CRY ME A RIVER

SCIENCE
LETTERS 11 OCTOBER 2019

Grieving environmental scientists need support

Timothy A. C. Gordon, Andrew N. Radford, Stephen D. Simpson


Rates of environmental destruction are greater today than at any previous point in human history This loss of valued species, ecosystems, and landscapes triggers strong grief responses in people with an emotional attachment to nature . However, environmental scientists are presented with few opportunities to address this grief professionally.

Environmental scientists tend to respond to degradation of the natural world by ignoring, suppressing, or denying the resulting painful emotions while at work . The risks that this entails are profound. Emotional trauma can substantially compromise self-awareness, imagination, and the ability to think coherently . As Charles Darwin put it, one “who remains passive when overwhelmed with grief loses [the] best chance of recovering elasticity of mind” .

Academic institutes must allow environmental scientists to grieve well and thus emerge stronger from traumatic experiences to discover new insights about our rapidly changing world... Improved psychosocial working environments for scientists might include systematic training of employees, early-intervention debriefing after disturbing events, social support from colleagues and managers, and therapeutic counseling.

The pervasive illusion that scientists must be dispassionate observers is dangerously misguided. Rather, grief and post-traumatic recovery can strengthen resolve and inspire scientific creativity. To understand and find solutions for our increasingly damaged natural ecosystems, environmental scientists must be allowed to cry and be supported as they move forward.