Podcasts about necrofauna the science

Dr. Britt Wray is a science communicator and the author of two books. Her latest is Generation Dread: Finding Purpose in an Age of Climate Anxiety, which is a national bestseller. Dr. Wray is also the director of CIRCLE (Community-minded Interventions for Resilience, Climate Leadership, and Emotional wellbeing) at Stanford Psychiatry, a research and action initiative in the Stanford School of Medicine. Her first book, the Rise of the Necrofauna: The Science, Ethics, and Risks of De-Extinction was named a best book of 2017 by the New Yorker. She most recently is a top award winner of the Eric and Wendy Schmidt Awards for Excellence in Science Communications, which was bestowed upon her by the National Academies in partnership with Schmidt Futures.Climate change evokes a myriad of emotions unique to each individual. It can stir outrage in some, sadness in others, a sense of helplessness for some, and dread for the future in others. There is no universally right or wrong reaction, as our responses are shaped by our distinct relationships with the world and the diverse circumstances in which we live. The perception of climate change varies; for some, it may feel abstract, while for others, the impacts are undeniably profound and far-reaching.But as Dr. Wray points out, we know that climate change as we are experiencing it is anthropogenic, meaning it's the result of human behavior. And yet so little has been studied about the human behavioral response to climate change. How do we individually and collectively feel about climate change, and what do those feelings drive us to do? This is the sweet spot of Britt's work.In this episode, we cover: An overview of Dr. Wray's research on climate distressHer work as the Director of CIRCLE (Community-minded Interventions for Resilience, Climate Leadership, and Emotional Wellbeing) at Stanford PsychiatryAn overview of climate anxiety and its impact on peopleThe concept of solastalgia and broken record, record breakingThe importance of community and social connections in addressing climate anxietyThe need for evaluation and evidence-based interventions for climate anxietyIncluding behavioralists and psychologists when addressing climate changeThe potential role of guilt in motivating action on climate changeThe impact of climate change on reproductive decisions and parentingDr. Wray's book and newsletterThe importance of open and vulnerable conversations about climate changeEpisode recorded on Jan 29, 2024 (Published on Feb 26, 2024) Get connected with MCJ: Jason Jacobs X / LinkedInCody Simms X / LinkedInMCJ Podcast / Collective / YouTube*If you liked this episode, please consider giving us a review! You can also reach us via email at content@mcjcollective.com, where we encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.

How's your mental health around climate change? That is today's big question, and my guest is Britt Wray. Britt and I recorded this conversation in 2022. It is an all-time favorite of mine and of our listeners.Britt is the author of the fantastic book, Generation Dread: Finding Purpose in an Age of Climate Crisis. She has a passionate generational perspective on how to stay sane amid climate disruption. Britt has a PhD in science communication from the University of Copenhagen. She's the author of The Rise of the Necrofauna: The Science, Ethics, and Risks of De-Extinction. Britt has a PhD in science communication from the University of Copenhagen. She has hosted several podcasts, radio, and TV programs with the BBC and CBC, and is a TED resident. Britt is currently a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine where she is researching the mental health impacts of climate change on young people. Britt is also the author of Gen Dread, the first newsletter that shares wide-ranging ideas for supporting emotional health and psychological resilience in the climate and wider ecological crisis. I read it every week.-----------Have feedback or questions? Tweet us, or send a message to questions@importantnotimportant.comNew here? Get started with our fan favorite episodes at podcast.importantnotimportant.com.-----------INI Book Club:Generation Dread: Finding Purpose in an Age of Climate Crisis by Britt WrayGreek Myths by Gustav SchwabFind all of our guest recommendations at the INI Book Club: https://bookshop.org/lists/important-not-important-book-clubLinks:Follow Britt Wray on TwitterFollow @gen_dread on InstagramGen Dread NewsletterClimate AwakeningClimate CaféGood Grief NetworkWork That ReconnectsClimate Psychology AllianceClimate Psychiatry AllianceFollow us:Subscribe to our newsletter at

"So I have a background in conservation biology and have been a science communicator for well over a decade and a half now, and of course, doing that work you're confronted with climate, environmental reports and studies, which were a consistent part of my emotional baseline, just being aware of the fact that this is not all going well, which every now and then would make me feel low, for sure, in a way that was quite noticeable. But it became much more poignant in my life in 2017 when my partner and I started considering whether or not to have a kid, and I hadn't connected the reproductive part of life to the climate crisis. And all of a sudden this topic was the only thing I could really think about because it became such a dilemma for me personally, as to whether or not I felt comfortable having a child, given what the science says about where we're headed and what the lack of historical action means for the future of any child born to date, even one with privilege and protection from its parental outset. So that then, you know, eco-anxiety and climate anxiety and eco-grief in these terms that we now have as kind of household items that people are familiar with, that we have lots of journalism around, which has especially emerged in the last three years or so.At that time, I didn't have words to describe what I was feeling and I felt very deviant for even questioning whether or not it was okay to have kids in the climate crisis. I didn't really see it reflected. I figured, Okay, this is probably me getting a little bit loopy here, and I ought to do something to bring more perspective into my line of view. And that started me on a research project looking at the psychological impacts of the climate crisis writ large beyond just the reproductive angle, but that was my on-ramp."Britt Wray is the author of Generation Dread: Finding Purpose in an Age of Climate Crisis. She's a writer and broadcaster researching the emotional and psychological impacts of the climate crisis. Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, she is a post-doctoral fellow at Stanford University and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, where she investigates the mental health consequences of ecological disruption. She holds a PhD in Science Communication from the University of Copenhagen. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post Guardian, and Globe and Mail, among other publications. She has hosted several podcasts, radio, and TV programs with the BBC and CBC, is a TED Resident, and writes Gan Dread, a newsletter about staying sane in the climate crisis. She is also the author of Rise of the Necrofauna: The Science, Ethics, and Risks of De-Extinction.www.brittwray.comwww.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/647141/generation-dread-by-britt-wrayhttps://greystonebooks.com/products/rise-of-the-necrofauna www.oneplanetpodcast.orgwww.creativeprocess.info

