Montreal holds support group events to combat eco-anxiety

On December 7, the Climate Emergency Committee hosted a Climate Grief Support Group Event, to offer students and Montrealers alike, an inclusive, safe and empowering space where they could come and share their feelings and thoughts about the climate crisis. The event was not open to the media outlets.

On December 12, Local 514 was granted an interview with members of the Climate Emergency Committee, Aspen Murray and Brogan Stewart to discuss the event, climate change and eco-anxiety.

The CEC, which was founded in 2019, aims to provide Montrealers and students at Concordia University with collective action initiatives. The group offers different projects around the campus of Concordia University, as well as Montreal.

Last year, 36.8 billion tonnes of carbon were emitted globally. Large amounts of carbon are being released into our atmosphere as a result of Canada’s forest fires. Five per cent of Canada’s huge forest areas have been burned in forest fires this year.

Canada is, additionally being affected in other ways. The country’s rate of warming is faster than the global average. Canada is warming at more than twice the global rate, and the Canadian Artic, about three times the global rate.

Murray and Stewart emphasized the importance of outreach and education during the current climate crisis, in order to delay and avoid further climate catastrophe.

Apart from holding sessions, where students and Montrealers are invited to discuss their feelings and ideas they have regarding climate change action, the committee also plans ], in the near future, on having guest speakers for a more hands-on approach.

“A lot of people feel anxiety because they feel a lack of control over a situation …. It is very valid and understandable that a lot of people would feel very anxious as a result of these environmental issues,” Murray stated, explaining further that the sense of hopelessness many Montrealers feel when faced with the issue of everyday individual climate action.