Why did you choose the topic Psychology and the Environmental Crisis?
Tony:
My first degree that I started in 1965 was in zoology where I learned about climate change, and this remained an interest after I switched to psychology. In 2019 I co-edited a special issue on Human rights and Psychology and over many years working as a clinical psychologist with an interest in the environment I could see the importance of linking psychology and the social sciences to social justice and climate and ecological challenges. So, this special issue brings together ideas on how psychology can contribute, but also how it needs to change in the light of our current circumstances.
Katariina:
My first degree that I started in 1981 was environmental studies and I found an interesting paper by B. Little in Environmental Psychology Journal about personal projects in an environmental context. The paper had a huge influence on me and then I switched to psychology a year later. In 2018 together with my colleagues, we published a paper about youth development and climate change. The special issue about psychology and climate change was my dream for a long time, so I am extremely delighted to see it appear now when it is actually more important than ever.
Margarida:
I am a clinical and health psychologist working especially with young people health and behaviour. When it is sometimes said that young people “kind of don’t care” and that they seldom get involved and participate in citizenship and public policy actions, well, climate change and environmental crisis are undoubtedly “the exception.” Young people also complain that the planet that they have inherited from previous generations is not as healthy as the one that their grandparents have inherited from their previous generations. This is true but not totally unfair, because now we have a knowledge regarding planetary health that was unknown a couple of decades ago, and for a great extent social and economic progress was responsible because it was not sustainably planned. But that was an unknown fact then. The issue of intergenerational justice is now-a-days an hot spot, together with the environmental crisis, and surely these issues attract young people attention and care. An intergenerational broad and fair action promoting the planet health is of upmost importance. I work and research as a Full Professor and Senior Researcher at the Institute of Environmental Health / School of Medicine / University of Lisbon, where I lead the “Supportive Environments” group and research line (G2) for quite a while, and more recently I collaborate with the National Psychological Association (OPP) regarding these emergent topics in need for Psychologists action. Therefore, this special issue makes sense to me, and hopefully will make all the difference.