🌍 How does climate change affect our minds, stories, and sense of justice?
In this episode, Svetlana Onye, climate writer, researcher, and Head of the Eco-Anxiety Africa Project, explores the emotional and psychological impacts of climate change — from trauma and grief in African communities to eco-anxiety in the UK.
Through storytelling, Svetlana amplifies Global South voices and centers human experiences in climate reporting, showing how empathy, care, and lived experience can transform climate action.
🔥 Topics Covered:
🔄 Career Shift: From oil & gas to clean energy — Olu’s unexpected transition
🎧 Podcasting Impact: How The Energy Talk reshapes Africa’s energy narrative
💸 Financing Reality: Aid vs. private capital — who really funds energy access?
☀️ Solar Solutions: Why decentralized solar is Africa’s game-changer
📜 Policy Breakdown: How regulations, red tape & governance shape transitions
🤝 Blended Finance: Partnering public, private & philanthropic capital
🗣️ Storytelling Power: Turning climate data into human stories that influence change
🌱 Human Side: Empathy, nuance & community as the core of energy transitions
🔹 About Svetlana Onye: Svetlana Onye is a climate writer, researcher, and activist exploring the intersections of climate, mental health, gender, and justice. She leads Eco-Anxiety Africa, serves on the UK Youth Climate Coalition Board, and shapes youth perspectives in global climate negotiations. Her work amplifies overlooked stories and centers the lived realities of communities on the climate frontlines.
💬 Join the Conversation: How does climate change affect your mental health? Can storytelling shift global climate action? Share your thoughts below 👇
🌱 Support Our Mission: Learn more or get involved: TangelicLife.org
#TangelicTalks #EcoAnxiety #ClimateJustice #GlobalSouthVoices #ClimateStorytelling #MentalHealthAndClimate #ClimateEquity #ClimateResilience #WomenInClimate #YouthClimateLeadership #EnvironmentalJustice #HumanCenteredClimate
In this episode, Svetlana Onye, climate writer, researcher, and Head of the Eco-Anxiety Africa Project, explores the emotional and psychological impacts of climate change — from trauma and grief in African communities to eco-anxiety in the UK.
Through storytelling, Svetlana amplifies Global South voices and centers human experiences in climate reporting, showing how empathy, care, and lived experience can transform climate action.
🔥 Topics Covered:
🔄 Career Shift: From oil & gas to clean energy — Olu’s unexpected transition
🎧 Podcasting Impact: How The Energy Talk reshapes Africa’s energy narrative
💸 Financing Reality: Aid vs. private capital — who really funds energy access?
☀️ Solar Solutions: Why decentralized solar is Africa’s game-changer
📜 Policy Breakdown: How regulations, red tape & governance shape transitions
🤝 Blended Finance: Partnering public, private & philanthropic capital
🗣️ Storytelling Power: Turning climate data into human stories that influence change
🌱 Human Side: Empathy, nuance & community as the core of energy transitions
🔹 About Svetlana Onye: Svetlana Onye is a climate writer, researcher, and activist exploring the intersections of climate, mental health, gender, and justice. She leads Eco-Anxiety Africa, serves on the UK Youth Climate Coalition Board, and shapes youth perspectives in global climate negotiations. Her work amplifies overlooked stories and centers the lived realities of communities on the climate frontlines.
💬 Join the Conversation: How does climate change affect your mental health? Can storytelling shift global climate action? Share your thoughts below 👇
🌱 Support Our Mission: Learn more or get involved: TangelicLife.org
#TangelicTalks #EcoAnxiety #ClimateJustice #GlobalSouthVoices #ClimateStorytelling #MentalHealthAndClimate #ClimateEquity #ClimateResilience #WomenInClimate #YouthClimateLeadership #EnvironmentalJustice #HumanCenteredClimate
Category
📚
LearningTranscript
00:00The term eco-anxiety itself was coined by an Australian philosopher.
00:06So already we know that the term is coined in the Western landscape.
00:10So oftentimes when we talk about it in the global north, it's this idea of environmental doom.
00:15So I'm scared of the future, I'm scared of what's going to happen,
00:19especially in this age where we're exposed to news that can be scientific-led
00:24but doesn't go into the details, which actually makes that anxiety warm.
00:29I think it's a very grounding episode as well for us, someone that deals with eco-anxiety.
00:35You've put my mind to rest for a little bit, which is quite nice, so thank you.
00:39Focusing on community action.
00:43I think sometimes it can feel really daunting because it's like,
00:47the people at the top make all the decisions and I'm here, so how can we change?
00:51Certainly, are you in the warm and engaging mechanism for your podcast?
00:57Consider great, tell me as a suggestion that combines an upbeat and abiding spirit with energy like real music.
01:03Welcome to Tangelic Talks, your go-to podcast from Tangelic,
01:07where we dive into the vibrant world of clean energy, development, sustainability, and climate change in Africa.