Britt Wray is the author of Generation Dread: Finding Purpose in an Age of Climate Crisis. She's a writer and broadcaster researching the emotional and psychological impacts of the climate crisis. Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, she is a post-doctoral fellow at Stanford University and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, where she investigates the mental health consequences of ecological disruption. She holds a PhD in Science Communication from the University of Copenhagen. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post Guardian, and Globe and Mail, among other publications. She has hosted several podcasts, radio, and TV programs with the BBC and CBC, is a TED Resident, and writes Gan Dread, a newsletter about staying sane in the climate crisis. She is also the author of Rise of the Necrofauna: The Science, Ethics, and Risks of De-Extinction."In our study, we're looking at climate anxietyin 10,000 young people around the world, 16 to 25-year-olds in 10 countries across low, middle, high income settings, and 45% of the global respondents of these young people said that their climate anxiety is impairing their daily functioning. So concentrating, eating, going to school, going to work, playing, having fun, that kind of thing. They had very negative thoughts. 75% of the people around the world said that the future is frightening. 56% said that they feel humanity is doomed. And 39% said that they're hesitant to have their own kids. So, because of all that, we know - if we're talking in Nigeria, India, Philippines, Canada, UK, US, Australia, Finland, and some other countries - we're looking across really diverse scenarios in terms of the national income and what that means for their ability to adapt and respond to climate threats and also their exposure already to climate hazards and disasters that are going on.So for that global aggregate to be that high, it's pretty striking. And then when you really dig into the most affected and underserved countries on this issue, so those with lower level economies and more climate disasters, you see the distress shooting through the roof – more around 74% of the young people saying that it's impairing functioning, for instance. So it's a severe health equity issue thinking about what it means to live with the psychological impacts of the climate crisis. And then also pointing out who's deserving who needs the most attention and support at this time, rather than just kind of foisting all the attention and resources on, in this case, it would be young people in industrialized nations who are suffering as well but not at the rates of lower income nations with more climate disasters."www.brittwray.comwww.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/647141/generation-dread-by-britt-wrayhttps://greystonebooks.com/products/rise-of-the-necrofauna www.oneplanetpodcast.orgwww.creativeprocess.info

"In our study, we're looking at climate anxietyin 10,000 young people around the world, 16 to 25-year-olds in 10 countries across low, middle, high income settings, and 45% of the global respondents of these young people said that their climate anxiety is impairing their daily functioning. So concentrating, eating, going to school, going to work, playing, having fun, that kind of thing. They had very negative thoughts. 75% of the people around the world said that the future is frightening. 56% said that they feel humanity is doomed. And 39% said that they're hesitant to have their own kids. So, because of all that, we know - if we're talking in Nigeria, India, Philippines, Canada, UK, US, Australia, Finland, and some other countries - we're looking across really diverse scenarios in terms of the national income and what that means for their ability to adapt and respond to climate threats and also their exposure already to climate hazards and disasters that are going on.So for that global aggregate to be that high, it's pretty striking. And then when you really dig into the most affected and underserved countries on this issue, so those with lower level economies and more climate disasters, you see the distress shooting through the roof – more around 74% of the young people saying that it's impairing functioning, for instance. So it's a severe health equity issue thinking about what it means to live with the psychological impacts of the climate crisis. And then also pointing out who's deserving who needs the most attention and support at this time, rather than just kind of foisting all the attention and resources on, in this case, it would be young people in industrialized nations who are suffering as well but not at the rates of lower income nations with more climate disasters."Britt Wray is the author of Generation Dread: Finding Purpose in an Age of Climate Crisis. She's a writer and broadcaster researching the emotional and psychological impacts of the climate crisis. Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, she is a post-doctoral fellow at Stanford University and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, where she investigates the mental health consequences of ecological disruption. She holds a PhD in Science Communication from the University of Copenhagen. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post Guardian, and Globe and Mail, among other publications. She has hosted several podcasts, radio, and TV programs with the BBC and CBC, is a TED Resident, and writes Gan Dread, a newsletter about staying sane in the climate crisis. She is also the author of Rise of the Necrofauna: The Science, Ethics, and Risks of De-Extinction.www.brittwray.comwww.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/647141/generation-dread-by-britt-wrayhttps://greystonebooks.com/products/rise-of-the-necrofauna www.oneplanetpodcast.orgwww.creativeprocess.info

Britt Wray is the author of Generation Dread: Finding Purpose in an Age of Climate Crisis. She's a writer and broadcaster researching the emotional and psychological impacts of the climate crisis. Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, she is a post-doctoral fellow at Stanford University and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, where she investigates the mental health consequences of ecological disruption. She holds a PhD in Science Communication from the University of Copenhagen. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post Guardian, and Globe and Mail, among other publications. She has hosted several podcasts, radio, and TV programs with the BBC and CBC, is a TED Resident, and writes Gan Dread, a newsletter about staying sane in the climate crisis. She is also the author of Rise of the Necrofauna: The Science, Ethics, and Risks of De-Extinction."Much greater investment in public transport infrastructure is enormous with about 40% of our carbon pollution in cities coming from cars and transportation. That really needs to be focused on and prioritized, and of course electrifying everything that we can, both in that sector and beyond, including in our buildings. I believe roughly 60% of our carbon pollution in cities is coming from buildings and those that are not built in smart kind of climate-secure ways. How can we shift off of natural gas and towards heat pumps that can heat and cool our homes at the same time, for instance, that are electric? These are big key questions that many people are already creating the pathways of change on that we need to find ways of strengthening and making affordable and having just the everyday homeowner and renter be able to tap into.”www.brittwray.comwww.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/647141/generation-dread-by-britt-wrayhttps://greystonebooks.com/products/rise-of-the-necrofauna www.oneplanetpodcast.orgwww.creativeprocess.info

