Climate change is the greatest crisis facing humanity today. Yet frustration over global action remains and its causing people to feel increasingly more anxious about the future.
Anxiety about climate change is real and, as a recent survey found, it’s most prevalent among young people. Dealing with climate anxiety is something many are facing alone and it’s having a serious impact on mental health and wellbeing. It’s a critical issue that can’t be ignored and, whatever your views on the outcome of COP26, it’s clear that this is an issue that’s not going away anytime soon.
In response, UEA has launched a partnership with the mental health charity Mind and the Climate Psychology Alliance. The sUStain project will address climate anxiety and help support our student community.
Climate Cafes
Come along, drink tea, talk about climate change, and share your experiences, anxieties, hopes and ideas at an on-campus climate cafe.
11 and 25 May, 15 June, 6 July
3.30-4.30pm
Bookable room 1, upstairs at Union House
Open to all UEA students
What is eco-anxiety?
Final year student Meg Watts is a ‘zero waste student’ and prominent environmental activist. In this video series Meg examines what anxiety about climate change is, why it’s so common among young people, and offers advice on alleviating it.
Join the conversation #ClimateOfChange
Act now!
Research shows that giving yourself agency can improve your wellbeing and benefit those around you. And there are plenty of ways to do just that.
Mind are looking for UEA student volunteers to steer the sUStain project, co-design wellbeing workshops and help run Climate Cafés. Contact UEA wellbeing trainer Rachael Morrison (r.morrison@uea.ac.uk) or click the link below for more information.
Or if you’ve got a planet-loving business idea you can win up to £5,000 (courtesy of Santander) and a four-week accelerator programme to turn your green enterprise idea into a reality as part of the Change Makers programme. Submit a 60-second pitch to info.enterprise@uea.ac.uk by Monday 25 April 2022.
UEA’s climate science is world-renowned and highly influential. Whether undergraduate or postgraduate, you can be part of that story. Explore courses in UEA’s School of Environmental Sciences, Critical Decade PhD studentships, or click the button below and pay us a visit.
Seek support
Current UEA students can seek support through Student Services for all issues relating to mental health and wellbeing – including eco-anxiety.
Find out more
Read more about climate research at UEA, eco-anxiety and outreach programmes addressing climate change with young people across Norfolk and beyond.
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Student Azza Dirar is a volunteer for the sUStain project, helping to co-produce climate cafes and support fellow UEA students experiencing eco-anxiety. She shares her story. -
more...Understanding eco-anxiety - podcast episode
PhD student and podcaster Aayushi Awasthy speaks to UEA student Stephen Kirk and Dr Kate Russell from the School of Education and Lifelong learning to find out how eco-anxiety has affected them, discuss the sometimes complicated decision of whether to start a family and if we should give eco-anxiety a new name.
