Vocabularies And Rituals of Climate Grief In Canada: A Typology

Abstract

Climate change has become a reality for many people across Canada. Environmental changes occurring in Canadian ecoregions include: increasing temperature, more severe storms, increasing wildfire occurrence, and decreasing sea ice thickness and duration. These events are impacting mental health due to the psychological experience of grieving and loss associated with climate change. In this study, we use the term ‘climate grief’ to describe the feelings connected to both the experienced and anticipated loss due to climate change. The purpose of this study was to explore the different ways that Canadian’s express and process climate grief. A scoping review was conducted to create a typology of existing vocabularies and rituals for expressing and processing climate grief. The results of the typology found that the primary types included peer-reviewed research, media, religious/spiritual practices, education, mental health support, social action gatherings, grey literature, guiding frameworks, and artistic expression. Secondary types included 25 subtypes and 37 tertiary types/approaches. It is important for governments and medical boards to have a proactive and not a reactive position in regard to mental and physical health effects from climate change. The way that people express and process feelings associated with climate change can provide important insights for developing climate change policy and programs. Furthermore, climate change strategies should include recognition of psychological wellbeing.