Eco-anxiety and a Desire for Hope: A Composite Article on the Impacts of Climate Change in Environmental Education
Jukes, Scott, Fox, Robyn, Hills, David, White, Peta J., Ferguson, Joseph Paul, Kamath, Amrita, Logan, Marianne, Riley, Kathryn, Rousell, David, Wooltorton, Sandra, and Whitehouse, Hilary (2024) Eco-anxiety and a Desire for Hope: A Composite Article on the Impacts of Climate Change in Environmental Education. Australian Journal of Environmental Education, 40. pp. 811-830.
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Abstract
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.
| Item ID: | 87520 |
|---|---|
| Item Type: | Article (Research - C1) |
| ISSN: | 2049-775X |
| Keywords: | Active hope, climate change education, composite articles, eco-anxiety, eco-emotions, place-based education, solastalgia |
| Copyright Information: | © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Australian Association for Environmental Education. This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution and reproduction, provided the original article is properly cited. |
| Date Deposited: | 09 Dec 2025 23:34 |
| FoR Codes: | 41 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES > 4101 Climate change impacts and adaptation > 410199 Climate change impacts and adaptation not elsewhere classified @ 30% 39 EDUCATION > 3901 Curriculum and pedagogy > 390105 Environmental education curriculum and pedagogy @ 70% |
| SEO Codes: | 16 EDUCATION AND TRAINING > 1699 Other education and training > 169999 Other education and training not elsewhere classified @ 100% |
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