Throughout the years, art has been a powerful tool to channel hopes, fears and anxieties for the future. Art is not only cathartic, but it also creates a sense of community. As the brilliant James Baldwin put it, “You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read.” Here are some useful resources that can help you navigate your feelings and emotions in response to the climate emergency.
(Remember: it is normal to feel overwhelmed – it is a completely rational response. But also bear in mind that you’re not alone in this struggle, no matter how lonely it feels.)
Books
Non-Fiction
Active Hope by Joanna Macey
How Soon is Now? By Daniel Pinchbeck
The Great Derangement by Amitav Ghosh
Hope in the Dark by Rebecca Solnit
Mourning Nature by Ashlee Cunsolo and Karen Landman
Being the Change by Peter Kalmus
Fiction
Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
The Maddaddam Trilogy by Margaret Atwood
The Overstory by Richard Powers
American War by Omar El Akkad
Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver
Dry by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
Transgression by Rosemary Randall (see review and interview with author)
Documentaries
An Inconvenient Truth (2006)
Tomorrow (2015)
Regeneration (2010)
Planet of the Humans (2019)
Years of Living Dangerously (2014)
Merchants of Doubt (2014)
Podcasts
Climate Crisis Conversations
Hot & Bothered by Dissent Magazine
In Conversation: A Listening Series on Climate Justice & Collective Liberation by
How to Survive the End of the World by the Brown Sisters
Mothers of Invention by Maeve Higgins and Mary Robinson
Facing It: a podcast about love, loss and the natural world by Jennifer Atkison
The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green
Manchester Green New Deal Podcast
Comedy Sketches (if dark humour’s your thing)
Foil Arms and Hog- Mother nature catches earth burning fossil fuels- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3iH-Ue0E1c&t=135s&ab_channel=FoilArmsandHog
Foil Arms and Hog- Awkward interview with planet earth- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMsNJ90tTjQ&ab_channel=FoilArmsandHog
College Humour- climate change is the ultimate birth control- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbZZNYHT2ME&ab_channel=CollegeHumor
Music
Full Album
Hozier- Wasteland, Baby!
Father John Misty- Pure Comedy
Songs
Billie Nomates- Hippy Elite
Father John Misty- Now I’m learning to Love the War; Holy Shit
Sam Lee- The Garden of England
Anonhi- 4 Degrees
Billie Eilish- All the Good Girls Go to Hell
Paul McCartney- Despite Repeated Warnings
Joan Shelley- The Fading
The 1975 feat. Greta Thunberg- The 1975
Emmy the Great- Solar Panels
Joni Mitchell- Big Yellow Taxi
Hozier- Jackboot Jump
Weyes Blood- A Lot’s Gonna Change
Sufjan Stevens- America
Queen – Hammer to Fall
Crossby, Stills, Nash & Young – Wooden Ships
Elvis Costello – Waiting for the End of the World
Guns N’ Roses – If The World
Sam Fender – Hypersonic Missiles
Leonard Cohen – Everybody Knows
And not strictly a formally-released song, but
‘Greta Thunberg sings Swedish Death Metal’
You can also listen to our spotify playlist!
Download this section of the handbook as a pdf. You can also download the whole handbook as a single file (32Mb).
We intend to do another edition, so if you’ve found something wrong with this page, or you have comments, you can either leave a comment below, or else email us on studentclimatehandbook@climateemergencymanchester.net
If you like this handbook, and you’re reading this before November 10th 2020, and you live, work or study within Manchester City Council’s boundaries, please sign the petition for a seventh scrutiny committee, then share the petition with seven of your friends…
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