Growing up in the Black Hills, having access to Badlands National Park, and spending summers on the farm with my grandparents instilled my love of nature from a young age. When I was in elementary school, my family would hike up Black Elk Peak every summer to see the 360° view from an old fire tower. Being able to see the forest from above brought a sense of peace that I could only find when out in nature. I also remember looking for agates in the badlands. I loved that you could pick up a normal looking rock, crack it open, and find something beautiful inside.
Some of my most cherished childhood memories come from adventures on my grandparents farm. From bottle feeding calves, to driving around on a side-by-side, nothing could compare to the peacefulness of being 30 miles away from the nearest town. The first memory I could pinpoint about climate change was listening to my grandpa and uncle’s worries about crop loss due to the dry season and hot temperatures. I understood from a young age that our family’s livelihood was directly related to the climate and the changing weather patterns.
When I was 19 years old, I started reading scientific journals about climate change. I remember having a panic attack after reading the terrifying statistics of how we were heading towards doom with the warming of the planet.
Part of my anxiety came from the lack of concern from my surrounding community. I couldn’t understand why no one cared about this. Also, around this time my grandfather and grandmother both got diagnosed with Johns Hopkins Lymphoma from using Monsanto pesticides on their crops. The injustice of them being poisoned by a company that is also poisoning the planet set a fire under me. I changed my major from pre-med to civil and environmental engineering hoping that I would be able to use my degree to help “save the planet”.
After graduation, I worked on Wind Farm construction for a few years in Texas and later transitioned into designing renewable energy projects. Although I recognized that this work was necessary for the energy transition, I still felt underutilized. I wanted to do more for environmental justice and work with my city to adapt to the changing climate. I decided the best way to do this would be by enrolling in graduate school to pursue a master’s in Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy.
Starting grad school was a breath of fresh air. It is wonderful to be surrounded by peers who deeply care about the planet and the well-being of society. Even with this new support, my climate grief was creeping back in. With the classes I chose to take, I started learning about the many different climate change areas that need attention that I didn’t necessarily know about before starting school.
In March of 2024, I was able to pre-screen a documentary that provided information about corporations buying land in different countries in order to secure natural resources. This is called a land grab and it has a lot of human rights implications. Land grabs only benefit the political elite and oligarchies that can afford to buy, lease, or illegally obtain land. With all this new information, I started to become overwhelmed and knew that I needed to take some different steps to care for my mental health if I wanted to be able to sustain a career in this field.
I expressed these feelings to some of my classmates and found that I was not the only one struggling with these feelings. In my Environmental Systems Analysis class, we were able to have some class discussions on burnout and how to combat feelings of hopelessness. I tried a few different tactics that were able to help me change my perspective and started to feel a bit hopeful again.
My first tactic was reading the book “Climate Grief” by Shawna Weaver. Something that has stuck with me was her view on people who deny the scientific consensus on the rate and extent of climate change, its significance, or its connection to human behavior, otherwise known as a climate denier. Shawna said that we should view climate deniers as in the first stage of grief, denial. This of course excludes corporations that push green-washing techniques and false climate solutions. They are not in denial; they are on the offensive to protect their self-interests. Those who are not millionaires or billionaires that are denying climate change, however, should be given some slack.
Climate change is a scary concept. To face and solve our crisis, there are a lot of personal changes that will need to be made.
Denial can be seen as a defense mechanism against these uncomfortable truths. By meeting those where they are, with empathy, we can hopefully provide space and a safe place for someone to explore their climate denial and the reasons behind it.
Another defense against climate grief is getting involved in local solutions. I was able to become a stakeholder on my county’s Waste Management committee so I could provide input on what I would like to see in my community. I also joined the Women’s Environmental Network in the Twin Cities and have been involved with Big Brothers, Big Sisters as a mentor.
Building community and relationships through volunteering, joining a club or participating in local events are an extremely important part of resiliency. Having a community where you can share your fears about climate change makes them less intense and helps us feel less alone. It’s also important to focus on good climate news. We can’t fix everything in a day or even a year, but there are small things that are happening all over the world to help combat climate change. Seeing that other people and organizations are working together to solve this issue can help bring some hope back to this challenge.
My final defense involves some great mental health techniques that I have learned over the past few years. The first and maybe the most important tactic is to slow down and make time for something you enjoy – like art or going for a walk. You could also take time to dream about a different future that you want to create. In the photo below, I have included what I would like to see in my community in the future. We are always on the go, and when we get busy, our behavior patterns change. When you have less time in the day to yourself, you may be more likely to eat takeout or purchase drinks or snacks. These usually come in non-recyclable and non-compostable packaging, increasing the amount of waste you are producing. When we slow down, we allow ourselves more space and time to be mindful of the choices we are making.
Although I do have these great defense mechanisms to help with climate grief, I still have days where I feel hopeless. It is imperative to realize that these feelings are valid and are a way for us to understand that this is an important issue that requires our attention.
Grief is not linear; it comes in waves. We must rely on our communities to ride these waves to promote action and change.
I have assembled a list of additional resources that provide different types of media and spaces to address your climate and eco-anxiety. This list can be found here.
I have also assembled a list of news sources that focus on positive climate change news and some examples of climate solutions that are currently implemented in the United States. This list can be found here.
Chloe is a Civil and Environmental Engineer, and graduate student at Humphrey College of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. Chloe served as a Minnesota Climate Impact Corps Member at Climate Generation throughout the summer of 2024. She is pursuing a master’s degree in Science,Technology, and Environmental Policy to develop cross-cultural competency to communicate scientific information among different communities in Minnesota. Her empathetic nature and dedication to justice will aid in ensuring that solutions have legitimacy and involve cross-boundary organizing to establish equity. In her free time she enjoys going on walks with her dogs, reading thrillers, downhill skiing and riding her bike.