‘Researching climate change feels like standing in the path of an approaching train’
Working Scientist14 Helmi 2025

‘Researching climate change feels like standing in the path of an approaching train’

Three researchers with personal experience of anxiety and depression triggered by studying the environmental destruction caused by a changing climate describe the steps they take to protect their mental health.


Ruth Cerezo-Mota, a climate scientist based at the National Autonomous University of Mexico in Mexico City, found herself grieving for the state of the

planet through her work for the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.


Experiencing a panic attack at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by a fear of checking emails and a sense of disengagement from work, led to her seeking professional help. “I was in a really dark place,” she tells Adam Levy. Retreating to a “happy place” that combines home, books, yoga, running, cats and wine is a key copying strategy when things get tough, she says.


Similar experiences are recounted by Dave Reay, a climate scientist at the University of Edinburgh UK, and Daniel Gilford, a meteorologist who works at Climate Central, a science-led non-profit based in Princeton, New Jersey, that researches and reports the facts about climate change and its effects on peoples lives.


Talking to other climate researchers and focusing on positive developments around climate change also helps, says Reay. Gilford, who is based in Orlando, Florida, likens climate change to being in the path of an approaching train: “I can see it coming with all of its weight and heaviness, and I’m screaming ‘Stop. Stop the train. Stop the train.’


“By screaming, by saying what is happening, by naming the problem and telling people about it, I think that that can become a solution as well,” he says.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jaksot(221)

Why labs need a napping room to help you work, rest and play

Why labs need a napping room to help you work, rest and play

Joseph Jebelli believes burnout and overwork has reached pandemic levels, telling Holly Newson that it kills 750,000 people annually, with three out of five workers struggling to maintain a healthy wo...

26 Maalis 39min

‘Be a problem-solver, not a job-seeker:’ how to pivot from academia to industry

‘Be a problem-solver, not a job-seeker:’ how to pivot from academia to industry

Gertrude Nonterah helps researchers step off the academic hamster wheel and seek opportunities beyond their specialty. She does this by tapping into her personal experiences of losing a postdoctoral p...

19 Maalis 39min

Nervous networker or conference presenter? Care less, says speech coach Susie Ashfield

Nervous networker or conference presenter? Care less, says speech coach Susie Ashfield

Learning to care less about how you come across in a conference talk, funding pitch or networking event frees you to communicate more naturally and confidently, says Susie Ashfield.In the second episo...

12 Maalis 38min

Women in science are not a ‘problem to be fixed’

Women in science are not a ‘problem to be fixed’

In the first episode of a podcast series focused on six books about the scientific workplace, Cordelia Fine tells Holly Newson why she wrote Patriarchy, Inc: What we Get Wrong About Gender Equality an...

5 Maalis 39min

Why an industry career move is a taboo topic in academia

Why an industry career move is a taboo topic in academia

In his role as research director at NielsenIQ, a consumer intelligence company based in London, Josh Balsters helps global brands drive product innovation.Balsters relies on expertise he gained in ps...

26 Helmi 27min

Academia’s parent trap: the struggles faced by researcher mothers

Academia’s parent trap: the struggles faced by researcher mothers

Alison Behie was approaching 40 when she underwent multiple rounds of IVF, enduring the mental and physical turmoil of miscarriage and uncertainty along the way. How good is the academic workplace at ...

19 Helmi 30min

When a colleague dies: exploring academia's "death-denying culture"

When a colleague dies: exploring academia's "death-denying culture"

In the sixth episode of Off Limits, a podcast series exploring topics that are often perceived as taboo in the academic workplace, three researchers describe their personal experiences of loss and how...

13 Helmi 36min

‘We need to dismantle the stigma of alcohol dependence in academia’

‘We need to dismantle the stigma of alcohol dependence in academia’

Wendy Dossett tells Adam Levy why the stigma of having an alcohol dependence in academia can be a huge barrier to seeking help. “We’re supposed to be the brightest and the best, moving the frontiers o...

6 Helmi 29min

Suosittua kategoriassa Liike-elämä ja talous

sijotuskasti
mimmit-sijoittaa
rss-rahapodi
psykopodiaa-podcast
ostan-asuntoja-podcast
herrasmieshakkerit
rss-seuraava-potilas
rahapuhetta
rss-rahamania
rss-40-ajatusta-aanesta
rss-porssipuhetta
rss-merja-mahkan-rahat
rss-lahtijat
rss-20-30-40-podcast
rss-levosta-kasin-yrittajyys
rss-draivi
rss-ma
raksapodi
rss-laakispodi
rss-paasipodi