Navigating Climate Anxiety with Dr. Britt Wray

In a world facing the looming crisis of climate change, it's essential to address not only the environmental impacts but also the mental health challenges that arise from eco-anxiety, grief, and despair. This week on Foodie Pharmacology, Dr. Quave speaks with Dr. Britt Wray, Director of CIRCLE at Stanford Psychiatry, a research and action initiative focused on Community-minded Interventions for Resilience, Climate Leadership and Emotional wellbeing in the Stanford School of Medicine. Britt is the author of two books; her latest ‘Generation Dread: Finding Purpose in an Age of Climate Anxiety’, is an impassioned generational perspective on how to stay sane amid climate disruption. She explains that eco anxiety, though uncomfortable, is a rational response to environmental degradation and stresses the importance of acknowledging these feelings as part of our human connection to the planet. The discussion also covers generational perspectives on climate anxiety, the importance of building resilience and hope through action, and the creation of Dr. Ray's nonprofit, ‘Unthinkable Earth’, designed to support mental health in the face of climate challenges.