"Much greater investment in public transport infrastructure is enormous with about 40% of our carbon pollution in cities coming from cars and transportation. That really needs to be focused on and prioritized, and of course electrifying everything that we can, both in that sector and beyond, including in our buildings. I believe roughly 60% of our carbon pollution in cities is coming from buildings and those that are not built in smart kind of climate-secure ways. How can we shift off of natural gas and towards heat pumps that can heat and cool our homes at the same time, for instance, that are electric? These are big key questions that many people are already creating the pathways of change on that we need to find ways of strengthening and making affordable and having just the everyday homeowner and renter be able to tap into.”Britt Wray is the author of Generation Dread: Finding Purpose in an Age of Climate Crisis. She's a writer and broadcaster researching the emotional and psychological impacts of the climate crisis. Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, she is a post-doctoral fellow at Stanford University and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, where she investigates the mental health consequences of ecological disruption. She holds a PhD in Science Communication from the University of Copenhagen. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post Guardian, and Globe and Mail, among other publications. She has hosted several podcasts, radio, and TV programs with the BBC and CBC, is a TED Resident, and writes Gan Dread, a newsletter about staying sane in the climate crisis. She is also the author of Rise of the Necrofauna: The Science, Ethics, and Risks of De-Extinction.www.brittwray.comwww.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/647141/generation-dread-by-britt-wrayhttps://greystonebooks.com/products/rise-of-the-necrofauna www.oneplanetpodcast.orgwww.creativeprocess.info

Britt Wray is the author of Generation Dread: Finding Purpose in an Age of Climate Crisis. She's a writer and broadcaster researching the emotional and psychological impacts of the climate crisis. Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, she is a post-doctoral fellow at Stanford University and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, where she investigates the mental health consequences of ecological disruption. She holds a PhD in Science Communication from the University of Copenhagen. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post Guardian, and Globe and Mail, among other publications. She has hosted several podcasts, radio, and TV programs with the BBC and CBC, is a TED Resident, and writes Gan Dread, a newsletter about staying sane in the climate crisis. She is also the author of Rise of the Necrofauna: The Science, Ethics, and Risks of De-Extinction."At that time, I didn't have words to describe what I was feeling and I felt very deviant for even questioning whether or not it was okay to have kids in the climate crisis. I didn't really see it reflected. I figured, Okay, this is probably me getting a little bit loopy here, and I ought to do something to bring more perspective into my line of view.And that started me on a research project looking at the psychological impacts of the climate crisis writ large beyond just the reproductive angle, but that was my on-ramp. And I very quickly discovered, Oh, I'm not alone in these concerns and fears. There's actually a very active, underground conversation of many people my age, millennials and younger, Gen Z, feeling the same. And it just hadn't risen to the surface as a topic that we knew much about. There weren't studies on it at the time."www.brittwray.comwww.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/647141/generation-dread-by-britt-wrayhttps://greystonebooks.com/products/rise-of-the-necrofauna www.oneplanetpodcast.orgwww.creativeprocess.info

"At that time, I didn't have words to describe what I was feeling and I felt very deviant for even questioning whether or not it was okay to have kids in the climate crisis. I didn't really see it reflected. I figured, Okay, this is probably me getting a little bit loopy here, and I ought to do something to bring more perspective into my line of view.And that started me on a research project looking at the psychological impacts of the climate crisis writ large beyond just the reproductive angle, but that was my on-ramp. And I very quickly discovered, Oh, I'm not alone in these concerns and fears. There's actually a very active, underground conversation of many people my age, millennials and younger, Gen Z, feeling the same. And it just hadn't risen to the surface as a topic that we knew much about. There weren't studies on it at the time."Britt Wray is the author of Generation Dread: Finding Purpose in an Age of Climate Crisis. She's a writer and broadcaster researching the emotional and psychological impacts of the climate crisis. Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, she is a post-doctoral fellow at Stanford University and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, where she investigates the mental health consequences of ecological disruption. She holds a PhD in Science Communication from the University of Copenhagen. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post Guardian, and Globe and Mail, among other publications. She has hosted several podcasts, radio, and TV programs with the BBC and CBC, is a TED Resident, and writes Gan Dread, a newsletter about staying sane in the climate crisis. She is also the author of Rise of the Necrofauna: The Science, Ethics, and Risks of De-Extinction.www.brittwray.comwww.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/647141/generation-dread-by-britt-wrayhttps://greystonebooks.com/products/rise-of-the-necrofauna www.oneplanetpodcast.orgwww.creativeprocess.info

Britt Wray is the author of Generation Dread: Finding Purpose in an Age of Climate Crisis. She's a writer and broadcaster researching the emotional and psychological impacts of the climate crisis. Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, she is a post-doctoral fellow at Stanford University and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, where she investigates the mental health consequences of ecological disruption. She holds a PhD in Science Communication from the University of Copenhagen. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post Guardian, and Globe and Mail, among other publications. She has hosted several podcasts, radio, and TV programs with the BBC and CBC, is a TED Resident, and writes Gan Dread, a newsletter about staying sane in the climate crisis. She is also the author of Rise of the Necrofauna: The Science, Ethics, and Risks of De-Extinction."At that time, I didn't have words to describe what I was feeling and I felt very deviant for even questioning whether or not it was okay to have kids in the climate crisis. I didn't really see it reflected. I figured, Okay, this is probably me getting a little bit loopy here, and I ought to do something to bring more perspective into my line of view. And that started me on a research project looking at the psychological impacts of the climate crisis writ large beyond just the reproductive angle, but that was my on-ramp.””We're going to certainly have an evolving learning journey there together in our family, but it starts with engendering the kind of partnership model, like bringing our kid out into nature, allowing him to foster that sense of connection and love for natural landscapes ecosystem species, so that there's a, an interest in protective measures and usually supportive relationships to nature growing up.I think that's really important as well as listening, when he's ready to talk about it and tells me how he's feeling, be able to create space for that and attend to the emotions, if they're distressing or challenging. There are all kinds of approaches for supporting young people to deal with, you know, nervous system reactions and ways of thinking about the future to balance hope and fear that I think will be really key, but not introducing until he's ready. And not doing it too young because we don't want to unduly stress a young person who's not completed the development of their brain to think about such overwhelming problems, but we do live in a culture in which it's going to come in through osmosis at some point because we're living in it.And so being just really attentive and validating and listening and engendering a culture of action taking in our lives in our family activism. And you know, young people need to understand that there are people around them who are supporting them, who are validating how important this is, and who are working alongside them to help them navigate the future and prepare in resilience, building ways for the massive changes that are underway."www.brittwray.comwww.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/647141/generation-dread-by-britt-wrayhttps://greystonebooks.com/products/rise-of-the-necrofauna www.oneplanetpodcast.orgwww.creativeprocess.info

