Psychological Roots of the Climate Crisis

Sally Weintrobe is a Fellow of The British Psychoanalytical Society, a founder member of the Climate Psychology Alliance and she Chairs the International Psychoanalytic Association’s (IPA’s) Committee on Climate. In 2021 she won an award from the IPA for her work on climate. Her past publications include, as editor and contributor, Engaging with Climate Change, short-listed in 2014 for the International Gradiva Prize for contributions to psychoanalysis.

Among the lessons Weintrobe’s book holds for climate scientists is that human vulnerability to climate change cannot be measured on a simple quantitative scale running from the most vulnerable populations to the most resilient. To be sure, the risks of climate change are distributed highly unevenly, with poor, marginalized communities likely to suffer the worst effects. Yet, for the privileged readers to whom Weintrobe addresses this book, vulnerability is not the opposite of resilience. Rather, feeling vulnerable is the first step toward building sustainable relationships.

• PrefaceIntroductionEXCEPTIONALISM: THE PSYCHOLOGY EXPLAINED1. The conflicted self2. The ordinary exception (contained by care)3. The Exception (in charge and unbound) EXCEPTIONALISM’S RISE TO POWER IN THE NEOLIBERAL AGE 4. Neoliberal Exceptionalism5. Friedrich Hayek and James Buchanan6. Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged7. Globalizing the neoliberal way8. Neoliberals’ rise to power9. The earth seen as a globe10. Implementing neoliberal economic policyWHAT CONTAINS EXCEPTIONALISM 11. Frameworks of care 12. The power of love THE CULTURE OF UNCARE 13. Culture and the birth of consumerism 14. Neoliberalism’s culture of uncare HOW THIS CULTURE OPERATES15. New Speak16. The World Bank using New Speak 17. Mass media18. Promoting denial 19. Advertising 20. Political framing21. Blocking tears 22. Infantilizing peopleWE COLLUDE 23. On collusionEXCEPTIONALISM GROWS FRAUD BUBBLES 24. Case studies: Enron and fund managers25. The corporation26. Social groups27. TrickledownTHE NEW CARING IMAGINATION TODAY28. Paradigm shift 29. Frameworks of care for a sustainable world30. Living on Planet Earth not Planet La La THE CLIMATE BUBBLE IS BURSTING 31. The damage 32. Living with our feelings about the climate crisis‘THE CRAZY’: EXCEPTIONALISM RUNS AMOK33. ‘The crazy’ in politics34. Noah’s Arkism 21st-century style35. We are gods36. The ‘all or nothing-ness’ of having to be ideal37. Bad leaders drive ‘the crazy’ 38. The problem of guilt39. Good leadersConclusionAcknowledgementsReferencesIndex