01:13We bring you inspiring stories, insightful discussions, and groundbreaking innovations
01:18from the continent-making waves in the global community.
01:21Tune in and join the conversation toward a brighter, greener future.
01:25Let's get started.
01:29Welcome to Tangelic Talks, a podcast at the intersection of energy, equity, and empowerment
01:34with your co-hosts, Victoria Cornelio and Andres Thomas.
01:37In today's episode, we've got Svetlana, a climate writer, researcher, and activist
01:42spotlighting the intersection of climate, health, gender, and justice.
01:47She leads the Eco-Anxiety Africa Project, bringing attention to the mental health impacts of climate change,
01:53which, if you listen to this podcast, you know it comes up a lot.
01:57And through storytelling, she challenges narratives that sideline global South voices
02:02and uplives community-driven solutions.
02:04Svetlana also serves on the UK Youth Climate Coalition's Board and COP Working Group,
02:09shaping global conversations and climate justice.
02:12She's going to help us unpack all of this.
02:14So, Svetlana, thank you for being here.
02:16No, thank you so much for having me.
02:18No.
02:18Can you please walk us through how you got here?
02:21Yeah.
02:22So, I started studying human rights and world development when I was in high school,
02:30so around 16, but I think because I'm Nigerian, we learned, in my home life,
02:37we learned a lot about Kensar Wewa, who was an environmental activist during the 90s,
02:44who was basically trying to push for oil extraction to stop in his community.
02:48So, I think from learning about that, it made me understand the intersections of climate change,
02:54but it's not just about the environment, but there's political aspects,
02:58and it impacts communities and health and life directly.
03:03And I think that really inspired me to see how I could do my work through climate
03:08in a way that addresses those intersections.
03:10So, when I studied journalism at university, I started to look at climate change,
03:19but more on the community level again.
03:21So, interviewing activists who were basically trying to make sure that HIFO doesn't build
03:27a third runway, and also speaking to communities in Nigeria, etc.
03:32And it's just sort of built on from there, even when I went to do my master's,
03:35which was on the politics of conflict, rights and justice,
03:38I also touched upon climate change.
03:40And again, as I continued the work, it's just, you see more and more of that intersection
03:45with social issues and politics, which made me just want to push on with the work that I'm doing.
03:50Yeah, no, and it's a very holistic way of sort of approaching this massive topic as well.
03:56So, one of the things that I can imagine as a journalist,
03:59you're kind of confronted with is how do you balance the storytelling of it all, right?
04:04Because there is this side of we have to tell the difficult truths,
04:07but also we want to avoid overwhelming people.
04:10So, how do you strike that balance?
04:13Yeah, I think storytelling is an integral way to tell the reality of what's happening.
04:20Because oftentimes, especially nowadays when we speak about climate change or nature and biodiversity,
04:26it can become scientific or policy-driven,
04:29and that can alienate a lot of people who are impacted by climate change,
04:34but don't necessarily feel like their voices are heard in the way that it's communicated.
04:40So, I think storytelling is a really powerful way to bring people's voices in their lives into the picture
04:45to show that we are a part of nature,
04:49and not even in a, like, in a hippie way,
04:52but more of the sense that the way that it's exploited or impacted directly impacts us.
04:56So, telling these stories, I think, makes people care, see themselves,
05:01but also see the connections,
05:03because even in the West, you might not realize the way that certain products we use
05:07impacts people in the global South.
05:09But it's through storytelling that we're able to shine a light on these supply chains
05:13and these connections, which I really think is important for climate justice.
05:18Definitely.
05:18And how would you define climate justice?
05:21Because I don't want to say anything about it in sort of the abstract.
05:25Yeah, it's a really big idea.
05:29But I think the root of it is a world where
05:33people are able to live without exploitation and care.
05:38And I think climate justice is really important,
05:41is that intersectionality.
05:43So, it impacts all of us, but all of us differently,
05:46especially when we talk about women and girls,
05:48specifically indigenous women or black POC women.
05:53So, it's understanding how can we create a just world
05:56where systems aren't built on extraction or divide,
06:02but rather they speak to each inequality
06:04where we can all experience care,
06:06we can all experience healthy lives,
06:08we can all experience joy,
06:10which unfortunately now is not a reality.
06:13Yeah, definitely.
06:14It's not a given.
06:15There's the idea of climate anxiety, right?
06:18And there's a big focus on that.
06:20On the ground, because you talk a lot about people's stories,
06:24where does a lot of the climate anxiety come from?
06:27Like, what do people feel?
06:28What are people feeling right now?
06:30And how do you feel about it?
06:31Yeah, so, I kind of see it in two ways.
06:36So, the term eco-anxiety itself was coined by an Australian philosopher.
06:42So, already we know that the term was coined in the Western landscape.
06:47So, oftentimes when we talk about it in the Global North,
06:49it's this idea of environmental doom.
06:52So, I'm scared of the future.
