S2, E11: Are we heading for extinction? We need to talk about eco-anxiety
In the penultimate episode of season 2, We Need to Talk about Eco-Anxiety, Clover will be learning about nature and extinction and how it aggravates eco-anxiety worldwide.
First, Clover meets environmental filmmaker and Wildlife photographer of the year, Aishwarya Sidhar, to better understand capitalist systems that are driving extinction. We then hear how young people's eco-anxiety has been worsened by ecological extinction; our resident psychotherapist, Caroline Hickman, on how our abuse of nature is a direct result of our disconnection from it; and finally, Executive Director of Greenpeace, Jennifer Morgan, on what we can do to save the planet.
Featuring…
Aishwarya Sridhar: Indian wildlife photographer, presenter, and environmental documentary filmmaker
Aishwarya Sridhar is an Indian wildlife photographer, presenter, and environmental documentary filmmaker residing in Navi Mumbai. She is the youngest girl to have won the Sanctuary Asia-Young Naturalist Award and the International Camera Fair Award. In 2020, Aishwarya became the first Indian woman to win the Wildlife Photographer of the Year award.
Three things we talked about in the episode:
Aishwarya's experience of seeing the commodification of nature and loss of biodiversity in her own backyard;
The myth of progress being used to displace communities and destroy the environment;
How we've come to live in a society that values a tree more when it's dead than alive.
Caroline Hickman, resident psychotherapist
Caroline is a psychotherapist from the University of Bath, who has spent years researching children and young people’s relationships with nature and feelings about the climate and ecological crisis; in the UK, Maldives, South Pacific and other communities already affected by rising sea levels.
In their conversation, Caroline and Clover discuss the need to create space for eco-anxiety, while cultivating our ecophilia - our love and awe for nature.
Jennifer Morgan, executive director of Greenpeace International.
Jennifer Morgan is the executive director of Greenpeace International. Greenpeace is a global network of independent campaigning organizations that use peaceful protest and creative communication to expose global environmental problems and promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future.
In their conversation, Jennifer discusses what's driving the climate and biodiversity crisis; and what we urgently need to do to end it.
Quotes from the episode
"Our greed and overconsumption of resources is driving the destruction of nature. We have these large corporations that are only after profit. And they are willing to trade our economy for our ecology."
- Aishwarya Sridhar
"We framed defeating nature as progress. We have had such a messed up relationship with nature and it's been going on for years. The only way to resolve the climate crises is to value nature again."
- Caroline Hickman
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Read the Bloom
Are we heading for extinction?
I’ve always cared about the environment and been interested in climate change, but I wasn’t involved in the climate movement until last year…
Have you listened to season 1 yet?
In this 9-part series, Clover sits down with the people who are leading the charge: from the woman who started a global movement out of her backyard; to the lawyer responsible for the world’s most historic climate agreement; and a three-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee.
A Force of Nature and OneFinePlay production
Director: Clover Hogan
Studio: OneFinePlay
Executive producer: James Bishop
Editor & producer: Kasra Firouzyar
Producer & researcher: Connor Foley
Additional creative support: Selena Christofides
With special thanks to everyone who makes Force of Nature possible!
Phoebe Hanson, Kathleen Hamilton, Alejandra Arias, Sacha Wright, Julia Sams, Vida Han, Zineb Jaoudat and Rohan Shah.