Facing Down Climate Despair

Catastrophic wildfires, rising oceans, extinctions, displacement of the vulnerable…. The climate crisis is here and it is overwhelming. Feelings of personal loss, paralysis, and hopelessness make it hard to stay engaged in climate solutions over the long haul. Join us for an evening with Jennifer Atkinson, who is helping to build the emotional resilience needed to come to terms with environmental loss and work toward a just and sustainable future. The event is free and open to the public.

Atkinson, who holds a doctorate in English language and literature from the University of Chicago, is a senior lecturer at the University of Washington-Bothell. Her seminar on "Eco-Grief & Climate Anxiety” has been featured in The Washington Post, The Seattle Times, NBC News, Grist, High Country News, and Medium. She received a grant from the Rachel Carson Center in Munich for "An Existential Toolkit for Climate Justice Educators," an interdisciplinary collaboration that will launch in summer 2020. Atkinson is also the author of Gardenland: Nature, Fantasy and Everyday Practice (2018), which explores community, social justice, joyful labor, contact with nature, and more vibrant and democratic cities.