It's Not All Bad News: Some Helpful Resources to Combat Eco-Anxiety

Sometimes, the world feels like it's on fire, and there’s very little we can do to change it. A lot of the articles in this issue have been about serious, and often quite demoralising and scary things. Eco-anxiety is rampant, and it's so easy to feel downhearted about the state of affairs in the world today. But honestly, it's not all bad, and there are lots of good resources to follow if you need a break from all the negativity. My favourite resources to follow are some of the natural history museums around the world (mainly because I enjoy dinosaur and cute animal content from the natural history museums) – the Natural History Museum in London is often quite uplifting, and often has a lot of educational and interactive material on their story. I’ve really been trying to curate my Instagram feed, so that if I end up mindlessly scrolling through reels and suggested pages, at least it's more relevant and educational.

Here are some environment-themed resources that I’ve been enjoying recently, ranging from good news pages, to sustainability and lifestyle blogs. If nothing else, some of them provide great new perspectives (regarding environmentalism and queerness, race or feminism, or all of the above).

Of course, there are hundreds more out there, and I would love to hear about your favourites too – feel free to share them with us on Instagram (@studentabladid).

@brightly.eco This is a great one for everyday sustainability tips, as well as some positive news (like the fact the Fender’s Blue butterfly is no longer endangered!). Also a good one to follow for fun environment facts!

@gittemary This influencer posts about her daily life and living sustainably. She leads a vegan and zerowaste lifestyle, and also has a blog with useful information on what fashion companies are eco-friendly.

happyeconews.com This is a great blog for positive updates and news on a wide variety of environmental topics, from solar power, to rare parrots. The blog also has an Instagram account.

@climategoodnews This one does exactly what it sounds like – it might be on the smaller side for an Instagram with only 5500 followers, but they’re a great place to start, and they suggest a whole bunch of other good resources to follow up with if you’re interested.!

@rainforestalliance Rainforest alliance is an international non-profit and their Instagram has a mix of good news, as well as issues facing our rainforests today, but they do maintain a positive outlook, and keep it as light hearted as they can, with fun (and educational/enlightening) activities like ‘What kind of tree are you?’ (I am apparently a Kapok Tree!)

@sealegacy As a US based non-profit, this one provides news and educational material about our oceans. Although it keeps it real, it does emphasise hope, and our power to make a difference, and their feed is full of cute polar bear, seal and whale pictures!

@intersectionalenvironmentalist This one is not necessarily a ‘good news’ site, but does provide a different perspective to what we might hear about in ‘mainstream media’ – providing a mix of memes, news, and resources – this is a great account to follow if you’re looking for a more racially diverse and inclusive page.

@pattiegonia Another great resource for environmental news – this drag queen uses their platform to raise money for outdoor not-for-profit organisations. This page is super inclusive and provides some fabulous links and resources, especially if you’re looking for queer friendly and inclusive sites.

@verdensbestenyheter & @goodnewsmagazin: These two both provide uplifting environmental news, in Norwegian and German respectively.

news.mongabay.com/list/conservation-solutions is a news website which has wonderful educational resources for children as well as a whole page dedicated to solutions.

euronews.com/green/eco-innovation This is another news site. For the positive news, I recommend their ‘Innovation’ pages, and some of their series (like ‘Low-impact living’).