"Everyone plays a role in creating a healthy climate and we just need to collaborate and be creative!"
Kennedy-anne came to us from Kailua, O'ahu. She had grown up going on outdoor adventures there, and looked to do the same here while attending the University of Montana. She currently studies Environmental Studies, Sustainability Science and Practice with a minor in Climate change studies.
Kennedy-anne took the inaugural Climate Change and Human Health course this spring at U.M. because she wanted to increase her understanding of climate impacts. She ahd already studied the science behind climate change, the energy use required to sustain a grid, and different laws that impact the climate. Taking the climate and health course helped her form a stronger understanding of the interconnectedness between our health and the health of the planet.
For her required class project, a classmate and she teamed up with the Climate Response Club on Campus. The CRC does a lot at the university to advocate for the climate, so they thought it would be great to work together with those leaders. Their project was focused on mental health, and preventing harmful mental health impacts from the looming threat of climate change. They did this by researching mental health impacts, while also looking into how activists are impacted by the causes they put their energy into. They host a mental health event with the CRC in the honors college. At this event, they talked about mental health, practiced a mindfulness event, and discussed the importance of community resilience. For their event, they focused on the power of human relationships and how relationships can help us fight harmful mental impacts. In addition to the discussion, they included an interactive activity where participants used old magazines and paper to create collages that illustrate the mental health impacts they face, their unhealthy coping mechanisms, and what they want to focus on instead to prevent burnout. They then paired people up as climate resiliency buddies, the buddies exchanged collages and numbers/emails to stay in contact and check up on each other. Attendees seemed to enjoy this activity because it was a fun conversation starter, and it was a hands-on way to deal with emotions. Kennedy-anne knows that a lot of activism work can be a bit depressing, so it is important to find fun activities too.
The course helped her realize the interconnectedness between the human system and earth systems. Everything that we do to the land, through resource extraction, pollution, biodiversity loss, impacts our lives as humans. From home safety, lung health, mental health, food security, and more. She notes, " it is easy to not picture ourselves as a part of the earth community, but this is our habitat too, and if we do not take care of it, then it will not be able to take care of us. While it is terrifying to consider the interconnectedness between climate health, and human health, it also can be a reminder of how much power every individual has. Health care workers, teachers, community organizers, farmers, business people, and more all play a role in creating a healthy and livable climate."
If you could convince everyone of one important fact related to climate, what would that be?
She would like to convince people that, in regard to climate, action needs to be taken now. She learned that in the Montana Climate Assessment under all emission scenarios, there is data that indicates that Montana is projected to continue to warm in all locations and seasons throughout the 21st century. The two emission scenarios include business as usual or a reduced greenhouse gas concentration. Regardless of what mitigation steps Montana takes, there will be impacts and we all need to be prepared.
When not trying to impact world problems, Kennedy-anne enjoys hiking, camping, and swimming in the ocean. She is a part of a Pacific Islanders Club where she does hula. This summer she is a junior counselor for a hiking and camping program called Wild Kids! (https://thewildkidscommunity.org/)
Lastly she notes, "everyone plays a role in creating a healthy climate and we just need to collaborate and be creative!""Everyone plays a role in creating a healthy climate and we just need to collaborate and be creative!"
Kennedy-anne came to us from Kailua, O'ahu. She had grown up going on outdoor adventures there, and looked to do the same here while attending the University of Montana. She currently studies Environmental Studies, Sustainability Science and Practice with a minor in Climate change studies.
Kennedy-anne took the inaugural Climate Change and Human Health course this spring at U.M. because she wanted to increase her understanding of climate impacts. She ahd already studied the science behind climate change, the energy use required to sustain a grid, and different laws that impact the climate. Taking the climate and health course helped her form a stronger understanding of the interconnectedness between our health and the health of the planet.
For her required class project, a classmate and she teamed up with the Climate Response Club on Campus. The CRC does a lot at the university to advocate for the climate, so they thought it would be great to work together with those leaders. Their project was focused on mental health, and preventing harmful mental health impacts from the looming threat of climate change. They did this by researching mental health impacts, while also looking into how activists are impacted by the causes they put their energy into. They host a mental health event with the CRC in the honors college. At this event, they talked about mental health, practiced a mindfulness event, and discussed the importance of community resilience. For their event, they focused on the power of human relationships and how relationships can help us fight harmful mental impacts. In addition to the discussion, they included an interactive activity where participants used old magazines and paper to create collages that illustrate the mental health impacts they face, their unhealthy coping mechanisms, and what they want to focus on instead to prevent burnout. They then paired people up as climate resiliency buddies, the buddies exchanged collages and numbers/emails to stay in contact and check up on each other. Attendees seemed to enjoy this activity because it was a fun conversation starter, and it was a hands-on way to deal with emotions. Kennedy-anne knows that a lot of activism work can be a bit depressing, so it is important to find fun activities too.
