King's University course explores climate change through a lens of grief
Students at King’s University College in London are being invited to examine climate change in a way that goes beyond science and politics, by looking at its emotional toll.
A third-year course called Climate Grief and Eco-Anxiety focuses on how environmental change impacts mental health. Students look at emotions such as grief over what’s already been lost, and anxiety about what the future may bring.
Eunice Gorman, an associate professor of thanatology, created the course after a class check-in revealed how deeply climate change was weighing on students.
“One week, I asked how everyone was doing, and a student said, ‘The world is on fire. How do you think we’re doing?’” Gorman told CBC’s London Morning this week. “That really made me stop and think about the weight of this issue for young people, and for all of us.”
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The course ran for the first time last year. Gorman said the students were highly engaged, producing projects ranging from podcasts to short films and YouTube videos that explored climate change in creative ways.
“Students told me they’re recycling, they’re making lifestyle changes, but they don’t see big companies or governments doing enough,” she said. “That gap adds to the grief and the anxiety.”
Still, Gorman makes it a priority to end every class on a hopeful note and uses literature that highlights community efforts, grassroots organizing, and environmental wins like reforestation or corporate shifts toward sustainability.
“I start with ten things to worry about, but I also give ten things to be hopeful about,” she said. “No one leaves with their chin dragging on the floor.”
Students range in age from their 20s to their 60s, and Gorman said that mix of perspectives adds richness to the discussion.
“Grief is physical, emotional, and cognitive. It changes you,” she said. “With climate change, people feel sadness, anger, and even hopelessness. But they’re also motivated to act, and that’s what keeps me hopeful, too.”