Climate Awakening
Facing the Climate Emergency
An existential crisis is unfolding around us and humanity must change course or perish. Yet we have been living in a trance of collective denial. It’s up to us to help society wake up.
Yes, we’re facing catastrophic breakdown of our climate. Yes, it’s terrifying. But you don’t have to be paralyzed by your fear, grief, and other painful feelings.
You can use your pain to transform yourself, your friends, and the world.
Our goal is to help you maximize your potential to meet the greatest challenge humanity has ever faced.
Climate Awakening is a fiscally sponsored project of Climate Mobilization Project
Climate Awakening
Unleashing the power of climate emotions
Climate Awakening is convening thousands of small group Climate Emotion Conversations. Participants share their emotional experiences, and listen to others. Many have never spoken about their climate pain before, and report feeling connected, relieved, and energized for action.
A new genre:
A radical self-help guide for reckoning with the climate emergency
Learn more about the book and download the first chapter
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Co-Founder, 350.org
Executive Director & Co-Founder, Sunrise Movement
Co-Founder, Extinction Rebellion
5 Steps of the journey
Step 1
Face Climate Truth
Inside all of us, a battle rages. It’s the battle between knowing and not knowing, between fully facing the truth — emotionally, as well as intellectually — and shrinking from it. Ask yourself, “What is my priority?” Would you rather protect yourself from painful knowledge or protect yourself, your family, and the entire human family from the actual climate emergency? A truth, even a painful truth, is powerful.
Step 2
Welcome Fear, Grief, and Other Painful Feelings
Facing the climate emergency is hard. But your pain is a signal — it’s telling you something critically important. You must work through your fear, grief, anger, guilt, and all the feelings you’ve repressed. Only then will you escape the control these feelings have over you. Only then will you shake off their numbing and paralytic effect and be able to use their power to transform yourself and our society.
Step 3
Reimagine Your Life Story
Who are you? Why are you here? What is your purpose? The climate emergency challenges the answers we thought we had and invites us to revisit them anew. Right now, humanity needs as many heroes as it can get. This designation might feel over the top. It might make you uncomfortable. But everything in your life, including your most painful challenges, has prepared you for this role. Will you join the team?
Step 4
Understand and Enter Emergency Mode
Humans are social animals. The way we respond to threats is highly contagious. The goal of the climate emergency movement must be to collectively and immediately lead the public out of “normal mode” and into emergency mode. Emergency mode describes how individuals and groups function optimally during an existential crisis and especially how they are able achieve incredible feats through intensely focused motivation and collaboration toward a clear, top priority of tackling the emergency.
Step 5
Join the Climate Emergency Movement
Once you’ve mourned your loses and built emotional muscle, you will be ready to join the team rising to save humanity and the natural world. We are a movement transforming fear and grief into real and meaningful action. By joining the climate emergency movement, you are choosing the heroic road over the easy road; you are choosing mission over self.
Live as a Climate Warrior
Vote Like Your Life Depends Upon It
Placeholder … Do we want to live or die? In 2020 we decide.
Inside all of us, a battle rages. It’s the battle between knowing and not knowing, between fully facing the truth — emotionally, as well as intellectually — and shrinking from it.