"At that time, I didn't have words to describe what I was feeling and I felt very deviant for even questioning whether or not it was okay to have kids in the climate crisis. I didn't really see it reflected. I figured, Okay, this is probably me getting a little bit loopy here, and I ought to do something to bring more perspective into my line of view. And that started me on a research project looking at the psychological impacts of the climate crisis writ large beyond just the reproductive angle, but that was my on-ramp.””We're going to certainly have an evolving learning journey there together in our family, but it starts with engendering the kind of partnership model, like bringing our kid out into nature, allowing him to foster that sense of connection and love for natural landscapes ecosystem species, so that there's a, an interest in protective measures and usually supportive relationships to nature growing up.I think that's really important as well as listening, when he's ready to talk about it and tells me how he's feeling, be able to create space for that and attend to the emotions, if they're distressing or challenging. There are all kinds of approaches for supporting young people to deal with, you know, nervous system reactions and ways of thinking about the future to balance hope and fear that I think will be really key, but not introducing until he's ready. And not doing it too young because we don't want to unduly stress a young person who's not completed the development of their brain to think about such overwhelming problems, but we do live in a culture in which it's going to come in through osmosis at some point because we're living in it.And so being just really attentive and validating and listening and engendering a culture of action taking in our lives in our family activism. And you know, young people need to understand that there are people around them who are supporting them, who are validating how important this is, and who are working alongside them to help them navigate the future and prepare in resilience, building ways for the massive changes that are underway."Britt Wray is the author of Generation Dread: Finding Purpose in an Age of Climate Crisis. She's a writer and broadcaster researching the emotional and psychological impacts of the climate crisis. Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, she is a post-doctoral fellow at Stanford University and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, where she investigates the mental health consequences of ecological disruption. She holds a PhD in Science Communication from the University of Copenhagen. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post Guardian, and Globe and Mail, among other publications. She has hosted several podcasts, radio, and TV programs with the BBC and CBC, is a TED Resident, and writes Gan Dread, a newsletter about staying sane in the climate crisis. She is also the author of Rise of the Necrofauna: The Science, Ethics, and Risks of De-Extinction.www.brittwray.comwww.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/647141/generation-dread-by-britt-wrayhttps://greystonebooks.com/products/rise-of-the-necrofauna www.oneplanetpodcast.orgwww.creativeprocess.info

Britt Wray is the author of Generation Dread: Finding Purpose in an Age of Climate Crisis. She's a writer and broadcaster researching the emotional and psychological impacts of the climate crisis. Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, she is a post-doctoral fellow at Stanford University and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, where she investigates the mental health consequences of ecological disruption. She holds a PhD in Science Communication from the University of Copenhagen. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post Guardian, and Globe and Mail, among other publications. She has hosted several podcasts, radio, and TV programs with the BBC and CBC, is a TED Resident, and writes Gan Dread, a newsletter about staying sane in the climate crisis. She is also the author of Rise of the Necrofauna: The Science, Ethics, and Risks of De-Extinction."So I have a background in conservation biology and have been a science communicator for well over a decade and a half now, and of course, doing that work you're confronted with climate, environmental reports and studies, which were a consistent part of my emotional baseline, just being aware of the fact that this is not all going well, which every now and then would make me feel low, for sure, in a way that was quite noticeable. But it became much more poignant in my life in 2017 when my partner and I started considering whether or not to have a kid, and I hadn't connected the reproductive part of life to the climate crisis. And all of a sudden this topic was the only thing I could really think about because it became such a dilemma for me personally, as to whether or not I felt comfortable having a child, given what the science says about where we're headed and what the lack of historical action means for the future of any child born to date, even one with privilege and protection from its parental outset. So that then, you know, eco-anxiety and climate anxiety and eco-grief in these terms that we now have as kind of household items that people are familiar with, that we have lots of journalism around, which has especially emerged in the last three years or so.At that time, I didn't have words to describe what I was feeling and I felt very deviant for even questioning whether or not it was okay to have kids in the climate crisis. I didn't really see it reflected. I figured, Okay, this is probably me getting a little bit loopy here, and I ought to do something to bring more perspective into my line of view. And that started me on a research project looking at the psychological impacts of the climate crisis writ large beyond just the reproductive angle, but that was my on-ramp."www.brittwray.comwww.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/647141/generation-dread-by-britt-wrayhttps://greystonebooks.com/products/rise-of-the-necrofauna www.oneplanetpodcast.orgwww.creativeprocess.info

