Simon Appolloni is an Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, at the School of the Environment, University of Toronto. He received his doctorate in the Study of Religion, in conjunction with the Collaborative Program in Environmental Studies, School of the Environment, University of Toronto. He has taught at the School of the Environment, Humber College and at Brock University. His current research interest lies in creating and utilizing pedagogies of hope that build resilience within students as they navigate paths toward sustainability.
We hear a lot about eco-anxiety. Can you explain what it is and why you chose to make it the focus of your research?
Eco-anxiety, sometimes referred to as climate anxiety, is an emotion response to the current, and/or uncertain future threats to the environment, society and/or one’s own future brought on by climate change. Often manifested as feelings of fear, sadness, anger, powerlessness, grief or even guilt, it is an understandable and a quite appropriate response to the global environmental crisis. While youth today hear about environmental destruction in the news, see it on social media and sometimes even smell the smoke in Toronto from forest fires far away, in taking courses on the environment, they are unavoidably exposed to the grim environmental realities that their generation – more so than previous generations – will be facing. They don’t have to tell you they are experiencing strong emotions; you can see it in their eyes.
Some years ago, I got tired of teaching my class of 500 students about the end of the world as they know it, only to watch them fall off it at the end of term. They were feeling powerless about their own future which, considering our university wants to foster future leaders, ought to concern us! I felt there had to be a better way of conveying the realities of climate change while simultaneously helping them develop some psychological coping mechanisms and hope – even if dark – so that they acquire the means and energy to carry out the hard work ahead of them. I knew it could not be done in an ad hoc, extra-curricular manner; they have enough work to do as it is. It had to be built into the very curriculum. This has been my research for the last three years: creating pedagogies of hope and resilience.
How have your teaching methods changed in response to this?
My teaching methods have indeed changed drastically over the years. Perhaps the greatest change for me was to stop focusing on the negative aspects. While they might not understand the consequences of increased CO2 being absorbed into the (salty) oceans which causes ocean acidification, most students know that sea life is in danger, so I do not need to dwell on that. What I need to do is to teach them about the solutions to our problems, while also showing them the many good-news stories not readily heard in social media where humans around the globe are actively making positive changes. I call this method, thinking dialectically: yes, things are grim, but that is not the end of the story. What is important to note in all this is what research in psychology has shown: that it is not the doom scenarios but the positive news stories that are more likely to energize youth into action, fostering within them some form of hope.
There are also many ways of fostering psychological resilience through course work and assignments. Studies show that simply spending time in nature reduces anxiety and aids mental health. Journaling has also proven to be effective in helping students process their emotions. For these reasons, as an example, one assignment I have students do is to befriend a tree in a park or forest throughout the term, spending time with it, journaling next to the tree, learning all about it but also about themselves in relation to it, adding reflections from readings.
Probably the most important aspect of this approach is to show them that they are not alone, that is it entirely appropriate to feel the way they do and to encourage them to join like-minded communities like student clubs, so that they can take action, which further helps them deal with their anxiety.
Ignoring the climate crisis isn’t an option. How can we foster resilience and hope in young people during difficult times?
Some of what I will say below has been touched upon above. Overall, I cite five general methods for fostering resilience and hope in young people; we can do this by helping, or encouraging them to,
1. Foster inner resilience which could involve cognitive interventions such as shifting away from catastrophizing towards a less black and white scenario, focusing on self-care (inner sustainability, as some call it), which can come about through creative expressions in the arts.
2. Connect with others, whether with campus environmental groups or through places like Carbon Conversations.
3. Take action, whether individually or as a group.
4. Process their inner emotions, which could start with a simple awareness; mindfulness practices are excellent for this.
5. Connect with nature, as numerous psychological studies show how just being in nature presents therapeutic benefits.
Your course (ENV196H1) Environment, Culture and Film focuses on how narratives might help individuals and society to foster pro-environmental behaviour. Why is this important?
When we stop and listen to what we hear on the news, or read on social media, hear from the couple next to us while waiting for the bus, or perhaps repeat ourselves, how cynical we as a society have become today. There is an old wisdom story I like to tell my students of the Sufi sage sitting outside the entrance to a village. A traveller approaches and asks the sage, “I am looking for a new village to live in and would like to know what kind of people live in this village.” The sage responds with a question: “What type of people lived in your previous village?” The traveller responded, “Oh they were charlatans, thieves and good-for-nothings. I’m happy to be rid of them.” The Sufi sage said, “Well those are the same sort of people you will find here.” The traveller, glad to hear this, travelled on to the next village. A little while later, another traveller came by and approached the Sufi sage, asking, “I am looking for a new village to live in and would like to know what kind of people live in this village.” The sage responds with the same question: “What type of people lived in your previous village?” The second traveller responds, “Oh they were the nicest, kindest folk who love to share. I am going to miss them.” The sage then says, “Well those are the same sort of people you will find here.”
The point of this is that we find what we look for. If our narrative of life is that all people are lazy, selfish, and violent, then that is what we will see. Ironically, studies in psychology demonstrate the opposite: most people and kind, honest and caring. Put into our context of an environmental crisis, if we believe all people are selfish, lacking in courage, concerned only about themselves, or that what one person does doesn’t amount to anything, then we are less likely to work for the systemic change we dearly need. The films I show, like Erin Brockovich, show what one determined person can do. The Grapes of Wrath demonstrates that in times of turmoil, while some people do egregious things, most hold on to their values and remain kind and that for some people who do do egregious things, they are just caught between a rock and hard place and do not do bad things willingly. The point of my class is not to tell the students healthy narratives but show them how to spot dominant narratives in society and to help them process what they learn within their own lives.
Can you recommend a book/piece of writing/music that provides you with calm and perspective during anxious moments?
I love the sound of music and sometime listen to that, sometimes quiet baroque or jazz music with which I may meditate. I find, however, taking a walk in as-wooded-an-area close to water, while listening to the wind, the birds, the natural elements, I gain much calm and perspective. The academic in me also loves reading about the latest research on building psychological resilience and hope. Three books I recommend are: Hope for Cynics: The Surprising Science of Human Goodness, by Jamil Zaki (Grand Central, 2024), Humankind: A Hopeful History, by Rutger Bregman (Back Bay Books, 2019) and The Web of Meaning: Integrating Science and Traditional Wisdom to Find Our Place in the Universe, by Jeremy Lent (New Society Publishers, 2022).
How do you stay hopeful?
I teach some 700 university students each year. Their energy, care and compassion keep me hopeful.