We really did have everything, didn’t we?” These words, spoken by Leonardo DiCaprio’s character in the now four-time Oscar-nominated Netflix film ‘Don’t Look Up,’ hit me like a train and a balm at the same time. As a climate activist, I often think about how we have it all, how we risk losing it all, and how we have already lost so much. For this reason, these words, offered by Dr. Mindy as he sits around his dinner table, with his family, friends, and colleagues who have all worked desperately to prevent the crisis they know is coming, made me feel both seen and heard. Through these words, I felt represented. Like many, I felt a wave of sadness and catharsis. 

As you’ve likely heard by now, ‘Don’t Look Up’ calls us to take action on climate change through clever use of dark humor and satire. But it does much more than that. ‘Don’t Look Up’ depicts the panic, fear, hopelessness, and love that binds those striving to protect life on Earth by addressing the climate crisis with the urgency it deserves. Scientists, educators, engaged citizens, activists—we are all suffering under the weight of the sky falling, while no one seems to notice. And it’s a heavy weight. 

Ultimately, this is why I love the film. Yes, it calls us to action. It also underscores the great need for emotional care during this time of ecological upheaval. In the same way that I resonated with Dr. Mindy, I saw myself in the young scientist played by Jenniffer Lawrence. I have often felt her rage at the overwhelming inaction of those in power. I have felt her despair, exacerbated by her love for the world. And I am not alone. There is a significant need for resources that help us hold our climate anxiety and ecological grief with compassion — that help us feel seen and heard in our struggles. As someone who has been active in the movement for climate justice for the past decade, I can personally attest to this. 

Over the past ten years, I have seen the effects of ecological grief. Many of my colleagues have burned themselves out in an attempt to have their hand in every proposed climate solution. Others have found themselves in a place of despair, unable to keep going. I’ve oscillated between both of these realities. And though these may seem like opposite reactions to climate science and activism, I firmly believe that they are rooted in the same thing. We run ragged because we cannot fathom processing the pain of losing so much. We stay in bed, unable to get up, for the same reason. “We really did have everything, didn’t we?” 

During a conference that we hosted in Black Mountain in 2020, Professor of Theology Dr. Emily Askew said that “fear and anxiety are sane reactions to climate change.” She’s right. When we act like they aren’t, we can unintentionally push ourselves and others toward apathy and avoidance. We can shut ourselves down. We can harm the very people whose gifts are needed to create change. We can make it difficult to imagine anything other than how things have always been. And that makes change nearly impossible. To create the change we need, our imaginations will have to be fully operational. Said differently, we need to be fully alive and fully present to what that means. 

Ultimately, if you are experiencing the pain of ecological loss and uncertainty, I want you to know that you are not alone. I want you to know that your grief is valid and worthy of your attention and tender care. I want you to know that groups like The All We Can Save Project, Work that Reconnects Network, and the Creation Care Alliance (CCA) can help you on your journey. I want you to know, deep in your bones, that in order to address climate change, we need your joy and your love as much as your expertise. We need the fullness of your humanity. To access that, you will need to process your grief. We all will. Thankfully, we can do that work together.  

“We really did have everything, didn’t we?” Yes. Yes, we do. 

**A version of this article, written by CCA Director, Sarah Ogletree, first appeared in The Asheville Citizen Times, February 2022.