"So I have a background in conservation biology and have been a science communicator for well over a decade and a half now, and of course, doing that work you're confronted with climate, environmental reports and studies, which were a consistent part of my emotional baseline, just being aware of the fact that this is not all going well, which every now and then would make me feel low, for sure, in a way that was quite noticeable. But it became much more poignant in my life in 2017 when my partner and I started considering whether or not to have a kid, and I hadn't connected the reproductive part of life to the climate crisis. And all of a sudden this topic was the only thing I could really think about because it became such a dilemma for me personally, as to whether or not I felt comfortable having a child, given what the science says about where we're headed and what the lack of historical action means for the future of any child born to date, even one with privilege and protection from its parental outset. So that then, you know, eco-anxiety and climate anxiety and eco-grief in these terms that we now have as kind of household items that people are familiar with, that we have lots of journalism around, which has especially emerged in the last three years or so.At that time, I didn't have words to describe what I was feeling and I felt very deviant for even questioning whether or not it was okay to have kids in the climate crisis. I didn't really see it reflected. I figured, Okay, this is probably me getting a little bit loopy here, and I ought to do something to bring more perspective into my line of view. And that started me on a research project looking at the psychological impacts of the climate crisis writ large beyond just the reproductive angle, but that was my on-ramp."Britt Wray is the author of Generation Dread: Finding Purpose in an Age of Climate Crisis. She's a writer and broadcaster researching the emotional and psychological impacts of the climate crisis. Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, she is a post-doctoral fellow at Stanford University and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, where she investigates the mental health consequences of ecological disruption. She holds a PhD in Science Communication from the University of Copenhagen. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post Guardian, and Globe and Mail, among other publications. She has hosted several podcasts, radio, and TV programs with the BBC and CBC, is a TED Resident, and writes Gan Dread, a newsletter about staying sane in the climate crisis. She is also the author of Rise of the Necrofauna: The Science, Ethics, and Risks of De-Extinction.www.brittwray.comwww.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/647141/generation-dread-by-britt-wrayhttps://greystonebooks.com/products/rise-of-the-necrofauna www.oneplanetpodcast.orgwww.creativeprocess.info

Britt Wray is the author of Generation Dread: Finding Purpose in an Age of Climate Crisis. She's a writer and broadcaster researching the emotional and psychological impacts of the climate crisis. Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, she is a post-doctoral fellow at Stanford University and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, where she investigates the mental health consequences of ecological disruption. She holds a PhD in Science Communication from the University of Copenhagen. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post Guardian, and Globe and Mail, among other publications. She has hosted several podcasts, radio, and TV programs with the BBC and CBC, is a TED Resident, and writes Gan Dread, a newsletter about staying sane in the climate crisis. She is also the author of Rise of the Necrofauna: The Science, Ethics, and Risks of De-Extinction."I think the general waking up that I'm seeing around me in so many different parts of society, people from all walks understanding that this is here, it's not a future threat. It's active now. We need to get smart about addressing it. And there's a deep approach that... You know, we've just been through the Great Resignation with COVID where a lot of people are leaving their jobs. But similarly, a lot of people are also asking themselves how can I be of service? What can I do at this time? How am I going to be? And you know, the more climate job boards and networking communities and sites of bringing people together to do that work of figuring out how they're going to go on their climate journey while infusing it with a sense of joy, with a sense of how can we make this fun, right? How can we reshift so this is not just focusing on the negative, but really focusing on what we want to be building and what is abundant and the better life that we're working towards? All of that has been popping up a lot and that gives me an honest sense of hope.You know, I see that reflected. I see real people doing real things and changes in their life. And I feel it within myself and all of those things are just great. It's possible to have high well-being, high meaning, high engagement with things that matter, and that are purposeful, and waves of cultivating, nourishing emotions around all of those things in an increasingly turbulent world. We can do that. So even as the systems around us change. If water is becoming more scarce, let's say, or food scarcity, climate disasters ramping up, and migration crises, there are lots of things that we can do within ourselves to stretch our capacity to be caring and continue taking action for the present moment."www.brittwray.comwww.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/647141/generation-dread-by-britt-wrayhttps://greystonebooks.com/products/rise-of-the-necrofauna www.oneplanetpodcast.orgwww.creativeprocess.info

"I think the general waking up that I'm seeing around me in so many different parts of society, people from all walks understanding that this is here, it's not a future threat. It's active now. We need to get smart about addressing it. And there's a deep approach that... You know, we've just been through the Great Resignation with COVID where a lot of people are leaving their jobs. But similarly, a lot of people are also asking themselves how can I be of service? What can I do at this time? How am I going to be? And you know, the more climate job boards and networking communities and sites of bringing people together to do that work of figuring out how they're going to go on their climate journey while infusing it with a sense of joy, with a sense of how can we make this fun, right? How can we reshift so this is not just focusing on the negative, but really focusing on what we want to be building and what is abundant and the better life that we're working towards? All of that has been popping up a lot and that gives me an honest sense of hope.You know, I see that reflected. I see real people doing real things and changes in their life. And I feel it within myself and all of those things are just great. It's possible to have high well-being, high meaning, high engagement with things that matter, and that are purposeful, and waves of cultivating, nourishing emotions around all of those things in an increasingly turbulent world. We can do that. So even as the systems around us change. If water is becoming more scarce, let's say, or food scarcity, climate disasters ramping up, and migration crises, there are lots of things that we can do within ourselves to stretch our capacity to be caring and continue taking action for the present moment."Britt Wray is the author of Generation Dread: Finding Purpose in an Age of Climate Crisis. She's a writer and broadcaster researching the emotional and psychological impacts of the climate crisis. Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, she is a post-doctoral fellow at Stanford University and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, where she investigates the mental health consequences of ecological disruption. She holds a PhD in Science Communication from the University of Copenhagen. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post Guardian, and Globe and Mail, among other publications. She has hosted several podcasts, radio, and TV programs with the BBC and CBC, is a TED Resident, and writes Gan Dread, a newsletter about staying sane in the climate crisis. She is also the author of Rise of the Necrofauna: The Science, Ethics, and Risks of De-Extinction.www.brittwray.comwww.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/647141/generation-dread-by-britt-wrayhttps://greystonebooks.com/products/rise-of-the-necrofauna www.oneplanetpodcast.orgwww.creativeprocess.info