The course helped her realize the interconnectedness between the human system and earth systems. Everything that we do to the land, through resource extraction, pollution, biodiversity loss, impacts our lives as humans. From home safety, lung health, mental health, food security, and more. She notes, " it is easy to not picture ourselves as a part of the earth community, but this is our habitat too, and if we do not take care of it, then it will not be able to take care of us. While it is terrifying to consider the interconnectedness between climate health, and human health, it also can be a reminder of how much power every individual has. Health care workers, teachers, community organizers, farmers, business people, and more all play a role in creating a healthy and livable climate."
If you could convince everyone of one important fact related to climate, what would that be?
She would like to convince people that, in regard to climate, action needs to be taken now. She learned that in the Montana Climate Assessment under all emission scenarios, there is data that indicates that Montana is projected to continue to warm in all locations and seasons throughout the 21st century. The two emission scenarios include business as usual or a reduced greenhouse gas concentration. Regardless of what mitigation steps Montana takes, there will be impacts and we all need to be prepared.
When not trying to impact world problems, Kennedy-anne enjoys hiking, camping, and swimming in the ocean. She is a part of a Pacific Islanders Club where she does hula. This summer she is a junior counselor for a hiking and camping program called Wild Kids! (https://thewildkidscommunity.org/)
Lastly she notes, "everyone plays a role in creating a healthy climate and we just need to collaborate and be creative!"
"Everyone plays a role in creating a healthy climate and we just need to collaborate and be creative!"
Kennedy-anne came to us from Kailua, O'ahu. She had grown up going on outdoor adventures there, and looked to do the same here while attending the University of Montana. She currently studies Environmental Studies, Sustainability Science and Practice with a minor in Climate change studies.
Kennedy-anne took the inaugural Climate Change and Human Health course this spring at U.M. because she wanted to increase her understanding of climate impacts. She ahd already studied the science behind climate change, the energy use required to sustain a grid, and different laws that impact the climate. Taking the climate and health course helped her form a stronger understanding of the interconnectedness between our health and the health of the planet.
For her required class project, a classmate and she teamed up with the Climate Response Club on Campus. The CRC does a lot at the university to advocate for the climate, so they thought it would be great to work together with those leaders. Their project was focused on mental health, and preventing harmful mental health impacts from the looming threat of climate change. They did this by researching mental health impacts, while also looking into how activists are impacted by the causes they put their energy into. They host a mental health event with the CRC in the honors college. At this event, they talked about mental health, practiced a mindfulness event, and discussed the importance of community resilience. For their event, they focused on the power of human relationships and how relationships can help us fight harmful mental impacts. In addition to the discussion, they included an interactive activity where participants used old magazines and paper to create collages that illustrate the mental health impacts they face, their unhealthy coping mechanisms, and what they want to focus on instead to prevent burnout. They then paired people up as climate resiliency buddies, the buddies exchanged collages and numbers/emails to stay in contact and check up on each other. Attendees seemed to enjoy this activity because it was a fun conversation starter, and it was a hands-on way to deal with emotions. Kennedy-anne knows that a lot of activism work can be a bit depressing, so it is important to find fun activities too.
The course helped her realize the interconnectedness between the human system and earth systems. Everything that we do to the land, through resource extraction, pollution, biodiversity loss, impacts our lives as humans. From home safety, lung health, mental health, food security, and more. She notes, " it is easy to not picture ourselves as a part of the earth community, but this is our habitat too, and if we do not take care of it, then it will not be able to take care of us. While it is terrifying to consider the interconnectedness between climate health, and human health, it also can be a reminder of how much power every individual has. Health care workers, teachers, community organizers, farmers, business people, and more all play a role in creating a healthy and livable climate."
If you could convince everyone of one important fact related to climate, what would that be?
She would like to convince people that, in regard to climate, action needs to be taken now. She learned that in the Montana Climate Assessment under all emission scenarios, there is data that indicates that Montana is projected to continue to warm in all locations and seasons throughout the 21st century. The two emission scenarios include business as usual or a reduced greenhouse gas concentration. Regardless of what mitigation steps Montana takes, there will be impacts and we all need to be prepared.
When not trying to impact world problems, Kennedy-anne enjoys hiking, camping, and swimming in the ocean. She is a part of a Pacific Islanders Club where she does hula. This summer she is a junior counselor for a hiking and camping program called Wild Kids! (https://thewildkidscommunity.org/)
Lastly she notes, "everyone plays a role in creating a healthy climate and we just need to collaborate and be creative!"