This is the first event of the research talk series, "From Fear to Flourishing: Climate Change and Human Well-being," hosted by the Contemplative Sciences Center and co-sponsored along with UVA’s Environmental Institute and Environmental Humanities. The series aims to advance interdisciplinary understanding of anxiety about ecological change and of the possibilities of healthy response. 

Deep concern about ecological changes and uncertain futures is especially common among young people, researchers observe. Students who are well informed about climate science seem more likely to feel overwhelmed or disoriented by insufficient social and political responses. This series will consider critical frames for interpreting these experiences and their causes. And it will explore how individuals and communities can move beyond fear to develop resilience, meaningful action, and senses of well-being in a changing world. 

Join us for this first talk in our in on-going series, "Engaging with Eco-anxiety between Academia and Society: European and Interdisciplinary Perspectives," by Panu Pihkala of the University of Helsinki. It will be held at the Contemplative Commons, Room 404 on February 28, 2025 from 10:00-11:30am.

Panu Pihkala authored a 2017 book in Finnish on eco-anxiety that catalyzed public discussion in Finland, leading to a national award in public education for Pihkala. He was then asked by the Finnish Mental Health Society in 2019 to be lead author for their report on the subject. His English-language articles on eco-anxiety and climate emotions have appeared across a multidisciplinary range of journals, including a highly-cited 2020 analysis in the journal Sustainability. Pihkala has a PhD in Theology, is a pastor in the Lutheran Church of Finland, contributes to public environmental education initiatives across Europe, and co-hosts with Thomas Doherty the podcast Climate Change and Happiness.