Britt Wray is the author of Generation Dread: Finding Purpose in an Age of Climate Crisis. She's a writer and broadcaster researching the emotional and psychological impacts of the climate crisis. Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, she is a post-doctoral fellow at Stanford University and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, where she investigates the mental health consequences of ecological disruption. She holds a PhD in Science Communication from the University of Copenhagen. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post Guardian, and Globe and Mail, among other publications. She has hosted several podcasts, radio, and TV programs with the BBC and CBC, is a TED Resident, and writes Gan Dread, a newsletter about staying sane in the climate crisis. She is also the author of Rise of the Necrofauna: The Science, Ethics, and Risks of De-Extinction."So I have a background in conservation biology and have been a science communicator for well over a decade and a half now, and of course, doing that work you're confronted with climate, environmental reports and studies, which were a consistent part of my emotional baseline, just being aware of the fact that this is not all going well, which every now and then would make me feel low, for sure, in a way that was quite noticeable. But it became much more poignant in my life in 2017 when my partner and I started considering whether or not to have a kid, and I hadn't connected the reproductive part of life to the climate crisis. And all of a sudden this topic was the only thing I could really think about because it became such a dilemma for me personally, as to whether or not I felt comfortable having a child, given what the science says about where we're headed and what the lack of historical action means for the future of any child born to date, even one with privilege and protection from its parental outset. So that then, you know, eco-anxiety and climate anxiety and eco-grief in these terms that we now have as kind of household items that people are familiar with, that we have lots of journalism around, which has especially emerged in the last three years or so.At that time, I didn't have words to describe what I was feeling and I felt very deviant for even questioning whether or not it was okay to have kids in the climate crisis. I didn't really see it reflected. I figured, Okay, this is probably me getting a little bit loopy here, and I ought to do something to bring more perspective into my line of view. And that started me on a research project looking at the psychological impacts of the climate crisis writ large beyond just the reproductive angle, but that was my on-ramp."www.brittwray.comwww.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/647141/generation-dread-by-britt-wrayhttps://greystonebooks.com/products/rise-of-the-necrofauna www.oneplanetpodcast.orgwww.creativeprocess.info

"So I have a background in conservation biology and have been a science communicator for well over a decade and a half now, and of course, doing that work you're confronted with climate, environmental reports and studies, which were a consistent part of my emotional baseline, just being aware of the fact that this is not all going well, which every now and then would make me feel low, for sure, in a way that was quite noticeable. But it became much more poignant in my life in 2017 when my partner and I started considering whether or not to have a kid, and I hadn't connected the reproductive part of life to the climate crisis. And all of a sudden this topic was the only thing I could really think about because it became such a dilemma for me personally, as to whether or not I felt comfortable having a child, given what the science says about where we're headed and what the lack of historical action means for the future of any child born to date, even one with privilege and protection from its parental outset. So that then, you know, eco-anxiety and climate anxiety and eco-grief in these terms that we now have as kind of household items that people are familiar with, that we have lots of journalism around, which has especially emerged in the last three years or so.At that time, I didn't have words to describe what I was feeling and I felt very deviant for even questioning whether or not it was okay to have kids in the climate crisis. I didn't really see it reflected. I figured, Okay, this is probably me getting a little bit loopy here, and I ought to do something to bring more perspective into my line of view. And that started me on a research project looking at the psychological impacts of the climate crisis writ large beyond just the reproductive angle, but that was my on-ramp."Britt Wray is the author of Generation Dread: Finding Purpose in an Age of Climate Crisis. She's a writer and broadcaster researching the emotional and psychological impacts of the climate crisis. Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, she is a post-doctoral fellow at Stanford University and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, where she investigates the mental health consequences of ecological disruption. She holds a PhD in Science Communication from the University of Copenhagen. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post Guardian, and Globe and Mail, among other publications. She has hosted several podcasts, radio, and TV programs with the BBC and CBC, is a TED Resident, and writes Gan Dread, a newsletter about staying sane in the climate crisis. She is also the author of Rise of the Necrofauna: The Science, Ethics, and Risks of De-Extinction.www.brittwray.comwww.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/647141/generation-dread-by-britt-wrayhttps://greystonebooks.com/products/rise-of-the-necrofauna www.oneplanetpodcast.orgwww.creativeprocess.info

Britt Wray is the author of Generation Dread: Finding Purpose in an Age of Climate Crisis. She's a writer and broadcaster researching the emotional and psychological impacts of the climate crisis. Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, she is a post-doctoral fellow at Stanford University and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, where she investigates the mental health consequences of ecological disruption. She holds a PhD in Science Communication from the University of Copenhagen. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post Guardian, and Globe and Mail, among other publications. She has hosted several podcasts, radio, and TV programs with the BBC and CBC, is a TED Resident, and writes Gan Dread, a newsletter about staying sane in the climate crisis. She is also the author of Rise of the Necrofauna: The Science, Ethics, and Risks of De-Extinction."I think the general waking up that I'm seeing around me in so many different parts of society, people from all walks understanding that this is here, it's not a future threat. It's active now. We need to get smart about addressing it. And there's a deep approach that... You know, we've just been through the Great Resignation with COVID where a lot of people are leaving their jobs. But similarly, a lot of people are also asking themselves how can I be of service? What can I do at this time? How am I going to be? And you know, the more climate job boards and networking communities and sites of bringing people together to do that work of figuring out how they're going to go on their climate journey while infusing it with a sense of joy, with a sense of how can we make this fun, right? How can we reshift so this is not just focusing on the negative, but really focusing on what we want to be building and what is abundant and the better life that we're working towards? All of that has been popping up a lot and that gives me an honest sense of hope.You know, I see that reflected. I see real people doing real things and changes in their life. And I feel it within myself and all of those things are just great. It's possible to have high well-being, high meaning, high engagement with things that matter, and that are purposeful, and waves of cultivating, nourishing emotions around all of those things in an increasingly turbulent world. We can do that. So even as the systems around us change. If water is becoming more scarce, let's say, or food scarcity, climate disasters ramping up, and migration crises, there are lots of things that we can do within ourselves to stretch our capacity to be caring and continue taking action for the present moment."www.brittwray.comwww.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/647141/generation-dread-by-britt-wrayhttps://greystonebooks.com/products/rise-of-the-necrofauna www.oneplanetpodcast.orgwww.creativeprocess.info

