Solastalgia Zine

The climate crisis is a growing concern that permeates all aspects of our day-to-day lives and is difficult to ignore. The result? Climate anxiety or “Solastalgia”. In fact, a 2021 global survey showed that over 50% of youth experience climate anxiety (Marks et. al., 2021). Over 45% say it even negatively affects their daily lives. Motivated by personal experiences with this issue, our project, Solastalgia, was created. We are a youth-led community initiative that addresses climate anxiety among youth using creative art mediums. Facing uncertain futures from the climate crisis, youth today need ways to manage their eco-emotions in productive ways. We have found that the creative arts are a powerful tool for young people to engage in the topic of climate change, see themselves as agents of change, and act. Since our inception in December 2022, we have produced two zines featuring local and national youth artists, writers, and poets. We also have hosted intergenerational events, including our eco-poetry and eco-arts workshops and a local nature walk.

In 2024, we look forward to continuing our work and producing more opportunities for youth and the different generations to engage with their climate emotions. We will be deepening our relationship with Suzuki Elders and Moberly Arts and Cultural Centre and collaborating on more events that feature art as the medium for exploring climate emotion and processing them into action.

Reference

Marks, E., Hickman, C., Pihkala, P., Clayton, S., Lewandowski, E. R., Mayall, E., Wray, B., Mellor, C., & Van Susteren, L. (2021). Young people’s voices on climate anxiety, government betrayal and moral injury: a global phenomenon. Social Science Research Network. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3918955