ABSTRACT
The Introduction describes the background and purpose of the book and summarizes its core points. It argues that humanity is in the midst of a civilization-altering event. Left unaddressed, the global climate emergency will generate individual, community, and societal distresses and traumas that are far beyond anything modern society has ever experienced. It also argues that responses must be at the scale of the problems we face. This means that the individualized mental health treatment and direct human services approaches that for decades have dominated the mental health and social service fields are completely inadequate for the challenges that lie ahead. Instead, the book contends that a public health approach to mental health and psycho-social-spiritual wellbeing is required. This involves engaging entire communities in preventing and healing the distresses and traumas generated during the long climate crisis. Actions to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions, regenerate ecological systems and biodiversity, and prepare for and adapt to climate impacts should be integrated into the community-based initiatives. If whole-community initiatives are launched worldwide, the indomitable human capacity for resilience can be activated, the climate climate crisis can over time be reduced to manageable levels, and people will regain healthy faith in the future.