"I think the general waking up that I'm seeing around me in so many different parts of society, people from all walks understanding that this is here, it's not a future threat. It's active now. We need to get smart about addressing it. And there's a deep approach that... You know, we've just been through the Great Resignation with COVID where a lot of people are leaving their jobs. But similarly, a lot of people are also asking themselves how can I be of service? What can I do at this time? How am I going to be? And you know, the more climate job boards and networking communities and sites of bringing people together to do that work of figuring out how they're going to go on their climate journey while infusing it with a sense of joy, with a sense of how can we make this fun, right? How can we reshift so this is not just focusing on the negative, but really focusing on what we want to be building and what is abundant and the better life that we're working towards? All of that has been popping up a lot and that gives me an honest sense of hope.You know, I see that reflected. I see real people doing real things and changes in their life. And I feel it within myself and all of those things are just great. It's possible to have high well-being, high meaning, high engagement with things that matter, and that are purposeful, and waves of cultivating, nourishing emotions around all of those things in an increasingly turbulent world. We can do that. So even as the systems around us change. If water is becoming more scarce, let's say, or food scarcity, climate disasters ramping up, and migration crises, there are lots of things that we can do within ourselves to stretch our capacity to be caring and continue taking action for the present moment."Britt Wray is the author of Generation Dread: Finding Purpose in an Age of Climate Crisis. She's a writer and broadcaster researching the emotional and psychological impacts of the climate crisis. Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, she is a post-doctoral fellow at Stanford University and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, where she investigates the mental health consequences of ecological disruption. She holds a PhD in Science Communication from the University of Copenhagen. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post Guardian, and Globe and Mail, among other publications. She has hosted several podcasts, radio, and TV programs with the BBC and CBC, is a TED Resident, and writes Gan Dread, a newsletter about staying sane in the climate crisis. She is also the author of Rise of the Necrofauna: The Science, Ethics, and Risks of De-Extinction.www.brittwray.comwww.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/647141/generation-dread-by-britt-wrayhttps://greystonebooks.com/products/rise-of-the-necrofauna www.oneplanetpodcast.orgwww.creativeprocess.info

Britt Wray is the author of Generation Dread: Finding Purpose in an Age of Climate Crisis. She's a writer and broadcaster researching the emotional and psychological impacts of the climate crisis. Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, she is a post-doctoral fellow at Stanford University and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, where she investigates the mental health consequences of ecological disruption. She holds a PhD in Science Communication from the University of Copenhagen. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post Guardian, and Globe and Mail, among other publications. She has hosted several podcasts, radio, and TV programs with the BBC and CBC, is a TED Resident, and writes Gan Dread, a newsletter about staying sane in the climate crisis. She is also the author of Rise of the Necrofauna: The Science, Ethics, and Risks of De-Extinction."So I have a background in conservation biology and have been a science communicator for well over a decade and a half now, and of course, doing that work you're confronted with climate, environmental reports and studies, which were a consistent part of my emotional baseline, just being aware of the fact that this is not all going well, which every now and then would make me feel low, for sure, in a way that was quite noticeable. But it became much more poignant in my life in 2017 when my partner and I started considering whether or not to have a kid, and I hadn't connected the reproductive part of life to the climate crisis. And all of a sudden this topic was the only thing I could really think about because it became such a dilemma for me personally, as to whether or not I felt comfortable having a child, given what the science says about where we're headed and what the lack of historical action means for the future of any child born to date, even one with privilege and protection from its parental outset. So that then, you know, eco-anxiety and climate anxiety and eco-grief in these terms that we now have as kind of household items that people are familiar with, that we have lots of journalism around, which has especially emerged in the last three years or so.At that time, I didn't have words to describe what I was feeling and I felt very deviant for even questioning whether or not it was okay to have kids in the climate crisis. I didn't really see it reflected. I figured, Okay, this is probably me getting a little bit loopy here, and I ought to do something to bring more perspective into my line of view. And that started me on a research project looking at the psychological impacts of the climate crisis writ large beyond just the reproductive angle, but that was my on-ramp."www.brittwray.comwww.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/647141/generation-dread-by-britt-wrayhttps://greystonebooks.com/products/rise-of-the-necrofauna www.oneplanetpodcast.orgwww.creativeprocess.info

"So I have a background in conservation biology and have been a science communicator for well over a decade and a half now, and of course, doing that work you're confronted with climate, environmental reports and studies, which were a consistent part of my emotional baseline, just being aware of the fact that this is not all going well, which every now and then would make me feel low, for sure, in a way that was quite noticeable. But it became much more poignant in my life in 2017 when my partner and I started considering whether or not to have a kid, and I hadn't connected the reproductive part of life to the climate crisis. And all of a sudden this topic was the only thing I could really think about because it became such a dilemma for me personally, as to whether or not I felt comfortable having a child, given what the science says about where we're headed and what the lack of historical action means for the future of any child born to date, even one with privilege and protection from its parental outset. So that then, you know, eco-anxiety and climate anxiety and eco-grief in these terms that we now have as kind of household items that people are familiar with, that we have lots of journalism around, which has especially emerged in the last three years or so.At that time, I didn't have words to describe what I was feeling and I felt very deviant for even questioning whether or not it was okay to have kids in the climate crisis. I didn't really see it reflected. I figured, Okay, this is probably me getting a little bit loopy here, and I ought to do something to bring more perspective into my line of view. And that started me on a research project looking at the psychological impacts of the climate crisis writ large beyond just the reproductive angle, but that was my on-ramp."Britt Wray is the author of Generation Dread: Finding Purpose in an Age of Climate Crisis. She's a writer and broadcaster researching the emotional and psychological impacts of the climate crisis. Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, she is a post-doctoral fellow at Stanford University and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, where she investigates the mental health consequences of ecological disruption. She holds a PhD in Science Communication from the University of Copenhagen. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post Guardian, and Globe and Mail, among other publications. She has hosted several podcasts, radio, and TV programs with the BBC and CBC, is a TED Resident, and writes Gan Dread, a newsletter about staying sane in the climate crisis. She is also the author of Rise of the Necrofauna: The Science, Ethics, and Risks of De-Extinction.www.brittwray.comwww.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/647141/generation-dread-by-britt-wrayhttps://greystonebooks.com/products/rise-of-the-necrofauna www.oneplanetpodcast.orgwww.creativeprocess.info

