The final Ask. Ponder. Educate. [X]. event of the semester occurred on March 26 as this year’s Festival of Excellence keynote. It featured Susan Clayton, Whitmore-Williams professor of psychology and chair of environmental studies at The College of Wooster with her presentation “Psychology and Climate Change: Understanding Impacts and Responses.”
Clayton began her presentation by explaining, “Climate change is such a significant thing that everybody should be involved in addressing it. Everybody should be thinking about it and how it relates to them.”
According to Clayton, everyone hears about climate change happening around the world, but it never seems like the impacts will affect us until it does. “Climate change is affecting us right here at home,” she said. “Climate change includes the gradual changes we see over time.”
People’s mental health and wellbeing is also impacted by changing climates and their subsequent extreme weather events. Clayton noted that we are currently in a mental health crisis related to the current climate issues.
“Climate change can feel like something very far away, but when you’re observing these effects, it seems closer,” Clayton said. “People become more distressed and concerned.”
While discussing mental health struggles and how the climate plays a role, Clayton explained, “The World Health Organization’s definition of what it means to be healthy is ‘optimal functioning.’” She reasoned that optimal functioning cannot occur while extreme weather events are happening.
Clayton pointed out how the rapidly increasing amount of climate change-related tragedies is also affecting the English lexicon. “People now use the term extreme weather event rather than natural disaster because of this blurring of the line between what’s natural and what’s not natural.”
Clayton concluded her presentation by stating, “To address the climate crisis, we need to address the mental health crisis. If everyone works together, we can solve these problems.”
The fall 2024 A.P.E.X. schedule will be announced shortly. For more information about the A.P.E.X. series, go to suu.edu/apex.
Author: Christina Schweiss
Photos: Bria Hansen
Editor: Nick Stein
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