Event Details

Hope about climate change is controversial.

Greta Thunberg came to notoriety with her message of “I don’t want you to hope, I want you to panic,” warning that climate change is too serious for hope to be an appropriate response. And yet, psychologists are warning that human beings aren’t meant to panic for very long, and when they do there are consequences, which in this case might include eco-anxiety, burnout, or complete disengagement. Just as our future must be powered by both wind and solar, maybe we need both hope and panic to help us get there. Matt Sowerby talks about his experiences with protest, eco-anxiety and his attempts to find more hopeful approaches to the climate crisis — delving into psychology, poetry, myth, and activist histories. He’ll end by offering 10 ways to stay hopeful about climate change.

Matt Sowerby is a poet, writer and climate activist. He has performed in the Houses of Parliament and on BBC Radio 3, and his work was exhibited by the UN in 2022. Matt was a 2018 National Youth Slam Champion and 2021 UniSlam Finalist. He runs a weekly newsletter about ecological hope and is also the director of Kirkby Lonsdale Poetry Festival.

This event is part of Open Access Week 2022.

Please register here: https://lancaster-uk.libcal.com/event/3943513