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Cited by 471Climate Change Communication and PerceptionEnvironmental Philosophy and EthicsEmotions and Moral Behavior

Toward a taxonomy of climate emotions

Open access
Pihkala, Panu·2022·Frontiers in Climate
DOI 10.3389/fclim.2021.738154
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Abstract

There is a growing evidence that emotions shape people's reactions to the climate crisis in profound but complex ways. Climate emotions are related to resilience, climate action, and psychological well-being and health. However, there is currently a lack of research about the array of various climate emotions. There is also a need for more integration with general research about emotions. This article conducts a preliminary exploration of the taxonomy of climate emotions, based on literature reviews and philosophical discussion. The term emotion is used here in a broad sense, as is common in climate emotion research. Because of the urgency of the climate crisis and the lack of previous research, this kind of exploration is aimed to be helpful for both practical climate work and for future research which would include more systematic reviews of the topic. Research items which discuss at least five different climate emotions, based on empirical observations, are used as major sources and a table about them is provided. Climate emotions are discussed on the basis of interdisciplinary research. The article considers many aspects of the phenomena of climate anxiety and climate grief.

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  • Feelings of belonging, togetherness and connection support capacity for nature-connection and may provide a basis for caring about climate-related matters.

    “Feelings of belonging, togetherness and connection not only support capacity for nature-connection but may also provide a basis for caring about climate-related matters (Stoknes, 2015; Pihkala, 2022), providing systems-informed opportunities for connecting wellbeing with major societal challenges such as the climate emergency.”

    From The Complex Construct of Wellbeing and the Role of Vagal Function (2022) · cites this paper as Pihkala, 2022

    The ‘Belonging, Togetherness, Connection’ section says these feelings can extend to the more-than-human world and reports that many ecopsychologists regard affiliation as a basis for caring about climate matters. It does not specifically say that these feelings support a capacity for nature-connection. (LLM, conf=0.82)

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1 of the 135 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 15

  1. Barrett, L. F., Lewis, M., and Haviland-Jones, J. (eds.). (2016). Handbook of Emotions, 4th Edn. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
  2. 0060 · DOI
  3. Coppola, I. (2021). Eco-anxiety in the climate generation: is action an antidote? (Bachelor's Thesis). Environmental Program, University of Vermont. available online at: https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/envstheses/71/
  4. Eagleton, T. (2015). Hope Without Optimism. Charlottesville; London: University of Virginia Press.
  5. Frijda, N. (1986). The Emotions. Studies in Emotion and Social Interaction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  6. Goldie, P. (2010). The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Emotion. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  7. Goldman, A. I. (2006). "Concepts of mental states, " in Simulating Minds: The Philosophy, Psychology, and Neuroscience of Mindreading, Chapter 10, Philosophy of Mind Series, ed A. I. Goldman (Oxford: Oxford University Press), 258-275. doi: 10.1093/0195138929.003.0010 Available online at: https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780190498986.001. 0001/acref-9780190498986-e-318 (accessed December 1, 2021). · DOI
  8. Gregg, M., and Seigworth, G. J. (2010). The Affect Theory Reader. Durham: Duke University Press.
  9. Lewis, M. (2016a). "The emergence of human emotions, " in Handbook of Emotions, 4th Edn., eds L. F. Barrett, M. Lewis, and J. Haviland-Jones (New York, NY: Guilford Press), 272-292.
  10. Lewis, M. (2016b). "Self-conscious emotions: embarrassment, pride, shame, guilt, and hubris, " in Handbook of Emotions, 4th Edn., eds L. F. Barrett, M. Lewis, and J. Haviland-Jones (New York, NY: Guilford Press), 792-814.
  11. Lifton, R. J. (2017). The Climate Swerve: Reflections on Mind, Hope, and Survival. New York, NY; London: The New Press.
  12. Lindquist, K. A., Gendron, M., and Satpute, A. B. (2016). "Language and emotion: putting words into feelings and feelings into words, " in Handbook of Emotions, 4th Edn., eds L. F. Barrett, M. Lewis, and J. Haviland-Jones (New York, NY: Guilford Press), 579-594.
  13. Orange, D. (2017). Climate Change, Psychoanalysis, and Radical Ethics. New York, NY: Routledge.
  14. Scarantino, A. (2016). "Philosophy of emotions, " in Handbook of Emotions, 4th Edn., eds L. F. Barrett, M. Lewis, and J. Haviland-Jones (New York, NY: Guilford Press), 3-48.
  15. Scarantino, A. and de Sousa, R. (2018) "Emotion, " in The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2018 edition), ed.

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Authors
Pihkala, P.
Affiliations
University of Helsinki (FI)
Corresponding author
Pihkala, Panu
ORCID
Pihkala, Panu
Venue
Frontiers in Climate
Publisher
Frontiers Media SA
Published
2022-01-14
Volume
3
ISSN
2624-9553 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.3389/fclim.2021.738154
OpenAlex
W4206670862
Cited by
471
References
135
Citations by year
2026: 121 · 2025: 137 · 2024: 127 · 2023: 55 · 2022: 31
FWCI
125.91
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Frontiers in Climate (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • Työväentutkimus Vuosikirja (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Helsingin Yliopisto
  • Suomen Kulttuurirahasto
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Climate Change Communication and Perception
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Nature and Landscape Conservation › Environmental Philosophy and Ethics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Emotions and Moral Behavior
Keywords
climate emotions, climate anxiety, climate grief, climate crisis, psychological well-being, resilience, climate action

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