06:53I'm scared of what's going to happen,
06:55especially in this age where we're exposed to news
06:58that can be scientific-led but doesn't go into the details,
07:02which actually makes that anxiety more.
07:06So, when we're talking to young people in the Global North,
07:09it's that fear of what's to come.
07:11And they feel that the government isn't necessarily involving them in decisions.
07:16So, that actually feels worse,
07:17because then you don't feel like you have power over what's to come.
07:20But then in the Global South,
07:21where people are experiencing climate events,
07:24like flooding and droughts and heat waves,
07:27where the impact is sudden,
07:28and you also know it's reoccurring about the infrastructure to protect you,
07:33that climate anxiety is more nuanced.
07:35So, it can be grief, it can be PTSD,
07:37it can be anxiety, it can be anger,
07:39and also extreme cases of suicidal ideation.
07:43So, I think the main thing in both realities
07:47is that when we talk about climate recovery,
07:50we have to include mental health now,
07:52especially because the topic is becoming so big.
07:55So, we know now that there are mental health impacts.
07:58But then again, it's kind of like the climate justice piece
08:01about the intersectionality angle.
08:03Right now, when we talk about it,
08:04we have to understand it doesn't exist the same across the world.
08:08So, the needs when we talk about it now
08:10cannot be the same needs in Africa, for example,
08:13as it is in the UK.
08:14So, when we talk about mental health services,
08:17maybe in Africa, it's more about creating policies
08:19where that climate recovery includes mental health
08:23and is straight away.
08:23But maybe in the UK, it can be how can we adapt therapy,
08:28for example, to prepare people for climate change
08:31without making them feel like
08:32there's nothing in the future for them.
08:34Right. So, would you say that, like,
08:37for example, in the Global North,
08:39you would find that this sort of anxiety,
08:42this is sort of what I'm getting from what you're saying,
08:44is it's very much about the idea of it.
08:47And in the South, it's about the reality of it
08:50and how it's actually affecting people.
08:52So, part of it is, part of the important thing is recovery,
08:56like actual recovery from actual events
08:58that is affecting the people.
09:00Yeah.
09:01But I also think what's really interesting,
09:03especially now, for example, in the UK,
09:05our last summer, just this year,
09:07was the hottest summer record.
09:09And we're experiencing water scarcity.
09:11And people who live in places such as formal,
09:15where they use water for, like, water activities,
09:19they can see the imminent impact of water pollution.
09:23So, they are experiencing mental health impacts
09:26of climate change in a way someone living in London,
09:28for example, would not experience it.
09:30So, now, as the years progress,
09:33it's like that line is becoming less blown.
09:37So, it's really interesting.
09:38Yeah.
09:38For me, it's like, now we can learn
09:40from the services that are needed in Africa
09:42to adapt for the things that are coming in the Great World War.
09:45Yeah, that makes sense.
09:46That's really cool.
09:47And do you think eco-anxiety is the kind of thing
09:49that we overcome or sort of get over?
09:53Or is it something that needs to be understood
09:56and sometimes even harnessed for action,
09:58like a bit of motivation to kick us into gear?
10:01We can't really...
10:02I think anxiety in that case can sometimes be a good thing
10:07because it shows people care about nature
10:09and they care about...
10:09And they understand the connectivity
10:11and they're scared about,
10:12if this happens to nature,
10:13what's going to happen to me?
10:15So, I think, like you said,
10:16we can use it to build action and resilience.
10:20And especially with the work that I do in Africa,
10:22that's what it is.
10:23We understand it still exists,
10:25but how can we create community-led action
10:27where people feel that they have the power
10:30to create change
10:30without necessarily waiting for policies
10:32for the government?
10:34And talking about your work
10:36with the Eco-Anxiety Africa project,
10:38how did that come about
10:39and how did you start that?
10:40Yeah, so I met the founder
10:42when she came to the UK.
10:45So she founded it three years ago
10:47when she was experiencing eco-anxiety
10:49as an African climate activist.
10:50So when I started,
10:54it was in a volunteer capacity.
10:56But then over the years,
10:57I became a project leader
10:58and now I'm the head
10:59of the Eco-Anxiety Africa project,
11:01which has been good
11:02because I've been able to witness
11:04the way that it's grown,
11:05but also the way that
11:06the scale of the need
11:09for what we're doing
11:10is also increasing.
11:12And would you say
11:13Eco-Anxiety is generational?
11:15Like, are some generations
11:16more prone to having it?
11:18Does it look different
11:19in different age groups?
11:21Is there a way for us
11:22to identify
11:23who's more prone to it?
11:25It's interesting
11:26because when it comes
11:27to climate vulnerability,
11:28I think elders and youth
11:30are amongst the most vulnerable.
11:32But that generational difference
11:34can be seen in the language
11:35that we adopt
11:36when we talk about it.
11:38So for example,
11:38with elders,
11:39they have witnessed it,
11:41I think, more intimately
11:43because they've seen
11:44sometimes the good of nature
11:46when they were younger
11:47and they've seen
11:48how that has decreased
11:49and changed.
