migration in Coastal Louisiana." Journal of Coastal Research.
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