Dr Britt Wray is an author and researcher working at the forefront of climate change and mental health. She is currently a Human and Planetary Health Fellow at Stanford University and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Britt's research focuses on the mental health impacts of the climate crisis and has published popular books such as Rise of the Necrofauna: The Science, Ethics and Risks of De-Extinction, and Generation Dread: Finding Purpose in an Age of Climate Crisis. In this episode, we spoke with Britt about eco-anxiety, how it can affect our mental health and daily lives, and how we can cope and find optimism. We began by diving into the trends in eco-anxiety across demographics and over time. We also discussed the role of media in propelling eco-anxiety and why sentiments of the general public differ from climate experts.  Links: Britt Wray's website Britt's books: Generation Dread and Rise of the NecrofaunaGen Dread newsletter (free subscription!)The Hickman et al. (2021) paper on a global survey on climate anxiety in children and youth and their perception of government responses to climate changeSupport the show

If you give a shit, well, you've probably had at least a few moments where the enormity of what's in front of us has challenged your mental health in some way. I can't imagine there are many folks listening to this show who've never felt the heaviness of our climate future, of our climate present. There's a lot of guilt, a lot of shame, a lot of shame about that shame, a lot of furious action – we're here, aren't we. And running parallel alongside all of those emotions is the dread of what's being done out there, about the lack of action, and for the people who are taking action on the frontlines of the future, giving it their all. But, as Dr. Katharine Hayhoe says, we have to talk about it.  Not just what's happening, but how we're dealing with it.  How we can recognize it and move forward, for ourselves, together, for the planet, for the people who will come after us. My guest today is Dr. Britt Wray. Britt is the author of the fantastic new book “Generation Dread: Finding Purpose in an Age of Climate Crisis”, an impassioned generational perspective on how to stay sane amid climate disruption. Britt has a Ph.D. in Science Communication from the University of Copenhagen and is the author of "Rise of the Necrofauna: The Science, Ethics and Risks of De-Extinction." She is currently a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (sure, why not both?), where she researches the mental health impacts of climate change on young people. Britt is also the author of Gen Dread, the first newsletter that shares wide-ranging ideas for supporting emotional health and psychological resilience in the climate and wider ecological crisis. I have learned so much from Britt of late, and her book is a tremendous source of empathy and courage. I think you will find us both baring a bit of our souls and our beliefs in this conversation, and hopefully, some ways we can all cope and build a radically more supportive world – for everyone. ----------- Have feedback or questions? http://www.twitter.com/importantnotimp (Tweet us), or send a message to questions@importantnotimportant.com New here? Get started with our fan favorite episodes at http://podcast.importantnotimportant.com/ (podcast.importantnotimportant.com). ----------- INI Book Club: https://bookshop.org/a/8952/9780735280724 (Generation Dread: Finding Purpose in an Age of Climate Crisis )by Britt Wray https://bookshop.org/a/8952/9783836584722 (Greek Myths) by Gustav Schwab Find all of our guest recommendations at the INI Book Club: https://bookshop.org/lists/important-not-important-book-club (https://bookshop.org/lists/important-not-important-book-club) Links: Follow Britt Wray on https://twitter.com/brittwray?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor (Twitter) Follow @gen_dread onhttps://www.instagram.com/gen_dread/?hl=en ( Instagram) https://gendread.substack.com/ (Gen Dread Newsletter) https://climateawakening.org/ (Climate Awakening) https://climatecafes.org/ (Climate Café) https://www.goodgriefnetwork.org/ (Good Grief Network) https://workthatreconnects.org/ (Work That Reconnects) https://www.climatepsychologyalliance.org/ (Climate Psychology Alliance) https://www.climatepsychiatry.org/ (Climate Psychiatry Alliance) Follow us: Subscribe to our newsletter at http://newsletter.importantnotimportant.com/ (newsletter.importantnotimportant.com) Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ImportantNotImp (twitter.com/ImportantNotImp) Follow Quinn: http://twitter.com/quinnemmett (twitter.com/quinnemmett) Edited by https://anthonyluciani.com (Anthony Luciani) Produced by Willow Beck Intro/outro by Tim Blane: http://timblane.com/ (timblane.com) Artwork by https://amritpaldesign.com/ (Amrit Pal)

In this installment of the Future Grind podcast Ryan O'Shea speaks with Britt Wray, a host of the BBC podcast Tomorrow's World and the author of the book Rise of the Necrofauna: The Science, Ethics, and Risks of De-Extinction. Her book focuses on the idea of resurrecting extinct animals, such as the woolly mammoth and the passenger pigeon, and whether or not this is possible, ethical, and safe. It also includes a foreword written by famed Harvard geneticist George Church. Throughout her work, Britt focuses on the ethical issues of emerging science and technology, creating stories which she tells through radio, tv, print, and public speaking. Show Notes: https://futuregrind.org Subscribe on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/future-grind-podcast-science-technology-business-politics/id1020231514 Follow along - Twitter - https://twitter.com/Ryan0Shea Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ryan_0shea/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/RyanOSheaOfficial/