When Grief Brings Us Back to Love: The Quiet Courage of Climate Activism

The Tension of Emergence: Thriving in a world that remakes, not breaks

When it comes to climate anxiety, most of us swing between utter despair or self-protective numbness. In our doom-scrolling attention economy, these are natural, but not always helpful, responses.

In this episode, Jennifer speaks with climate scholar, educator, and author of A Field Guide to Climate Anxiety Sarah Jaquette Ray to explore how we might move through the heaviest of climate emotions—without turning away, burning out, or losing touch with what we love.

They explore:

• The toll of burnout and the unexpected clarity grief can bring
• What it takes to face the monster of climate chaos
• The new texture of climate activism—intimate, relational, and imperfect
• Grounding practices to help us stay courageous and awake in ecological unravelling

Together, they reflect on the emotional and relational labor of holding space during collapse, the wisdom exchanged across generations, and the quiet courage it takes not to fix—but to animate activism with love.

Links & resources—

• Learn more about Sarah Jaquette Ray's work
• Get A Field Guide to Climate Anxiety: How to Keep your Cool on a Warming Planet
• Get Jennifer’s Substack Newsletter
• Follow Jennifer on Instagram or LinkedIn

Gratitude for this show’s theme song Inside the House, composed by the talented Yukon musician, multi-instrumentalist and sound artist Jordy Walker. Artwork by the imaginative writer, filmmaker and artist Jon Marro.