Eco-anxiety and a Desire for Hope: A Composite Article on the Impacts of Climate Change in Environmental Education

Responding to increasing concerns regarding human-induced climate change and shared commitment as environmental educators to support climate action, we crafted this article as a composite piece — an emerging method of inquiry. We are eleven contributors: the Editorial Executive of the Australian Jou...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Scott Jukes, Robyn Fox, David Hills, Peta J. White, Joseph Paul Ferguson, Amrita Kamath, Marianne Logan, Kathryn Riley, David Rousell, Sandra Wooltorton, Hilary Whitehouse
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press 2024-10-01
Series:Australian Journal of Environmental Education
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Online Access:https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S081406262400065X/type/journal_article
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Summary:Responding to increasing concerns regarding human-induced climate change and shared commitment as environmental educators to support climate action, we crafted this article as a composite piece — an emerging method of inquiry. We are eleven contributors: the Editorial Executive of the Australian Journal of Environmental Education and two colleagues who each respond to prompts concerning our experience of climate change and our practices of climate change education. The responses provide insights regarding how we strive to enact meaningful climate action, education, advocacy and agency. This article presents the reader with various ways environmental educators work through eco-anxiety and engage in active hope when supporting climate change education/agency/action. The following insights emerged, illustrating 1. the significance of embracing diverse perspectives and knowledge systems; 2. Emotions as catalysts for action and activism; 3. the value of fostering collaborative spaces/relationships/communities that empower people; 4. the importance of integrating ethical responses and critical climate literacy in climate change education/research; 5. learning from places and multi-species entanglements; 6. acknowledging tensions. We offer these six insights not as a solution but as a potentially generative heuristic for navigating the complexity and uncertainty of climate change education in contemporary times.
ISSN:0814-0626
2049-775X