It is incumbent upon us to recognize, acknowledge, and understand the new manifestation of grief known as 'eco-grief.'
This unprecedented type of grief presents unique challenges and complexities. As I write this post, smoke obscures what would otherwise be a sunny day here in central New Jersey.
An air quality alert marking today’s atmospheric conditions “unhealthy” is in place as smoke from Canadian wildfires blows south and east into many areas of the United States. According to the Canadian Climate Institute, “accelerating climate change, largely from the burning of fossil fuels makes wildfires bigger, hotter, and more destructive” . Today’s conditions are merely one example of how the planet is changing.
As these noticeable changes occur, many of us find ourselves feeling helpless and unnerved as we try to acclimate to an environment that feels increasingly different than it once did. Psychologically, there is always discomfort attached to not feeling in control and to living in a state of uncertainty, and the data related tosupport this reality.
In the United States, the proportion of individuals worried about climate change increased from 51 percent in 2010 to 64 percent in 2023; in the United Kingdom, search queries around “climate” surged 27-fold in the first 10 months of 2023 compared to the same period in 2017 . Climate anxiety is real and prevalent, and if you are a therapist, the topic has likely entered your office, accompanied by a sense of anxiety, hopelessness, and resignation.
, as we now understand it, is not relegated to physical deaths; rather, it can be experienced during times of transition, and in relation to letting go of the way things used to be or the way we wish they had been. Think of it in terms of fireflies: When I was a child in the 1980s, the summer night sky was often illuminated by fireflies, providing an idyllic summer landscape.
These days, I swear I see far fewer fireflies and, many nights, none at all. Recent data from the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation shows that due to a variety of threats including habitat loss, light pollution, pesticide use, and climate change, many firefly species are now at risk of extinction .
When I truly inspect my feelings about this change to the night sky, I can absolutely frame it as a grieving process: What was once there no longer is, and that feels painful, makes me angry, inspires me to take action, and pushes me to find ways to accept a new reality. All of this is almost perfectly in line with “traditional” grieving process we go through when a loved one dies.
We might, in a nonlinear fashion, be in pain, be angry, want to do something, and consider ways to move forward in a different reality. Recently, the phrase “eco-grief” has entered the psychological parlance, and it is, indeed, an apt way to name the grief that can be attached to the complex process of coping with significant and often irreversible changes in our environment.
According to Ashlee Cunsolo, director of the Labrador Institute, and Neville Ellis, research fellow at the University of Western Australia, people “experience climate grief when they notice or anticipate the loss of species, ecosystems and meaningful landscapes due to acute or chronic environmental change” . Clinical social worker Andrew Bryant adds, “Grief is a normal human reaction to loss or anticipated loss…The loss of stability or a predictable future—or anticipating exposure to other people's loss—is naturally going to trigger grief” .
An acknowledgment and acceptance of “eco-grief” as a real and prevalent manifestation of the grieving process can help us to normalize this experience. It is important to note, however, that this type of grief, having no real precedent, presents some unique challenges and differences from more widely understood types of grief.
First, because loss associated with environmental changes is a relatively new concept, it lacks the same types of cultural supports and practices that are in place for more traditional manifestations of grief. So continued exploration of and discussion about this topic is vital to broadening our understanding of climate grief.
Second, it is necessary to recognize that certain populations are more susceptible to facing “eco-grief,” particularly indigenous communities and people who make their living off the land. A recent study found that people like climate scientists and members of indigenous communities may be more likely to experience climate grief because they have more intimate knowledge of the ways climate change is already altering.
All this to say that as we acknowledge climate grief as a novel phenomenon, we must continue to learn about its intricacies. As a therapist who works often with grieving individuals, I can tell you that grief must be witnessed; if it is left ignored or faced in isolation, it becomes that much harder to cope with in a healthy way.
Our understanding of human psychology is constantly evolving and often evolves along with environmental, cultural, or societal changes . Understanding this relatively new type of grief can strengthen our larger understanding of human nature and allow us to support those who are experiencing feelings of grief and loss related to our changing planet.
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