11:50But they don't always
11:50speak about mental health.
11:53So they can speak more
11:54about grief
11:55without saying the word grief.
11:57But with young people,
11:59they haven't had the,
12:02they can romanticise
12:03the past,
12:04but they haven't necessarily
12:05experienced nature
12:06in its best glory.
12:08So they feel grief
12:09for something
12:09they may never know
12:11and that may actually worsen.
12:12So I think the needs
12:15are the same
12:16in the sense that
12:17it's grief collectively,
12:20but I think that the experiences
12:21that inform that grief
12:22are different.
12:24But they're both,
12:25because they are both
12:25vulnerable groups,
12:26I think they both need
12:27to be focused on
12:28how to help elders
12:29and young people.
12:30Like, it also, like,
12:32sort of opens my eyes
12:34to see that
12:35it's not just about,
12:37you know,
12:38the explicit climate anxiety.
12:40A lot of people feel it,
12:41but they don't know
12:42it's about the climate.
12:43Like, here in northern Mexico,
12:44we have this anxiety
12:47every year about water
12:49because we have droughts
12:51every year, right?
12:52And that's a form
12:53of client anxiety.
12:54We don't talk about it
12:55like that.
12:56But every year,
12:57you see this looming sensation
12:58of,
12:59is there going to be
13:00enough water in the summer?
13:02So would that be,
13:03like, a good example of that?
13:04Yeah, exactly.
13:05Even I was doing
13:07research on water scarcity,
13:09but for sub-Saharan Africa
13:11and I was speaking
13:12to a farmer
13:12who was saying that
13:14normally, traditionally,
13:15they have, like,
13:16prayers towards water.
13:17And he's seen that
13:18in the past,
13:20their prayers were more
13:21of, like, a reverence.
13:22It was a positive thing.
13:24And now over the years,
13:25he's seen that their prayers
13:26have become
13:26very desperate
13:28and very pain-ridden.
13:30But he doesn't ever say
13:32eco-anxiety.
13:33But that is,
13:34it is basic.
13:36So what you said
13:37is completely true.
13:38And do you personally
13:39deal with eco-anxiety?
13:41Do you have some tips
13:42on how to sort of
13:43work through it?
13:45Yeah, I definitely feel
13:46eco-anxiety.
13:47I think, especially
13:47like, working in climate
13:50and what's like,
13:52seeing the research
13:53and seeing what
13:54certain scientists are saying,
13:56it does make you sick,
13:57especially as a young person.
13:59But I think that
14:00what gives me hope
14:01is the work I'm doing.
14:03Like, when I see
14:03how you feel that fear
14:06but still keep going on,
14:08it's like,
14:08why shouldn't I feel that?
14:10Hope.
14:11So I think
14:12if I dwell on it too long,
14:14it can make me
14:15not want to do anything,
14:16which is why
14:16I'm always looking
14:17for something
14:17to find hope
14:18and why else
14:19I'll be stagnant.
14:21Yeah.
14:21What are the practical,
14:23the practical movements
14:24being done?
14:25Because I know,
14:25for example,
14:26this is something
14:27that you see everywhere
14:28in the North and South.
14:29Floods,
14:30big problem, right?
14:31And, you know,
14:33you can see it in places
14:34like America
14:35where it just
14:36annihilates everything.
14:39I know that
14:39the monsoon season
14:40in India
14:41and flooding season
14:42in Africa
14:43causes a lot of loss
14:44of crops.
14:45So is there,
14:46what are the things
14:48people can do
14:49to prevent that?
14:49Are there movements
14:50to start prevention?
14:52So,
14:52and is that part
14:53of the mental health
14:56solution, right?
14:57Prevention.
14:58Yeah,
14:59100%.
15:00So when I was speaking
15:01to a researcher
15:03in Zambia,
15:05she was talking
15:05about the adaptation
15:06methods that farmers
15:07are taking
15:08because of floods
15:10and droughts
15:11in Zambia.
15:12So it's
15:12certain things,
15:14for example,
15:14where farmers
15:15on their phone
15:15will have alerts
15:17when there's going
15:18to be a particularly
15:19bad drought season
15:21so they know
15:22to not grow
15:23specific crops
15:24because it just
15:25won't work.
15:25and even being
15:27trained on different
15:28crops to grow
15:29that are more
15:29climate resilient
15:30and the government,
15:33for example,
15:34taking an adaptive
15:35measure by growing
15:36more dams,
15:37like building more
15:38dams in the country
15:39so that there's
15:40more water.
15:41So there is definitely
15:42things that people
15:44are doing to kind
15:44of understand
15:45that it's happening,
15:46it's here,
15:46so now we have to
15:47live alongside it.
15:49And I think mental
15:49health 100%
15:50comes into that
15:51because it's going
15:52to be a part of it
15:53whether we want it
15:54to be or not.
