Event

The Myth of Climate Change Apathy

Do personal anxieties and emotional responses to ecological problems hinder our ability to act effectively? According to Royal Roads University's Renee Lertzman, tackling climate change takes more than behavioral changesit also requires an underlying shift in human emotions. She argues that rather than being apathetic to global environmental issues, people care deeplythey just don't know how to reframe their thinking. She'll discuss the psychology of climate change, outline strategies for fixing our so-called apathy, and explain why it's important to mobilize for change now, before it's too late.

Renee Lertzman, PhD, author of Environmental Melancholia,teaches Psychology of Environmental Education and Communication in the MA programme at Royal Roads University, British Columbia, Canada, and is an applied researcher and communications consultant. She has a PhD in Psychosocial Studies from Cardiff University, UK, a MA in Communication Studies from UNC Chapel Hill, and actively consults, speaks and teaches internationally across governmental, private, public and educational sectors.