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Eco-Anxiety and Environmental Education

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  • Panu Pihkala

    (Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science HELSUS & Faculty of Theology, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland)

Abstract

Anxiety and distress about the ecological crisis seems to be a rapidly growing phenomenon. This article analyzes the challenges and possibilities posed by such “eco-anxiety” for environmental education. Variations of eco-anxiety are analyzed, and it is argued that educators should be aware of the multiple forms that the phenomenon has. Eco-anxiety is found to be closely connected with many difficult emotions, such as grief, guilt, anger, and despair. However, anxiety also has an adaptive dimension, which can be called “practical anxiety”. Anxiety is connected with expectation, motivation, and hopes. Previous research about eco-anxiety and ecological emotions in various disciplines is discussed, and related studies from various fields of education are brought together. Based on this extensive literature review, theoretical analyses are made, using a philosophical method. It is argued that environmental educators need organizational and peer support both in relation to their own difficult emotions and in order to develop emotional skills in their work. Educators should first practice self-reflection about eco-anxiety, after which they have many possibilities to help their audiences to develop emotional resilience. Potential practical activities related to eco-anxiety are discussed, drawing from various fields of education. These include validation of eco-anxiety and ecological emotions, providing safe spaces to discuss them, and, if possible, providing embodied and creative activities to more fully deliberate on them.

Suggested Citation

  • Panu Pihkala, 2020. "Eco-Anxiety and Environmental Education," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(23), pages 1-38, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:23:p:10149-:d:456917
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Panu Pihkala, 2020. "Anxiety and the Ecological Crisis: An Analysis of Eco-Anxiety and Climate Anxiety," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(19), pages 1-20, September.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Hannes Zacher & Cort W. Rudolph, 2023. "Environmental knowledge is inversely associated with climate change anxiety," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 176(4), pages 1-9, April.
    3. Johanna Kranz & Martin Schwichow & Petra Breitenmoser & Kai Niebert, 2022. "The (Un)political Perspective on Climate Change in Education—A Systematic Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-44, April.
    4. Lee Frankel-Goldwater, 2022. "Social Responsibility and the World of Nature: an interdisciplinary environmental studies course for inspiring whole system thinking and environmental citizenship," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 12(1), pages 114-132, March.
    5. Melanie Zurba & Polina Baum-Talmor & Roberta L. Woodgate & David Busolo & Andrew Park & Erica Mendritzki & Lisa Binkley, 2024. "“I start to doubt whether any of my actions will matter”: youth activists’ experiences and expressions of the emotions associated with climate change," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 177(6), pages 1-21, June.
    6. Christopher Rabe, 2024. "Environmental justice teaching in an undergraduate context: examining the intersection of community-engaged, inclusive, and anti-racist pedagogy," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 14(3), pages 492-510, September.

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