A Flood of Emotions – Sydney Ideas Event

On May 16, 2022 · Leave a Comment · In Media

The following podcast/video was hosted by Sydney Ideas on 21 April 2022 in collaboration with the Sydney Environment Institute. It features:

Maddy Braddon, community organiser
Professor James Bennett-Levy, mental health expert
Aidan Ricketts, academic and environmental activist
Samuel Savage, emergency services coordinator
Jeanti St Clair, journalism lecturer and storycatcher
Moderator: Dr Blanche Verlie, social scientist

In the aftermath of devastating climate disasters like Australia’s recent east-coast floods, how do communities – those at the centre of the crisis and those on the periphery – support each other emotionally during times of climate distress?

While we’ve known about the mental health impacts of climate disasters for some time now, the loss and trauma that follows floods and bushfires is beginning to intersect with the anxiety of knowing the next disaster may not be so far away.

As these crises mount, professional mental health services play a critical role. Yet local service providers are increasingly being impacted by climate change themselves, reducing their capacity to support communities when they need it most.

In this critical conversation, hear from climate emotions experts and residents of Lismore. We bring together the latest research and on-the-ground perspectives about how we collectively grapple with the emotional impacts and long emergency of the climate crisis.

Podcast