About me
My name is Florence and these are my confessions...
I was first diagnosed a ‘worrier’ in 2015 by a friend. I can’t recall the exact worry of the moment back then, but now, approaching 30 and navigating young-adult life in an increasingly overwhelming global context, this label resonates with me more than ever.
I first began seeking a career in development because I was concerned with the inequality of the world and wanted to incite change. I figured if I’m going to dedicate 40+ years of my life to employment, I want to contribute towards righting some of the world’s wrongs. Through my studies and work, I delved into the complexities of climate change, becoming alarmed by both the urgency in acting on it and the stark injustices it perpetrates. Those most affected by climate change are often the least responsible for it. Motivated to do something about this, I undertook a masters during the COVID-19 pandemic. Two and a half years later I graduated with an MSc in Climate Change and Development, and whilst I’m still motivated, I’m also totally overwhelmed.
I often find myself worrying about my future, that of my loved ones, and the future of our planet. It’s an extremely challenging time to be young person in the world. In the UK alone, we’re facing job insecurity, a rental crisis, increasing costs of living and social injustice. Compounding this is the terrifying global increase in support of far-right politics, humanitarian abuse, war and conflict, all whilst experiencing the impacts of human-induced climate change. I often find myself conflicted over which ‘worry’ should be prioritized and more often than not, climate change falls towards the bottom of this list simply because there are so many immediate and confronting issues. If I, someone who has academic and professional experience in climate change, find it challenging to engage regularly in the topic then how can I expect someone who doesn’t have these experiences to be anything other than apathetic? Especially when there are so many competing problems to contend with.
I’m also concerned by attitudes towards climate change. Overtime the climate change narrative has become a tool for divisiveness, despite being one of the only global issues that quite literally affects everyone. I recall several times telling someone of my studies in Climate Change and receiving a nervous look or sometimes outright comment, saying something along the lines of “You’re not one of those eco-warrior activist types are you”. I’m not, but why does that matter? In a dream world, we would all be eco-warriors but that’s not the reality we live in. Somehow, we’ve managed to shame and alienate people who are taking action on one of the world’s most pressing issues and create a divisiveness between climate worriers and climate apaths. I believe this is one of many things preventing us from making real actionable change.
I created Confessions of a Climate Worrier as a platform to, hopefully, provide you with accessible insights and honest reflections. At times, I can feel overwhelmed, frustrated, conflicted, insignificant, terrified and powerless - sometimes all at once! I wanted to create an open and honest space where I can express my worries, expand on my climate knowledge, explore different perspectives and help others to do this as well. It’s not about being perfect, you don’t have to go to protests, sell your car or throw paint over stone henge if you can’t or don’t want to. You can make small changes and that’s enough, or you can demand more of those who have the capacity to make large scale change. What’s important is that we unite in collective action, as climate change will impact us all. And so, in the words of Usher, these are my confessions…