15:54If you can't
15:55prevent the flood
15:56that you move
15:57to plants
15:57that are more
15:58adaptable to floods
15:59and stuff like that.
16:00Okay, cool.
16:01I think it's something
16:01that is talked about
16:03in disaster risk
16:04management a lot
16:05where it's like
16:06you can't stop
16:06the earthquake
16:07but you can prepare
16:08for what happens
16:09when it hits
16:10and that.
16:11And the shock
16:12is a lot of times
16:13what's so destabilizing.
16:15You know,
16:15you don't expect it
16:16and you don't know
16:17how you're going
16:17to cope with it
16:18and so you don't
16:18know how to bounce back.
16:20And a lot of that
16:22can also be
16:23maybe youth,
16:25you know.
16:26When you're a young person
16:28you're getting
16:28knocked down a lot
16:29and not being
16:30taken seriously.
16:31So how do you
16:32bounce back
16:33when, for example,
16:34you've seen something
16:35and you're trying
16:36to raise awareness
16:36or you're trying
16:37to fight for something
16:38and you just keep
16:39kind of hitting a wall?
16:39Yeah,
16:40I think that's
16:41really hard.
16:41Especially,
16:42I had that feeling
16:43last year
16:44when I attended COP
16:46and at the end
16:47people weren't
16:48happy with the
16:49climate finance
16:50goal that was given.
16:52I think for me
16:53what helps me
16:54is actually
16:55doing something
16:56different
16:56like reading fiction
16:57for example.
16:58I think it's
16:59something I'm seeing
17:00like speculative
17:01fiction
17:02where it's
17:02nothing to do
17:04with human life
17:05or what's about
17:05magic
17:06or something like that.
17:07It makes me
17:07think that
17:08there is
17:09something beyond
17:10what's here.
17:12So I think
17:12recently getting
17:14more into
17:15like space stuff
17:16or even
17:17like science
17:18like string theory.
17:19It doesn't always
17:20make sense
17:21but it's just like
17:21okay maybe
17:22there's something
17:22out there
17:22that isn't.
17:23Yeah.
17:26Yeah,
17:26a bit of
17:26escapism.
17:28Exactly.
17:29I get that.
17:30And what is
17:31the experience
17:32like?
17:33Like do you feel
17:34youth perspectives
17:34are truly being
17:36heard in most
17:37cases and
17:38these are just
17:38a one-offs
17:39where that
17:40doesn't happen
17:41or is it still
17:41a bit of an
17:42uphill battle?
17:43I think it's
17:44an uphill battle
17:45that's getting
17:46better.
17:47So for example
17:48I'm part of
17:49the UK Youth
17:50Climate Coalition
17:51so we've been
17:52for more than
17:5415 years
17:54trying to
17:55mobilize youth
17:56and it's just
17:57seeing the
17:58progress that's
17:59happened over
18:00even two years
18:01and seeing that
18:02now for example
18:04in conversations
18:05conversations with
18:05governmental actors
18:07and talking about
18:07how can we feed
18:08policy it seems
18:09that the shift
18:10is that people
18:11recognize youth
18:12voices are
18:12important but
18:14they're trying to
18:15figure out how
18:15to bring youth
18:17into the picture
18:18to use that
18:19voice but I
18:20think that's
18:21nothing at all.
18:23So even recently
18:24there's been an
18:24NDC youth cause
18:26that I think UK
18:26and Brazil has
18:28signed to see how
18:29they can improve
18:30climate education
18:31and youth voices
18:33in the cop space
18:34so it's gradual
18:35steps but it's
18:37better than nothing
18:38I think that gives
18:39me hope.
18:39Better than nothing
18:40that's the standard
18:43that's the standard
18:44for a lot of
18:45stuff really
18:45like and it
18:48it works
18:49it is better
18:50than nothing
18:50that is true
18:51infinitely better.
18:53Yeah so you
18:54you speak from
18:55a very human
18:55side very focused
18:56on loss
18:57adaptation
18:57resilience
18:58and it sounds
18:59like the stories
19:00that you tell
19:00are with that
19:01lens but you
19:02as a researcher
19:03and the writer
19:04how do you feel
19:05telling these
19:05stories?
