Communicating Collapse

I don’t give many speeches or interviews on the topic of societal collapse. I find it tough. That’s because when speaking to audiences of mixed levels of awareness on social and environmental trends, I need to explain the latest data, convey the emotional weight of the conclusions, and provide some pointers on how to metabolise such feelings without either panic or aggressive dismissal. That process has never been a light one for me. First, I need to update myself on the latest data, in a way whether I synthesise and remember it well enough to be able to explain it. That’s no fun. Second, I need to allow the emotions to arise in me, as suppressing them might convey to people that this matter isn’t so important and upsetting. So that’s not much fun either. Third, some strong emotional reactions are normal, and present needs for follow-on engagement, across quite a spectrum. On the one hand, some people are deeply affected and request guidance. On the other hand, some people ‘shoot the messenger’ and frame me as problematic in some way. That can happen in small networks, or subsequently published ‘hit pieces’, which misrepresent my work and that of others who are ‘collapse aware’.  So what to do?

Recognising that ‘collapse communication’ comes with responsibilities, as well as taking an emotional toll on the communicator, is the reason why I participated over the years in various initiatives to support people to communicate kindly and wisely on this topic. As the troubles become more apparent, and new people talk about collapse, including some with great resources and reach to pitch their view of the world, now is not the time to be shy. If our intention is to slow and soften collapses, while creating possibilities for the future, without certainty, then we can try to learn how to communicate well and responsibly. That’s why ‘communicating collapse’ will be the topic of the next salon of the Metacrisis Initiative (sign up info follows at the end). 

This year I accepted invitations for a couple of interviews that would reach a wider audience than my existing following amongst the ‘collapse aware’. First, I was interviewed for a climate-engaged audience, on the podcast of the MEER initiative. It is promoting local initiatives at reflecting the sun’s rays, to achieve some local cooling. In the interview, I covered some of the claims in the 2018 Deep Adaptation paper that are confirmed by recent data or science, before explaining how scientists on climate could avoid new kinds of mistakes today. In particular, I emphasised the need to look beyond atmospheric carbon to natural cloud seeding processes for an understanding of recent heating. That’s a view with massive implications for environmental activism and policy, if only scientists could convey that wider – panecological – understanding of the biophysical drivers of the climate crisis. 

The next interview released on video was with Finn Harries, for his new podcast ‘The Seeds Will Grow’. Originally, Finn became well known with his twin brother as a teen youtuber, and then progressed into environmental communications. On the podcast he explains the impact that the Deep Adaptation paper had on him, which led to his focus on regenerative projects, including Juntos Farm. For such a specialist conversation, it has already received a lot of engagement, and the comments on the video are like a mini-forum of ideas (awaiting your own contribution!).

For three years, I hosted a guest every month to discuss aspects of our responses to societal collapse. The interviews remain an important resource for people new to this topic, or exploring new aspects of it. Guests included Joanna Macy, Charles Eisenstein, Gail Bradbrook and Vanessa Andreotti. I am considering hosting interviews again, and trialled that with Kin Thao, who is the network coordinator for the Oceanic and Asian region of the Global Ecovillage Network. She was in Indonesia as part of the networking and exchange of ideas that I helped to fund. If you are interested in how intentional communities, of any size or type, can be catalysts for change in an era of metacrisis and collapse, then I recommend the interview. It was the first time I’ve ever sung with an interviewee!

Rather than public advocacy or education, my main focus will remain the Metacrisis Initiative, where we help the ‘collapse aware’ to live purposefully. The deadline to join the second cohort of peer mentoring is in early October 2026. That means you need to be a member before then to be able to join a mentoring group from November. If you are a young professional (under 35), or from the ‘Global South’, or have limited means, please request free membership here. Otherwise, it is $8 a month. 

“I keep meeting people who lack a community to discuss societal collapse. We need healthy spaces to discuss our response. That’s why I participate in the Metacrisis Initiative.” Josie McLean, PhD, Co-founder, Climate Coaching Alliance

“The peer mentoring has created a tight bond with people who were strangers at first, around this sometimes heavy subject. It’s an opportunity for me to connect with my feelings, whilst not being overwhelmed by them.” Bibi Gratzer, Sacred Union Podcast.