Mindful Climate Change

Practising mindfulness can transform your life, but what if it could also change the world? If we all practised being mindful, could we affect climate change?

Mindfulness, being mindful, is the mental process of bringing your attention to the present moment. Focused awareness if you like, becoming curious in a non-judgmental way which can help us relate to ourselves, to others and to our environment.

Many people would argue that we are facing a whole host of complex global problems, climate change perhaps the most important.

We know we all need to step up and do our bit, change our behaviour, get rid of our disposable mentality, stop littering our oceans with plastic, and reduce our carbon emissions to help reduce the threat of floods, windstorms, and heatwaves that threaten our planet, but many of us are unsure exactly how we can make a big enough impact, especially as some governments around the globe ignore/deny the issues entirely.

Technology is improving with innovations like solar power and electric transportation but the problem can’t simply be solved by this or by governments alone. We need to develop new social practices and encourage a wider cultural shift towards more sustainable living and completely rethink how we do things.

This is where mindfulness can come in.

Using mindful behaviour is being aware of the impact you have on the planet – using this behaviour in your everyday lives might include using reusable bags when you shop, taking showers instead of baths, buying water filters instead of buying plastic bottles of water, using refillable water bottles, cycling and walking more and driving less, stop buying cheap clothes made by poorly treated and underpaid sweatshop workers in third world countries that have to be disposed of after one or two washes, investing in solar power or electric cars and by supporting companies who implement sustainable practices.

There’s an interesting study taking place in the US entitled “Mindful Climate Action: Health and Environmental Co-Benefits from Mindfulness-Based Behavioral Training”

It suggests that there are 4 climate change camps as follows:

Climate Change Camps

(1) Climate Change Deniers (pre-contemplation) are people who do not believe that climate change is a problem, and have no interest in learning about ways to mitigate or adapt; (2) Climate Change Acceptors (contemplation) understand that climate change is a problem, but are not at a place in their lives where they can commit to changing their own behaviours; (3) Climate Change Supporters (preparation/determination) who are interested in mitigating climate change, and may have begun to take positive steps, but are not yet committed; and (4) Climate Change Activists (maintenance) who have committed, and are substantively and sustainably reducing their own carbon footprints, and perhaps even more importantly, have begun to educate, motivate, and influence others.

Mindful climate change. Which camp are you part of?