Join us for the next in our “In Conversation With” series, for a fascinating discussion between environmentalist and diversity activist, Mya-Rose Craig, (Birdgirl) and fellow climate activist, Tori Tsui on nature, mental health and the climate crisis.

Extreme weather events, flooding, drought, forest fires and rising sea levels: there is little doubt that the climate crisis is intensifying. A growing body of evidence suggests that the ecological crisis is also fuelling a mental health crisis across the world. For those on the frontline of climate emergencies, the devastation is clear; people are increasingly living through traumatic events. But the effect of witnessing these events, of becoming aware of the situation, even indirectly, is leading to a plethora of mental health problems. From eco-anxiety and climate grief to “solastagia”, (the inability to find solace in a familiar landscape due to environmental degradation), there is a new nomenclature to describe this specific cocktail of concerns: anxiety, depression, fear for the future, powerlessness a sense of abandonment by world leaders. No doubt you too can relate to feelings of hopelessness, despondency – or perhaps, rage, at times?

A recent study found that 60% of young people aged 16-25 said that they felt, “extremely worried” about climate change, whereas nearly three quaters of secondary school children have eco-anxiety. And no wonder. This is the generation that has grown up, to paraphrase Greta Thunberg, fully aware that the house is on fire. The climate crisis and the related mental health crisis is a state of emergency. But there is hope.

We are thrilled to be hosting a discussion on this vital topic, between two extraordinary young people, both leading lights in the fight for climate justice.

DR MYA-ROSE CRAIG (BIRDGIRL)

Mya-Rose Craig is a 22-year-old British-Bangladeshi birder, race activist and environmentalist campaigning for equal access to nature, to stop biodiversity loss and climate change, and to ensure global climate justice, all of which she believes are closely interlinked. In June 2022 Mya-Rose’s book Birdgirl was published by Vintage Books and has recently been nominated for the Jhalak Prize. In it she shares the impact on her own mental health of growing up with a mother affected by severe bipolar disorder, how nature helped them cope as a family and how she found joy and her voice through birding.

When Mya-Rose was 11, she started her popular Birdgirl blog and at age 14 she launched the charity Black2Nature, which focuses on engaging Visible Minority ~Ethnic communities with nature. At age 17, she became the youngest person to see half the world’s bird species, and also to receive an honorary Doctorate of Science from the University of Bristol in recognition of her pioneering campaigning work. In February 2020 she shared a stage with Greta Thunberg in front of 40,000 protestors and in September of that year she travelled to the Arctic with Greenpeace, for whom she is an Oceans Ambassador, and took part in the most northerly Youth Strike for Climate. In November 2021 she spoke at COP26 on a panel with Emma Watson, Greta Thunberg and Malala Yousafzai. Mya-Rose is also an Oxfam, Greenpeace and The Wildlife Trusts Ambassador.

Praise for Birdgirl:

*“Lyrical, poignant and insightful” *– Margaret Atwood

TORI TSUI

Tori Tsui is an environmental campaigner, author and advisor from Hong Kong. She is a senior advisor for the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, campaigner for the Stop Rosebank coalition and works across a variety of initiatives within the music industry including Brian Eno’s Earth Percent, In Place of War’s Earth Sonic and Climate Live. She sailed across the Atlantic with the think tank Sail to the COP, sponsored by Stella McCartney after being named an agent of change. Her work has been celebrated on the front cover of Vogue with Billie Eilish and awarded by British Vogue (Vogue 25), Marie Claire (Future Changemaker), Cosmopolitan (Positivity Index), Elle Magazine (Green List), Town & Countryhouse (Future Leaders), among others. Her debut book, It’s Not Just You won Waterstones’ books of the year awards and was shortlisted for the Wainwright prize. In It’s Not Just You, Tori Tsui reframes eco-anxiety as the urgent health crisis it clearly is and one that can be addressed by diversifying our perspectives and prioritising community-led practices.

Praise for It’s Not Just You:

“Tori Tsui’s voice is vital. It’s Not Just You is a necessary, nuanced and timely exploration of eco-anxiety that consistently reminds us what this fight is truly about: collective liberation and collective care. Given the individualistic and eurocentric nature of much of both the mental health and climate discourse, respectively, It’s Not Just You is a galvanising breath of fresh air.” – Mikaela Loach

‘A force for change who is creating and spreading hope…The world is in desperate need of this book. We are burned out people on a burned out planet, and we have to talk about mental health and its connections with the planetary emergency.’ – Greta Thunberg

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