The day I understood my climate anxiety and found my career passion
A Career Moment with John Thorne
Everyone’s career matters. From those in the early stages, to those with a longer story.
We all have a tale to tell, and often there are moments that just have some special meaning or consequence.
In this series we ask people about a career moment and how this influenced, even in small ways, their career or learning. It’s not about a life story or a documentary — it’s a moment.
Using a moment allows early career as well as those with established careers to contribute. Indeed, hearing about moments from early career folk is highly informative in understanding the thinking of those just starting out — it helps us see the world through the lens of youth.
This series makes no assumptions about stage or when a ‘career’ started or career breaks/changes. It makes no assumptions about success.
The moment can be anything. An opportunity or an act of kindness or support; an activity or project; hearing a talk or reading a book; seeing someone from afar yet sensing a role model…
…and now a Career Moment with John Thorne
John is an environmentalist employed at Glasgow School of Art, engaging students and staff on environmental and social justice across the Glasgow School of Art estate but most importantly within the curriculum. As part of his work, he supports students to question their practice, to question why things are done the way they are, and to offer future solutions and inspiration to create a more positive, innovative society, and a safer and better planet.
John believes that Art is essential for us to connect emotionally to and bring about positive change in environmental and social justice.
John’s career path has not been linear! From working in hotels, going later to university and studying rural and global development, to National Parks, travel and then universities and now Glasgow School of Art.
Hello John, thank you for agreeing to share your career moment and for being so open. I wonder if you could briefly share your chosen moment.
In Summer 2014, I attended my first Climate Psychology Alliance conference. A one-day event in London, it launched the book “Engaging with Climate Change” ed. Sally Weintrobe.
I went to the event feeling, indeed living with anxiety about climate change.
The book was a game-changer for me. It showed me there was nothing wrong with me. I wasn’t anxious. I wasn’t odd. In being mentally scrunched-up inside I wasn’t exhibiting abnormal behaviour.
The Climate Psychology Alliance, and its coalition of highly regarded psychologists, psychiatrists and group therapists set me straight. I was behaving quite normally. My reaction was classed as psychologically normal. I was distressed, yes, but as much by society’s non-response to climate change, not just to the crisis presented to me, or my inaction.
That day and that book showed me that I wasn’t the problem.
I live within a capitalist system and my choices are limited; by existing I share an environmental, cultural and economic guilt along with everyone else: It is as if in a courtroom not only is the condemned man guilty, but the judge, jury, lawyers and public. This guilt stops us taking action, leading to denial, often disavowal. Governments offer us simple solutions to what is complex, broad and deep polycrisis.
It made me realise the simple personal changes we’re asked to make to ‘save the planet’ aren’t enough, but they can make us demand Systems Change to save ourselves.
We need to vision a future we want to see, and then change everything, all at once, right now, to make an equitable, cleaner and more resilient World.
It showed me that our best response is proportionate, we don’t have to solve everything or indeed get everyone to do the same thing like recycle. It is best done with the skills and career we have or can develop. Placing ourselves or using where we are to deliver systems change. To teach it, make it, research it — but to use what we have, where we are, now.
Yes, go on demos, but our real strength comes from whatever discipline you work in: business, history, philosophy, design, manufacturing, education — all of these are part of the solution.
That is quite an emotional reaction. Can you tell us what was going on when this moment occurred?
Emotions are key. We run by our emotions. Facts are often ignored in favour of what we would like to do or need to do due to emotional ties. We feel entitled and live in a patriarchal system that supports our comfort over everything else. We exist within a narrow moment of political and climate history that gives a few of us comfort but it’s a dangerous illusion. We think we have choice and can debate change, but this is within certain parameters — choose any choice, but choose mine — and is guided and dictated by $1trillion of marketing, a system dependent and tied to fossil fuels, with complex interconnections to society, colonialism, trade, military, finance and politics.
Emotionally, I was ready for something.
