The climate crisis is one of the most pervasive and impactful phenomenons happening in our society, affecting almost every aspect of our lives including the economy. human health, mental health, culture and way of life. Yet despite this it rarely gets talked about by everyday people, or even the media. Hyper-partisanship and politicization have shied people away from talking about climate change further. Meanwhile people who experience climate emotions like ecological anxiety and climate dread often keep their emotions bottled up instead of sharing them with other people.
Climate scientist Dr. Katherine Hayhoe says the most important thing we can do about the climate crisis right now “is the exact thing we are not doing- talk about it.” Climate cafes are informal spaces where people can share their thoughts and feelings about the climate and ecological emergency. By meeting like-minded people and talking about climate solutions, climate cafes are a great way to help people feel empowered and remind us that we do not have to face this crisis alone.
To learn more watch Katherine Hayhoe’s Ted Talk on youtube.
This month we’ll be discussing plastic – one of the most ubiquitous and pervasive materials in society. It is used for virtually everything in our society; and yet despite efforts to recycle, plastic pollution exists virtually everywhere- in our bodies, our oceans and our waterways. Plastic is detrimental to marine life and there is growing research on the effect of microplastics on human health. Plastic pollution is also a climate issue- estimates of global oil production from the plastic industry range from about 8-10% according to some studies, and rising. In this event we’ll be talking about some of the solutions to the plastic pollution crisis. How can we reduce our use of plastic in our everyday lives? What are some policies to help curb the use of plastic production? What are some challenges to reducing plastic?
Join us at 7pm on Tuesday, April 14 at the Confluence Climbing Gym. This event is free to attend and all are welcome!