Episode six of Climate Curious podcast is now live with our special guest, Clover Hogan.
“If young people don’t feel like empowered agents of change, if they aren’t supported to step up and take action, then we have a pretty scary situation on our hands,” says Clover Hogan, a 21-year-old climate activist, on the latest episode of the Climate Curious podcast by TEDxLondon.
In our most-illuminating chat to date, she explains why the pressure that’s put on youth today to solve the climate change problem is not only unrealistic, it’s damaging. A silent epidemic of mental health problems in young people caused by climate change and ecological breakdown is taking hold, with 70% of 18 to 24 year olds in the UK identifying as eco-anxious (Friends of The Earth).
Having researched eco-anxiety with her organisation, Force Of Nature, Clover believes that we need to take an intergenerational approach to the climate crisis and stop running away from negative feelings; combating them instead with finding our agency within the climate conversation.
“As a society, we’ve gotten so good at numbing ourselves to the state of the world, pretending everything’s okay, scrolling, more buying, more distracting ourselves from the issues”
Clover Hogan
Clover’s passion for environmental activism comes from a deeply personal connection with nature in her native country, Australia. She then enrolled in the renowned Green School in Indonesia where she attended class in the jungle and dedicated her life to being a voice for the voiceless. Working to protect the ecosystems and natural environments under immense threat.
She urges people to permit youth activists the space to have nuance and express their true feelings, as opposed to being used as PR tools to spread a particular pro-environment message, as has most commonly been seen in the media’s treatment of Greta Thunberg. This quality of truth and honesty, she says, is key to promoting a healthier conversation for everyone. Whether you’re a leading scientist, average Joe, or even a climate newbie.
As climate change becomes more of a living reality, we have to get in touch with those feelings. You know, it’s, it’s not healthy to keep submerging them and keep pretending that everything’s okay. […] There is no such thing really as a bad feeling or a good feeling. It’s just about learning how to become emotionally adept and resilient. Enough that you can navigate it without completely losing your marbles.
Clover Hogan
In this Climate Curious episode, hosted by TEDxLondon’s Maryam Pasha and advocate and activist Ben Hurst, Clover explores the importance of an intergenerational approach to the climate crisis, explains why it’s so important to face these negative or scary feelings, and suggests how to turn your anxiety into agency.
Ultimately, as Clover says,“whoever you are, whichever your sphere of influence, it’s about being empowered to care.” This week’s Climate Confessions? A nearly vegan burger, long hot baths, and a shocking revelation about coconut water you won’t be able to unhear.
Check out our previous episodes on our blog here. Until next time – stay curious!
How can I listen?
Listen here: Entale | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | RSS
Want to know more?
If want to find out more about the research, sources and ideas thatClover speaks about in the podcast episode, then make sure you check Clover’s website for more details and listen to her podcast, Force of Nature.
