Why is it so hard to think about the impact of climate change and environmental exposure on brain health?

I want to thank Andrea Hurst and Harsheila Riga for hosting me at Nelson Mandela University, South Africa to run a series of workshops, seminars and public lecture.

This post is in regard to the Seminar I ran for their series, What Were We Thinking?

CLICK HERE for a link to watch YouTube videos of the seminars in the series.

 

HERE IS A DESCRIPTION OF THE SEMINAR SERIES

“What were we THINKING???” asks a subtly different question depending on the emphasis; but it is always accompanied by bemusement, perplexity, self-ridicule or a host of similar responses over our past naivete, stupidity or madness. To ask the question is already to have made the shift in perspective needed to reflect on past perspectives with new eyes. 

In this seminar series we invite you to help us consider the planetary crisis we face right now, with its sheaf of human-created environmental calamities and its existential threat to humanity itself, in light of the question: What were we THINKING???

We invite you to consider: “What has been so problematic in our thinking that we now face environmental and social catastrophe? Is such thinking really a thing of the past? Despite the clear evidence of global decline, the very real possibility of an existential threat to humanity itself, and increasing global efforts to mitigate and adapt to the change through agreements such as the Paris Accord and the Sustainable Development Goals, the world largely continues unabated on its current path. Some change is taking place, but nothing close to what is needed to undo the damage. Is there THINKING going on at all? We are assuming that human activity is an outcome of human thought. It follows that if we change the way we think, we can change our actions and thereby the world. But what is it that makes us seemingly unable to take the necessary action to avert the clearly impending environmental and social catastrophe? If thinking can change our path, does our inability to change our path suggest that we are not yet thinking?

And so what now? We also invite you to help us consider how to begin thinking or how to change our thinking in face of the threat to the world posed by humankind.

HERE IS A DESCRIPTION OF MY PRESENTATION

Why is it so hard to think about the impact of climate change and environmental
exposure on mental health and brain health? 

Research shows that climate change and environmental exposures such as air pollution impact our brain health, from early-life cognitive development to mid-life mental wellbeing to later-life dementia and cognitive frailty. Extreme weather events, like hurricanes and floods, can cause psychological distress and trauma. Rising temperatures can lead to increased rates of anxiety, depression, and suicide. Air pollution can lead to long-term neurodegenerative impacts. Despite some degree of public policy changes, most countries (from governments to citizens) around the world continue to ignore this massive impact. In terms of how we think about the environment and climate change - both individually and collectively - how can we change thinking in this area?

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CLICK HERE for a link to my PowerPoint.

CLICK HERE to read the policy agenda we outlined for addressing the impact of air pollution on brain health, including dementia. 

CLICK HERE for a link to InSPIRE, a policy and research consortium for mitigating the impact of air pollution and the exposome on brain health and mental health, of which I am the director, along with colleagues across the UK and Europe. Our website has articles, policy briefs, lesson plans and links to help people learn more about the impact of air pollution on brain health. 

CLICK HERE to learn more about the Exposome.