Clover Hogan: What to do when climate change feels unstoppable | TED
New Section
The speaker reflects on their childhood experiences in Australia's Tropical North Queensland and how exposure to nature shaped their perspective on environmental issues.
Childhood Influences
- The speaker recalls growing up in Australia's Tropical North Queensland, engaging in activities like fishing frogs from the toilet and encountering snakes hanging from the ceiling.
- Spending more time outdoors than indoors, the speaker developed a deep appreciation for nature, which led them to explore documentaries as an alternative to horror films at age 11.
- Exposure to documentaries such as "The Cove," "Food, Inc," and "An Inconvenient Truth" exposed the speaker to environmental devastation, particularly heartbreaking scenes of mass dolphin hunts turning shorelines red.
Environmental Impact on Mental Health
The speaker discusses the emotional toll of witnessing environmental disasters and highlights the rise of eco-anxiety among young people.
Emotional Impact
- Witnessing Australia's devastating bushfires in November 2019, where one billion animals perished, left the speaker feeling despair, grief, frustration, and helplessness.
- Young people today are burdened with eco-anxiety due to inheriting a world plagued by environmental crises. Research indicates that a significant percentage of youth experience feelings of helplessness, grief, panic, insomnia, and guilt related to climate change.
Perception Shift: Adults vs. Youth
Contrasting perspectives between adults in power and youth regarding environmental responsibility and action.
Differing Perspectives
- Initially viewing society as selfish and greedy through documentaries' lens, the speaker later engaged with decision-makers across sectors and realized that while some aspects were accurate, there was also misunderstanding.
- Senior executives often feel powerless despite their positions of authority. Young people perceive adults as part of the problem rather than actively addressing climate change issues themselves.
Navigating Despair and Denial
Exploring responses of denial or despair towards environmental challenges and advocating for a shift towards proactive engagement.
Coping Strategies
- Both denial (shifting responsibility elsewhere) and despair (feeling overwhelmed by problems' magnitude) hinder progress. It is crucial not to succumb to these emotions but instead seek constructive ways forward.
Responsibility and Climate Change
The speaker challenges the notion of "with great power comes great responsibility" and suggests that it might be more accurate to say "with great responsibility comes great power." Taking personal responsibility for one's mindset is emphasized as a key factor in addressing climate change.
The Power of Personal Responsibility
- "Solving climate change is not your responsibility because it's outside of your control. What you are responsible for is the thing inside your control, indeed, the only thing that has ever been inside your control: Your mindset."
Overcoming Limiting Beliefs
- Individuals often hold limiting beliefs such as feeling too small to make a difference, lacking intelligence or experience, or believing the system is too broken. These stories can immobilize individuals and hinder action.
Rewriting Empowering Narratives
- Rewriting these limiting stories is highlighted as a powerful action individuals can take for both themselves and the planet.
- Encourages individuals to identify their limiting beliefs and challenge them by focusing on their skills, talents, and unique contributions to address issues like fashion waste or food wastage.
Focusing on Specific Problems