Panu Pihkala
Photo by Uzi Varon / Kirjapaja
“Uncertainty is difficult, but also the ground for “practical eco-anxiety”: a call to gather more information and to change human behaviour. We need community-based skills of engaging with ecological emotions.”
Dr. Panu Pihkala (b. 1979, he/his) is an adjunct professor of environmental theology (Title of Docent) at the University of Helsinki. He is currently known as a leading expert in interdisciplinary eco-anxiety research. In 2021, Pihkala was the third author in the research article “Climate anxiety in children and young people and their beliefs about government responses to climate change: a global survey” (Hickman et al., Lancet), which gained worldwide attention. Pihkala is the author of several books about eco-emotions in Finnish and he has received many awards in Finland for his work with eco-anxiety. He hosts a podcast “Climate Change and Happiness” with pioneering environmental psychologist Thomas Doherty. Pihkala has developed also practical methods for eco-emotion work and he leads workshops, often in collaboration with artists and/or educators. He serves as an advisor for many practical projects especially in Finland.
Website: www.climatechangeandhappiness.com