19:06Sometimes
19:07those stories
19:09are hard
19:10I think
19:10even when
19:12SoFoxDom
19:13when I was
19:14doing this
19:14recent essay
19:15about water
19:16and I was
19:16speaking to
19:17a health
19:18coordinator
19:19in Kenya
19:20and was just
19:20telling me
19:21about what
19:22young women
19:22are going
19:23through because
19:23there's no
19:24water
19:24like it's
19:25I can feel
19:28like that
19:28sadness
19:29like fear
19:31for them
19:31but I'm
19:31over here
19:32in my
19:32own bubble
19:33whilst
19:34and he
19:35is a man
19:35telling me
19:36that story
19:36but he's
19:36experiencing
19:37those young
19:38girls
19:38who are
19:38actually
19:39going
19:39through
19:39and sometimes
19:40that's when
19:41I start to
19:41overthink
19:42and think
19:42what can
19:43we do
19:43to make
19:44this
19:44stop
19:44but I
19:45don't know
19:45how
19:46but then
19:47I remind
19:48myself
19:48how
19:49I can
19:50shift
19:50that
19:51thinking
19:51to
19:51think
19:51that
19:52telling
19:52these
19:52stories
19:53is
19:53power
19:54in and of
19:55itself
19:56because
19:56often
19:57when we
19:57look at
19:58the news
19:58and media
19:59so many
19:59voices
20:00are left
20:01out
20:01so this
20:02is a way
20:02to bring
20:02those voices
20:03and remind
20:04us that
20:04we need
20:05to know
20:05these stories
20:05to know
20:06who to hold
20:06to account
20:07to make
20:07it better
20:08for more
20:09people in
20:09this world
20:09not just
20:10giving a
20:11platform
20:11to their
20:12voice
20:12as a form
20:13of empowerment
20:13and I
20:14think that
20:14really does
20:15work
20:15because at
20:16the end
20:17of the day
20:17people aren't
20:17heartless
20:18we aren't
20:18as heartless
20:19as we
20:19think we
20:20are
20:20and if
20:20we hear
20:20these stories
20:21I think
20:22it really
20:22does move
20:23us
20:23some way
20:24we can't
20:26always take
20:26direct action
20:27but there's
20:27always some
20:27sort of
20:28effect
20:29to it
20:29and do you
20:32think there
20:32are anything
20:33missing in
20:35global climate
20:35reporting
20:36especially when
20:37it comes to
20:37voices from
20:38the global
20:38south
20:38is there
20:39something that
20:39is maybe
20:40underrepresented
20:42or not being
20:43spotlight
20:43I think
20:45for me
20:46personally
20:47the voices
20:49of women
20:50and girls
20:50I think
20:51that they
20:52are the
20:54most vulnerable
20:54especially when
20:55it comes to
20:56climate change
20:57and I don't
20:59see enough
20:59stories that
21:00bring what's
21:02happening to
21:03them to
21:03light
21:03and also
21:04not in a
21:04way that
21:05is focused
21:07on the
21:07victimhood
21:07or the
21:08powerlessness
21:09of it
21:09but allowing
21:10their own
21:11stories
21:11and giving
21:12them the
21:13platform
21:13because you
21:15don't want to
21:16go the wrong
21:16way where
21:17you're perpetuating
21:18this idea that
21:19there's a part
21:19of the world
21:20that's powerless
21:20you want to be
21:22able to bring
21:23them into
21:23the platform
21:25and actually
21:26help them to
21:26say how the
21:27systems are
21:29creating their
21:30subjugation
21:32so I think
21:33that that's
21:34what I would
21:34like to see
21:35more women
21:35and girls
21:36more global
21:37self-stories
21:37but not from
21:38always the voice
21:39of a reporter
21:40from the
21:40north but
21:41rather from
21:42the global
21:43side
21:43what makes
21:45women and
21:45girls more
21:46vulnerable
21:46because I
21:47think we
21:48hear that in
21:48most conversations
21:49and it's
21:51within climate
21:52change the
21:53conversation around
21:54climate change
21:54is very much
21:55like it
21:56affects all
21:56of us
21:57you know we
21:58can't really
21:59make distinctions
22:00here so what
22:01is it about
22:02women and
22:02girls
22:02I would say
22:04that it's
22:04sort of like
22:05the patriarchy
22:07I think leads
22:09into climate
22:10injustice
22:10and I think
22:11when you're
22:12thinking about
22:13for example
22:14a community
22:14in Kenya
22:16for example
22:17he was telling
22:18me how
22:19women and
22:20girls are the
22:21ones who
22:21will walk
22:2315 kilometres
22:24for water
22:24and on that
22:26journey they're
22:26vulnerable to
22:27violence
22:28and that is
22:29a climate issue
22:30but it's also
22:31an issue at
22:32large where we
22:33don't always give
22:34women the rights
22:35that they're owed
22:36and when things
22:38are vulnerable
22:38their bodies
22:40become the
22:41site of
22:41exploitation
22:42or pain
22:43so I think
22:44that it's
22:45that thing
22:45where
22:46understanding
22:48climate change
22:48is understanding
22:49that it is a
22:50social issue
22:51it is a gender
22:52issue
22:52so if we see
22:53even without
22:54climate change
22:55we see how
22:55women are
22:57vulnerable
22:58in a lot of
22:59different ways
22:59why would that
