Living with Eco-Despair and Eco-Hope: Acting to Help Our Planet

New Westminster's Beacon Unitarian Church is putting on a short course called “Hope Matters” in association with Century House, New Westminster, where the four sessions will be put on this fall: October 11, November 1, November 22, December 13.

Susan Millar – Local Journalism Initiative

Beacon's Reverend Meg Roberts and Beacon Co-President Teresa Morton, who are interviewed in this video, are basing their course on a book by scholar and author Elin Kelsey. It's full name is: “Hope Matters: Why Changing the Way We Think is Critical to Solving the Environmental Crisis”.

Anxiety about the impacts of climate change on our planet are surging. Many young people are in despair about their futures. Couples in their child-raising years are wondering if it is a good idea to bring children into this world. Grandparents worry about the generations behind them. And everyone, who is aware, is worried.

Based on her research, Elin Kelsey says that these strong negative emotions are getting in our way of solving the problems. While they cannot be dismissed – we have to learn to live with them – each of us also needs to connect in with our joy in nature, according to Kelsey. The course shows participants about positive things that are happening ecologically, naturally, and by human intervention and what they can do in their own small way to make a difference to the planet.

The sessions are as follows:

    •    Understanding and feeling our ecological grief
    •    Processing our responses so we can gain access to our ecological joy
    •    Learning strategies to shift perspectives and cultivate hope
    •    Providing resources and support

The promotion material says that “each session incorporates sharing, learning and experiencing through creativity and simple ritual. Sessions will give an opportunity to apply what we are learning and bring back insights for the next session."

For more information, check out beaconunitarian.org or call Century House. You can also get in touch with Co-President and Course Facilitator Teresa Morton at president@beaconunitarian.org and you can access this series through Zoom.