Three Ways to Combat Eco-Anxiety In Spite of All Things

Hello readers, and welcome to another week of WINS.

Yup – you heard that right. In spite of everything, I’m here to highlight three positive things to help combat eco-anxiety, something I imagine we are all feeling right now. Here in BC, it feels like the entire province is on fire. There is civil unrest seemingly everywhere across the globe, for a variety of reasons. Things feel divided, polarized, and the din is just getting louder.

But first…what is eco-anxiety?

Eco-anxiety is almost exactly what it sounds like: feeling stressed about the state of the world, particularly as it relates to the environment. We are able to witness so much more than we ever have as a human species and that can be a good thing…but it can also be a huge burden. Instead of only seeing environmental disasters in our own backyards, we’re now privy to observing disaster strike everywhere around the world, all at once. Jeez, Louis, it’s a wonder any of us can get out of bed these days.

For me, eco-anxiety translates into:

• feelings of doom;
• like nothing I do will ever make a difference in the face of overwhelming and relentless climate change;
• overwhelm at endless plastic pollution;
• stress about acidfying oceans;
• downright outrage at logging companies decimating old-growth forests, plus mismanagement of forest resources leading to crazy forest fires;
• and burning rage at the insistence from big corporations that monocultures, industrial agriculture, and CAFOs are the path forward to ending world hunger.

And the thing is, the news is never-ending and it’s had to get away from. We have a weird fascination with watching bad news. In one way, it’s good to stay in the know, but at some point, we aren’t helping ourselves. Eco-anxiety has a way of ruining a person’s day. It’s real, and it really sucks.

And yet…and yet. There are things to be hopeful for. We just have to turn our attention to those things. In spite of all things. So today, despite the fact that I really feel like burying my head in the sand…I’m here to try my hardest to remain optimistic. Below are three solutions I think might help quell the din and bring us all up, instead of down.

1. Combat eco-anxiety by…thinking like an optimist.

I was reading an article in the Smithsonian Mag the other day and learned a new phrase: “ocean optimism.” This phrase, it turns out, was coined by Nancy Knowlton (coral reef biologist at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History) and colleagues in 2014, in an effort to promote successful marine conservation efforts. Why did they do this? Simple: to give people something to hope for and not feel so overwhelmed by the state of the world.

After the news of IPCC’s latest report broke this week, I think we all need to be reminded that not everything is going to shit. That eco-anxiety thing I mentioned earlier? It’s a real thing, people, and we cannot let it beat us down! Progress is slow but things are working. The Smithsonian’s focus on optimism then, particularly with regard to ocean conservation efforts, is worth considering. They even outlined seven specific stories worthy of being optimistic about (link above for the deets). How handy dandy! Here’s an overview:

1. A moratorium on whale hunting is having a positive impact some whale populations
2. Despite what you may read on the interwebs or watch in dubious documentaries, there are some fisheries out there that are well managed, and we’re working towards improved management of previously crappily managed fisheries (yes, that’s a technical term ;)).
3. The amount of marine protected areas around the world is increasing!
4. We’re not totally hosed when it comes to ocean pollution and progress is being made. Hallelujah!
5. We’re restoring mangrove forests and scaling restoration efforts UP.
6. Two words: offshore wind. 🙌🏼
7. Oh and as it turns out – optimism fosters action. How do you like them apples?

2. Overcome eco-anxiety by…looking at some waste art!

Who doesn’t love a good art installation? Particularly one composed of our waste! Cell phone case waste, that is. 😉 The world’s most beloved compostable phone case company – Pela Case – did just that recently when it brought its ‘Plastic Wave’ sculpture to Kelowna’s Innovation Centre. (This also just so happens to be the location of Pela’s headquarters!)

The sculpture is a collaboration between Pela, Save the Waves, and artist Ethan Estess and it is pretty nifty. Not only is it a beautiful piece (very literally, an ocean wave) but it also sends a powerful message. The ‘wave’ is composed entirely of phone cases that Pela customers have sent back, as part of its Pela 360 program. This program offers customers the opportunity to send back their old phone cases when they purchase a new, Pela case. Pela grinds these old cases up and mixes this back into its feedstock to produce more phone cases. Whoa, cool.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CRraOIrLKif/

This wave sculpture is, to me, a reminder of the power we as consumers have to make better purchasing decisions. It may seem a small thing, to replace a conventional, petroleum-based phone case with something biodegradable (what can one case do to change things?). And yet, there is so much power in that one action. The sculpture is also visually beautiful and in moments of darkness, we need all the beauty we can get. Talk about real, tangible ways to combat eco-anxiety!

3. Drop-kick eco-anxiety by…visiting a farmer.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: know your freaking farmer and support local. Now, here’s the hard part: this should be easy and yet…somehow, it feels complicated. Here we are, living in a world of Costco and big-box everything where it’s far easier (sometimes) to buy produce from millions of miles away. In a world where everyone seems to want instant gratification and for someone else to do the dirty work for them. We’ve become separated from our food, from the people growing, harvesting, and making it. Since when did that become our reality?

Well, it’s not a reality I want to be a part of, that’s for sure! And one sure-fire way to energize your spirits and get back in touch with what’s on your plate? Go visit the farmer who grew your food. Last week, I had the good fortune to spend a full day behind the scenes on a short, promotional film shoot at the farm where my beloved potatoes (and spinach, broccoli, carrots…) come from. That’s right, I finally got to see Zelaney Farms up close and personal! I was already a fan before visiting, having learned a bit about Rachelle’s story from our conversation last year. But now? Oooo boy. I walked away with so much more reverence for what Rachelle and her husband, Brian, do in order to create such beautiful vegetables. It is nothing short of amazing. 

(…and support local; in SPITE of all things!)

So today, my final “win” is in praise, once again, of local farmers and producers providing abundance to their own families and communities. Nothing store-bought can ever come close to the kind of food pulled straight from the field, directly from the farmer who grew it. But it’s more than just the food. Supporting local food producers also brings with it an understanding of the hard work required to bring such food to life. Rachelle and her family (as well as countless others) have had to work through some really hard shit this season: drought, wildfires, risk of evacuation from said fires, and endless days of smoky skies. When we have that understanding, it changes our relationship to our food. And, for me at least, it makes the decision to support local feel like an easy no-brainer. It also reduces the feelings of eco-anxiety, an excellent side benefit!

With that, dear readers, I wish you all a fantastic weekend! And I hope these stories have helped provide some calm and hope in the sea of uncertainty we find ourselves bobbing around in. Stay on the up and up!