23:00change when it
23:00comes to climate
23:01change
23:02so I think
23:03that's why
23:03women and
23:05girls are the
23:05most vulnerable
23:06and I think
23:06if we allow
23:07them to tell
23:07their stories
23:08more and more
23:08we would see
23:09them
23:09yeah
23:10no I think
23:11that makes
23:11sense
23:12and just
23:13historically
23:13it's always
23:14been the
23:15voices that
23:15are kind of
23:16left to the
23:17side as well
23:17regardless of
23:18the issue
23:19and they play
23:21so many roles
23:21for example
23:22the mother
23:22the daughter
23:23the sister
23:24etc
23:24because even
23:25when we talk
23:26about
23:26environments
23:28facing
23:29environmental
23:30degradation
23:31oftentimes
23:31the men
23:32can move
23:33to the city
23:34to find work
23:35to give
23:35money back
23:36home
23:36but it's
23:37the woman
23:37that's left
23:37in that
23:38environment
23:39that is
23:39difficult
23:40as she
23:41looks after
23:41her children
23:42so there's
23:43so many
23:44examples
23:44where we
23:45see that
23:45women are
23:46that vulnerable
23:47group that
23:47need that
23:48support
23:48yeah
23:49no that
23:50makes sense
23:50and then
23:51when we talk
23:52about mainstream
23:53media
23:53and things
23:55that may be
23:55missing from
23:56the conversation
23:56I think
23:57mental health
23:57side of
23:58climate change
23:59might be
23:59missing from
24:00that conversation
24:00especially in
24:02the mainstream
24:02how could we
24:03start bringing
24:04that in there
24:05what would that
24:06look like
24:06I think
24:07again it's
24:07bringing those
24:08human stories
24:10because so many
24:11people experience
24:12kind of anxiety
24:13but there's not
24:14often the articles
24:16about it
24:17but I think
24:18there's so many
24:18ways we can
24:19bring it into
24:21the fold
24:21like we're able
24:22to report about
24:23for example
24:24the fires that
24:25happened in LA
24:25in January
24:26but imagine if
24:27there was an
24:28article alongside
24:29about the
24:29mental health
24:30impacts of
24:31people who
24:31lost their
24:32home who
24:32don't know
24:33how to recover
24:33when we have
24:35those articles
24:36we can use
24:36it as evidence
24:37of why we
24:38need more
24:38mental health
24:39support
24:39and that
24:40was a climate
24:41event for so
24:42many has
24:42happened since
24:43January till
24:44now so there's
24:45so many people
24:46experiencing that
24:47we just have
24:48to bring
24:49report on it
24:50more to
24:50understand it
24:51exists and
24:51understand how
24:52to do it
24:52and it sounds
24:53like a new
24:53way of reporting
24:54because the
24:55news have
24:57been just like
24:58well this is
24:58what's
24:59happening and
25:00just kind of
25:00giving the
25:01data and
25:01the raw
25:01numbers but
25:03then when you
25:03bring in human
25:04stories there's
25:04also a human
25:05side that you're
25:06bringing in and
25:07then how to
25:08deal with the
25:09emotions that
25:10that human
25:10side is bringing
25:11out of you
25:11right we can't
25:12just present
25:13people with
25:14things and
25:15then not help
25:16them process
25:16those things
25:17that they're
25:17being given
25:19right
25:19not 100%
25:20because that
25:22is just adding
25:23on to Toma
25:23so I think
25:25it's how can
25:26we look at
25:27journalism as
25:29not just
25:29this thing
25:30of reporting
25:30but being
25:32evidence and
25:33solution based
25:34news and I
25:35think that
25:35climate journalists
25:36can be that
25:38even more than
25:39any other
25:39journalist because
25:40they have not
25:41only the human
25:42stories but also
25:43the research and
25:43the science to
25:45back up that
25:46solution is
25:47possible so I
25:48100% agree
25:48do you think
25:49do you think
25:49that climate
25:50like climate
25:52talks debates
25:54climate journalism
25:55is still
25:55apolitical or
25:57is that sort
25:57of a fantasy
25:58can we keep
25:59it apolitical
26:00I don't think
26:01it can be
26:02apolitical I
26:03think as long
26:04as there's
26:05countries who
26:06are facing
26:07extraction and
26:10who are mining
26:12for resources
26:13that only a
26:15significant part
26:16of the world
26:16is benefiting
26:17from there's
26:18something about
26:19that especially
26:20if we look at
26:21the historical
26:21context that
26:22led to these
26:23systems that are
26:24still in place
26:25so I think
26:25when we try
26:26to say that
26:27climate is
26:28apolitical in
26:29a way we're
26:30making certain
26:32experiences
26:33invisible so
26:34I think the
26:35way we understand
26:36that it is
26:36something that's
26:37political we can
26:38talk about in a
26:39more holistic
26:40or whole way
26:41rather than
26:41seeing it just
26:42as an
26:42environmental issue
26:43yeah and I
26:45think that's a
26:46really good
26:46distinction because
26:47a lot of people
26:48are well-meaning
