Parallel to the large main events of the COP24 negotiations, there are a wide variety of side events. One I attended was a small discussion group at the Climate Hub around the EMOTIONS that climate change induces… How do those people active in the climate change space maintain hope when it sometimes seems so hopeless?
Some of the questions asked in order to understand our responses to this important topic, included:
When I think about climate change and the future, I feel …
When I talk about climate change and the future, I feel …
What I do with these feelings is …
Emotions are a fundamental part of what drives humans to action or inaction, and yet they are often neglected when dealing with pressing issues. The suggestions from the discussion on how to maintain a positive attitude toward climate change included:
– Deriving hope from personal connections with people
– Nurturing healthy interactions where you can see the positive effects
– Focusing on a scope that is manageable in order to prevent apathy from feeling overwhelmed
– Fostering community and solidarity with like-minded people, in order to benefit from the good energy
– Being part of something meaningful makes people feel like they have a purpose
– Practicing solidarity with the view that “We are all in this together now”
– Beginning discussions from a stance of empathy in order to avoid a hostile response that makes conversations harder and/or laced with negative sentiments
– Celebrating the victories, regardless of how small they are
I must say I walked out of the workshop feeling a lot better than I did walking in. I guess we are all in this together, and we have to figure it out. Together.
Richard Halsey, COP24, 12 Dec.
