Coping with Climate-Anxiety in Extreme Climate
Crisis with Britt Wray

Feb. 21, 2023 – Living in Salt Lake City, you’ve probably heard The Great Salt Lake is rapidly drying up and its disappearance could cause immense damage to Utah’s public health, environment, and economy. What you may not have heard is there’s a name for that overwhelming feeling of dread; climate anxiety. Britt Wray’s acclaimed book, "Generation Dread: Finding Purpose in an Age of Climate Crisis" (2022), blends scientific knowledge with emotional awareness to help make sense of the mental health impacts amid the ecological crisis.

The Tanner Humanities Center at the University of Utah is pleased to announce that Wray will speak Thursday, March 2, 2023 at 7 p.m. in the UMFA Dumke Auditorium. As part of the center's ongoing efforts to bring thought-provoking speakers to the Utah community, admission is free and open to the public, but registration is required.

“Britt Wray is a powerful voice in exploring emotional distress linked with the climate crisis,” said Hollis Robbins, dean of the College of Humanities at the U. “Her book, ’Generation Dread’ offers a vital perspective on the challenges we face in the environment and mental health. Her visit to the Tanner Humanities Center promises to be a thought-provoking and illuminating conversation highlighting the psychological impact of climate-anxiety during an alarming ecological decline.”

Wray provides practical advice on learning to live through environmental challenges while working to reduce ecological harm. She encourages readers to acknowledge their feelings, check in with a climate-aware therapist, and become engaged and active in the fight against climate change.

"We are thrilled to welcome Britt Wray to the Tanner Humanities Center," said Erika George, director of the Center. “Her brave exploration of navigating complex emotions when making major life choices in the context of a changing climate will give us an opportunity to discuss how to manage and move forward.”

Wray is an author and broadcaster with a doctorate in science communication from the University of Copenhagen. Currently, Wray serves as a Human and Planetary Health Postdoctoral Fellow at the Stanford Center for Innovation in Global Health, Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment and London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Centre on Climate Change and Planetary Health. She has written for various publications and hosted several podcasts and TV programs, including, The New York Times, Slate, the CBC, the BBC and delivered a TED Talk in 2019.

About The Tanner Humanities Center

The Tanner Humanities Center at the University of Utah is proud to be celebrating 35 years of promoting humanities inquiry and exchange. The Center supports innovative scholarly projects and creates opportunities for interaction among scholars, students, and lifelong learners. It offers programs in three major areas: public outreach, educational enrichment, and academic research. The activities reflect a vision of the humanities as not only relevant, stimulating, and cutting-edge, but also essential for developing critical thinking, tolerance, and respect on campus and in the community.

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MEDIA CONTACTS
Missy Weeks, Tanner Humanities Center
missy.weeks@utah.edu | 801-581-8473