26:49when they say
26:49it's apolitical
26:50because they're
26:50like you don't
26:51have to be from
26:52this side or
26:52that side or
26:53no side to
26:54care about it
26:55and trying to
26:56not generalize
26:57it but make
26:58it more palatable
26:59I guess
26:59but you're right
27:00it sort of
27:01skews these
27:02stories that
27:03kind of led
27:04us here
27:05exactly
27:06yeah and
27:09through this
27:09whole journey
27:10from all the
27:11things you've
27:11done what is
27:12something that
27:13you've changed
27:13your mind about
27:14whether that's
27:15about climate
27:15journalism or
27:16mental health
27:17or are you
27:17quite set in
27:18the same things
27:19that you thought
27:20of at the start
27:20oh that's
27:21that's a really
27:22good question
27:22I think
27:23the more
27:26that I see
27:28like the more
27:28work I do
27:29the more I
27:29realize that
27:30you can't
27:31that we can't
27:32talk about
27:33climate change
27:33in asylum
27:34I think before
27:36when I was
27:36for example
27:37reporting on
27:38the third runway
27:40it was more
27:41about okay
27:42they care about
27:43the environment
27:44and they are
27:45cultivating this
27:46food on this
27:47land and all
27:47these things
27:48but now I
27:48understand it
27:49more as
27:49this is also
27:51because it
27:52will also
27:52impact people's
27:53health
27:53it will also
27:54mean only
27:55certain
27:55people can
27:57afford to
27:58take these
27:58flights where
27:59the people who
28:00are living
28:00around these
28:00areas who
28:01face the
28:02health repercussions
28:04of a certain
28:04class or race
28:05etc and I
28:07think that that
28:07makes me realize
28:08that maybe we
28:09should change
28:09or adapt the
28:11way that we
28:12report on
28:13climate so
28:13we can make
28:14it political
28:16journalism or
28:17social journalism
28:18or gender
28:19journalism without
28:19making those
28:20distincts
28:21I think that
28:21the term
28:22because it
28:23affects so
28:23much of our
28:24life in so
28:24many facets
28:25it's just
28:25it transcends
28:27like just being
28:28political it
28:29transcends simply
28:30being about
28:31mental health
28:31it is about
28:32it is about
28:33life it is
28:34about people
28:35and so it
28:36involves every
28:37aspect right
28:38exactly
28:39I mean even
28:40when we think
28:41about water
28:41without it so
28:43much of our
28:43life changes
28:44even with the
28:45farms even
28:45what we eat
28:46will change
28:47so I think
28:48definitely it's
28:49much bigger than
28:50sometimes what
28:50we see it's
28:52being told
28:53and if you
28:55could leave
28:55people with
28:56advice on
28:58how to deal
28:59with you
29:00know the
29:01overwhelm that
29:01is in use at
29:02the moment but
29:03especially climate
29:04news where we
29:05seem to not
29:05report on the
29:06good that is
29:07being done
29:07what would that
29:08be?
29:09focusing on
29:10community
29:12action I
29:13think sometimes
29:14it can feel
29:15really daunting
29:15because it's
29:16like the
29:17people at the
29:17top make all
29:18the decisions
29:18and I'm
29:19here so how
29:20can I make
29:21change but
29:22sometimes it is
29:23about sitting
29:24with a friend
29:24and talking
29:25about eco
29:25anxiety and
29:26feeling like
29:26I'm less
29:27alone and I
29:27think that that
29:28in and of
29:29itself is as
29:30powerful as
29:31doing nothing
29:31and keeping
29:32to yourself
29:32maybe going
29:34into depression
29:34for example
29:35remembering that
29:37we have
29:37power as
29:39individuals and
29:39they're best
29:40exercised on
29:41the community
29:41level and that
29:42is still
29:43important.
29:43Thank you so
29:44much Svetlana for
29:45being here that
29:46was really
29:47interesting I
29:48think it's a
29:48very grounding
29:49episode as well
29:50for us someone
29:51that deals with
29:52eco anxiety
29:52anxiety you've
29:53put my mind to
29:54rest for a
29:55little bit which
29:55is quite nice so
29:56thank you we
29:58really appreciate
29:58you being here
29:59and we're going
29:59to stay on with
30:00Svetlana for a
30:00bit longer to
30:01talk about some
30:02more behind the
30:03scenes of
30:04Water Scarcity
30:05Cobb and just
30:06how it works
30:07being a young
30:08person navigating
30:09these policy
30:10spaces so check
30:12out the blog at
30:12TangelicLife.org and
30:14we'll catch you
30:15guys on the next
30:15one thank you
30:16no
30:16let's talk
30:24power let's
30:25talk change
30:26for rural
30:27lights to
30:28brighter days
30:29equity rising
30:31voices strong
30:33we're building
30:34tomorrow where
30:35we all belong
30:36Tangelic
30:38energy equity
30:40pride in power
30:41in the world
30:42side by side
30:43a spark becomes
30:45a fire a vision
30:46that's true
30:47together we rise
30:49it starts with
30:50you
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