Dear Friends and Colleagues,

More interesting news on the environment and psychology from around the world. Many thanks to Fletcher for help in compiling this edition. 

Regards,

Susie Burke

Public Interest, Environment and Disaster Response
twitter:  @BurkePsy.

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Margaret Klein Salamon, Common Dreams, July 17, 2017

In this article clinical psychologist Salamon argues why being fearful can be part of a healthy, heroic response to the climate crisis. 

"The feelings involved in processing the climate crisis—fear, grief, anger, guilt, and helplessness—can be overwhelming. But that doesn’t mean we should try to avoid "making" people feel such things. Experiencing them is a normal, healthy, necessary part of coming to terms with the climate crisis". 

Read more here.

Margaret Klein Salamon is the director and founder of The Climate Mobilization.

Ann Sanson, UNICEF Evidence for Action, July 15, 2017

In this article, developmental psychologist Ann Sanson discusses psychology's role in and argues for the active engagement of young people to combat climate change, regarding them not just as victims of climate change, but also as powerful protagonists for change.

"From a child rights perspective, current climate change decision-making is determining their lives far into the future, so they have a right to know about it, and to be heard, participate and contribute to creating solutions to protect their future lives".

Read more here.

This Yale Climate Connection article discusses the use of humour in climate change messaging, the role of satirical programs, websites and late night talk shows and the line of making light of a dire situation and using humour as a tool to generate change. 

For more information, click here. 

In this interview, published at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Paul Hawken argues that to motivate action on climate change, the focus needs to be on solutions rather the problem. The book which he edited includes descriptions of 100 of those solutions, 80 of which are currently in practice.

For more information, click here.

In this video Katharine Hayhoe explains that the reasons people object to the reality of climate change is due to identity and ideology rather than facts. New advances in social sciences, like psychology, help understanding of how to interact with information, for example, connecting with someone's values as productive arguments for climate change (e.g. as a parent being concerned for our children's welfare). 

For the video, click here. 

The Climate Institute has been conducting Climate of the Nation attitudinal research for more than a decade. Here is the last report before the Climate Institute closed its doors in July 2017.  (Much of hte work of the Climate Institute will now be done by The Australian Institute - see the next article). 

Here are some highlights from their last report:

• When given the choice between the status quo and a renewables-dominated future, an amazing 96% of people want change.
• The vast majority of Australians (71 per cent) accept
  that climate change is taking place and that we are
  now living with noticeable impacts (73 per cent).
• Australians emphatically do not see
  fossil fuels, particularly coal, as the energy source
  of the future. They see them as old and finite, and
  they absolutely do not favour them. Coal and gas
  are the preferred energy source for the country by
  a proportion of only 7 per cent each.

Read the report. 

The Australia Institute has been selected to carry forward the Climate Institute's fabulous legacy of work following its closure in June this year.

The Australia Institute is independent, and fiercely non-partisan. They back their positions with research of the highest quality.

The Climate Institute's remaining resources and IP has allowed them to establish a new Climate & Energy program, which will help them carry forward critical Climate Institute projects and its legacy. It will also become the new home for the Australia Institute's existing climate and energy work.

To receive their newsletters, sign up here.

 

By JUSTIN GILLIS UPDATED July 6, 2017

The issue can be overwhelming. The science is complicated. Predictions about the fate of the planet carry endless caveats and asterisks. So we’ve put together a list of quick answers to often-asked questions about climate change. This should give you a running start on understanding the problem.

Read the article here. 

Global Catastrophic Risks 2017 report. June 5th  2017

Nearly 9 out of 10 people say they are ready to make changes to their standard of living if it would prevent future climate catastrophe, according to a survey on global threats. The survey of more than 8,000 people in eight countries - the US, China, India, Britain, Australia, Brazil, South Africa and Germany - found that 84 per cent of people now consider climate change a "global catastrophic risk".

That puts worry about climate change only slightly behind fears about large-scale environmental damage and the threat of politically motivated violence escalating into war, according to the Global Challenges Foundation, which commissioned the Global Catastrophic Risks 2017 report.

These 8 simple but important insights from psychological science,
summarised with the acronym A.C.T.I.V.A.T.E., help people come to
terms and cope with the profound implications of climate change.
We hope they will ACTIVATE the public into more effectively engaging with the challenge of climate change and participate in speedy societal change to restore a safe climate.

This booklet is part of the APS 2016 Presidential Initiative looking at how the science of psychology can help us to understand and participate in solutions to the ‘big issues’ facing the world today.

The handbook is available now from the APS website here.

In addition to the handbook we have created a visual tool which highlights the eight strategies in an inforgraphic of the acronym ACTIVATE. Download your copy here.

Acknowledge feelings

Create social norms

Talk about it

Inspire positive visions 

Value it

Act

Time is now

Engage with nature

By Jennie Downes, The Conversation

According to Planet Ark nearly half of Australians find recycling confusing. This article has a good summary and links to other guides, tips and places to recycle things beyond the kerbside.

The Game of Floods is a board game that enables students and community members confront issues and risks of climate change. The game is set in the year 2050.  You're the city planner of an island that is threatened by sea-level rise and storms. The game board is free and available, and gives players a chance to understand the future impacts of climate change and provide improtant opportunities, for young people in particular, to discuss current actions they can take. 

For more information, click here.

What are the different factions of climate change activism, and how do they come together in cohesive action? Anna Krien (The Climate Deadlock) and Indigenous climate activist Amelia Telford discuss the current state of climate change activism, and where it’s heading.

This is a free event. No bookings are required.

Sat 26th August, 11.30am

ACMI The Cube, Federation Square

Four recipients were awarded the inaugral Kazzie Award at the 'Keep Australia Beautiful' Litter Congress in late July, for demonstrating outstanding passion and efforts in environmental protection and litter prevention. The winning projects included:

• educational workshops to groups in Cambodia for reducing the use of plastics
• a grassroots community campaign encouraging residents and businesses of Ryde NSW to take simple steps to waste less,
• working with the Bellingen community to minimise litter and move towards a zero waste town
• a community outreach and grassroots change project targeting reduced use of single use plastics in Exmouth WA.

http://kazzieawards.com.au/

Last month, health professionals launched the Our Climate, Our Health campaign in Parliament House. Labor, Liberals, and Greens were asked to support the Framework for a National Strategy on Climate, Health and Well-Being and take action on an issue that is already affecting millions of people in Australia and worldwide.

"The Greens and Labor have committed to implement a Climate, Health and Well-Being policy. The Federal Government is still failing to take action on climate health, and most Liberal MPs don't believe the science behind climate change."

To join the campaign, click here. 

The Australian Conservation Foundation is seeding the Art for Activism Collective – a network of creative volunteers.  It will bring together crafters, painters, illustrators, carpenters, actors, art directors, musicians, knitters, photographers, digital mayhem makers and more who will grow and harvest the skills of our creative community.

Fill out the quick form to let them know you’re keen and what kind of skills or resources you can bring.

 

Global Climate Change Week (GCCW) aims to encourage academic communities – including academics, students, and non-academic staff at universities – to engage with each other, their communities, and policy makers on climate change actions and solutions.

GCCW provide advice on organising activities at your university.

This campaign aims to expose the hidden ties between Australia's universities and the fossil fuel industry, and for universities to engage in the fossil fuel divestment movement, which began 5 years ago, to take away the social acceptance of coal, oil and gas companies.

Sign up/join the campaign here.

An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power was released in Australia on August 10 and is now showing in selected cinemas across the country. The sequal to former US Vice President Al Gore’s landmark 2006 documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, focuses on his continuous fight traveling around the world training an army of climate champions and influencing international climate policy.