An image of a wildfire sweeping through a valley.

In the last month, many wildfires have broken out across the West Coast. Each year, these seasonal wildfires become more dangerous and disruptive. Scientists attribute much of this to climate change. (If you’re interested, you can read more about how climate change is impacting wildfires here.) The reality is that these wildfires are just one visible example of how climate change is beginning to impact the planet.

The discussion of climate change can elicit a range of emotions, from fear to confusion to numbness. Understanding these emotions is an important first step in educating ourselves about the issue of climate change.

Start by writing down the first 3 feelings you have when thinking about climate change. For example, you could write: confused, worried, angry. Choose one of the emotions and write a reflection about it. Here are a few questions to get you started:

Why do you feel this way?
Is this emotion affecting you in any specific way?
Is this a negative emotion that should be resolved? If so, how will you resolve it?
How can this emotion help you approach the issue of climate change? (ex. If you’re confused, maybe the next step is to do some research about the basic science of climate change.)

This prompt was written by Sarah Burbach, a Words Alive volunteer