An instructive journey

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Eco is deeply moved by the documentary and starts wondering if such a momentous change is truly happening around him.

Taking advantage of his sleeping owner, Eco uses his paw to grab the doorknob and slips out into the garden. At that moment, it takes him only a second to leap over the hedge and land on the street. Where will he go next? Explore the surroundings with him.

An instructive journey

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Eco arrives at the entrance of the National Park near his home where he starts his investigation. As he arrives, he overhears one of the park officials speaking to a tourist:

‘You seem like a calm, thoughtful person.
You don’t see many of those these days, you know? They call it eco-anxiety. It tends to affect younger people, especially those who are more sensitive to the fate of the environment.
It creates chronic states of anxiety and leads vulnerable young people to feel the weight of a situation that increasingly seems too difficult to cope with, manifesting as a silent inner struggle. Having more direct contact with nature, even something as simple as a daily walk in the greenery, could help reduce it.
Do you know what else eco-anxiety can cause?’.

Solastalgia: sleep disorders, stress, depression.

Solonostalgia: missing frequently the times a person is alone.

An instructive journey

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While leaving the park, Eco is heading back towards the city, but his sharp hearing perceives a buzzing sound in the distance.
A bee approaches him and speaks to him. It appears to be very sad:

‘Bees contribute to the survival of more than 80 per cent of plant species and 70 per cent of the main crops grown need us to regenerate. But over the past 30 years or so, our numbers have dropped significantly: this is caused by air pollution which asphyxiates us by provoking a sense of suffocation, along with poisoned water and the use of pesticides. In addition, many types of flowers are increasingly hard to find, due to human monocultures, and this means less food available and less pollen variety for us. But something else is happening too!’.

Find out what happens. Put the events in a logical order and allow Eco to continue his adventure.

  A) Pathogens become more aggressive

  B) The number of bees decreases

  C) Native flowers decrease, and exotic insects harmful to bees invade new lands

  D) Global average temperatures are rising

Look closely at the events: try to order them from the most general to the most specific.

An instructive journey

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Back on the town’s main street, Eco finds himself in a protest march against the climate crisis and the rising number of climate refugees. He listens to the speech of one of the activists present, who is chatting with someone nearby.

Which of the following speeches is he making?

I took the plane last night to come here. Of course, when I arrived in town I rented a bicycle: look, both the rear and front lights are LED, completely ecological.

I brought a packed lunch for everyone: omelette and legumes. My companions and I arrived from the neighbouring region this morning using car sharing: it was a bit long, but worth it.

Eco is deeply moved by the documentary and starts wondering if such a momentous change is truly happening around him.

Taking advantage of his sleeping owner, Eco uses his paw to grab the doorknob and slips out into the garden. At that moment, it takes him only a second to leap over the hedge and land on the street. Where will he go next? Explore the surroundings with him.

Eco arrives at the entrance of the National Park near his home where he starts his investigation. As he arrives, he overhears one of the park officials speaking to a tourist:

‘You seem like a calm, thoughtful person.
You don’t see many of those these days, you know? They call it eco-anxiety. It tends to affect younger people, especially those who are more sensitive to the fate of the environment.
It creates chronic states of anxiety and leads vulnerable young people to feel the weight of a situation that increasingly seems too difficult to cope with, manifesting as a silent inner struggle. Having more direct contact with nature, even something as simple as a daily walk in the greenery, could help reduce it.
Do you know what else eco-anxiety can cause?’.

A bee approaches him and speaks to him. It appears to be very sad:

‘Bees contribute to the survival of more than 80 per cent of plant species and 70 per cent of the main crops grown need us to regenerate. But over the past 30 years or so, our numbers have dropped significantly: this is caused by air pollution which asphyxiates us by provoking a sense of suffocation, along with poisoned water and the use of pesticides. In addition, many types of flowers are increasingly hard to find, due to human monocultures, and this means less food available and less pollen variety for us. But something else is happening too!’.

Find out what happens. Put the events in a logical order and allow Eco to continue his adventure.

  A) Pathogens become more aggressive

  B) The number of bees decreases

  C) Native flowers decrease, and exotic insects harmful to bees invade new lands

  D) Global average temperatures are rising

Back on the town’s main street, Eco finds himself in a protest march against the climate crisis and the rising number of climate refugees. He listens to the speech of one of the activists present, who is chatting with someone nearby.

Which of the following speeches is he making?