Along with understanding the psychology behind my feelings, I wanted a vision. I have found this in Solarpunk a multi-species vision of the future where we live equitably, with all nature, in green cities and have a positive effect on flora and fauna around us.
We use technology as needed, live in feminist spaces, diverse communities, and clean and have healthy air, soil, oceans and rivers. This may sound utopian and unachievable, but we must vision and set out a route-map to that vision. This is what capitalism does in any case, we live in a planned society and can change that society with a new plan. Economists really did sit down and plan this economic society, along with incidentally, third world debt and the fossil fuel economy.
Did anyone or any community help you or support you directly or indirectly in making this decision/transition?
The Climate Psychology Alliance and its psychological experts were key to the changes. I worked with colleagues from other universities and colleges who do similar sustainability roles to me, and academics, to see what we can achieve as a sector.
We still focus too much on tweaking or adding to the broken capitalist system, which doesn’t value nature at all except as a resource and “other” place to put rubbish and pollution, or provide new industrial services like recycling to fool us into more consumption.
The Climate Psychology Alliance helped me see why these social norms are allowed and encouraged, and from this I have focused on what an Art School with its architecture, design of all sorts, and art as an emotional connector to these issues, can do.
What did you learn from this experience?
I now understand more clearly that my personal and professional lives are linked, and that professional action allows me to live a happier and fuller private life. I worry less. I am doing my part.
In a ‘war’ against a system that will end humanity if we don’t change, I am a foot soldier doing my bit, not with weapons but with my expertise, voice and energy.
I have carved out my own unique approach and work with academics and students on linking their subject areas to action on climate and social issues.
The process has brought in my experiences from travelling to over 30 countries including many in Africa and Asia. It has made use of 20+ job roles, and living in 20+ places mainly in Scotland, from the remote and beautiful Shetland Islands and Cairngorms, to the unforgivable poverty and inequality of Glasgow.
What has changed because of this career moment?
I value my health more, my privilege and freedoms, my expression and amplifying others; singing in the choir not as a soloist, the depth and breadth of my professional interactions with many specialists and experienced thinkers and makers; and my partner, family and friends who support me and I them.
I am grateful for those who know me and understand without explanation, of sharing both pain and the joy of knowing what needs to be done, even if we don’t yet know how to change without collapse. Can our society adapt? Has any ever done so? This is what we need to achieve.
Were there any unanticipated realisations because of this moment?
I realised that there was so much more to my career! I had hated being a general development professional, felt I had missed my calling as a specialist — I now love working with and sharing my approach with all disciplines.
Do you have one piece of career advice for others?
Choose a general path if you wish, something you enjoy, specialise later and aim to do something that changes you and others.
Do you have one piece advice for Higher Education organisations because of your experience?
Combine all your resources, disciplines and power to address a coordinated effort to tackle our polycrisis of environmental and social damage.
If you value the lives of your students, change now.
And finally, we have three quick-fire questions for you.
What do you value — these are something you aim for and hopefully bring to any role.
Authenticity; Compassion, Kindness; Protection; Nature-aware Impacts; Environmental, Social and Economic focus; Multi-species adaptation
Emerging skills. Which emerging skill sets for working and living would you prioritise.
Transdisciplinarity, Contextual problem-solving, Novel & adaptive systems thinking
What gives you energy?
- My work
- Multi-disciplinary working
- Visioning a socially equitable future
- Working with those people who will be most impacted due to their young age
You can find out more about John and the work he is involved with here:
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnthorne1/
Glasgow School of Art
- https://www.gsasustainability.org.uk/
- https://www.gsasustainability.org.uk/about-us
- https://www.gsasustainability.org.uk/people/john-thorne
Some useful links to organisations valued by John
- Climate Psychology Alliance (CPA)
- Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges (EAUC)
- Solarpunk
- Stockholm Resilience Centre (SRC)
- Anthropocene Architecture School (AAS)
If you found this article interesting or useful, then you can find others on Medium at The Curious Researchers
Before you go, if you’ve found value in this post please give it some claps.
