A Conversation With the Inventor of “Environmental Grief”
Wed Jan 28 2026
Over 20 years ago, Kriss Kevorkian coined the term “environmental grief” to describe the emotional impacts experienced by scientists and activists working around the clearcutting of redwood forests. In the intervening decades, more and more people have taken up this term to explain and explore their own emotions during a time of changing climate and environmental degradation. In today’s episode, Kriss talks about thanatology, her own work on behalf of the Southern Resident Orcas in the Salish Sea, and how we can harness environmental grief to act on behalf of the non-human world.
– – –
Visit Antioch’s website to learn more about the Undergraduate Studies programs in which Kriss teaches.
Kriss’s activist organization is called Legal Rights for the Salish Sea. If you want to follow Kriss’s advice and fill out your advanced directive, you can find more information at caringinfo.org.
– – –
This episode was recorded November 14, 2025 via Riverside.fm and released January 28, 2026.
The Seed Field Podcast is produced by Antioch University
Host: Jasper Nighthawk
Editor: Nastasia Green
Producer: Karen Hamilton
Work-Study Assistants: Dani LaPointe, Odin Rasco, Rylie DeGarmo, and Shayla Kerr
Additional Production Help: Amelia Bryan, Jonathan Hawkins, and Laurien Alexandre.
– – –
To access a full transcript and find more information about this and other episodes, visit theseedfield.org. To get updates and be notified about future episodes, follow Antioch University on Facebook.
More
Over 20 years ago, Kriss Kevorkian coined the term “environmental grief” to describe the emotional impacts experienced by scientists and activists working around the clearcutting of redwood forests. In the intervening decades, more and more people have taken up this term to explain and explore their own emotions during a time of changing climate and environmental degradation. In today’s episode, Kriss talks about thanatology, her own work on behalf of the Southern Resident Orcas in the Salish Sea, and how we can harness environmental grief to act on behalf of the non-human world. – – – Visit Antioch’s website to learn more about the Undergraduate Studies programs in which Kriss teaches. Kriss’s activist organization is called Legal Rights for the Salish Sea. If you want to follow Kriss’s advice and fill out your advanced directive, you can find more information at caringinfo.org. – – – This episode was recorded November 14, 2025 via Riverside.fm and released January 28, 2026. The Seed Field Podcast is produced by Antioch University Host: Jasper Nighthawk Editor: Nastasia Green Producer: Karen Hamilton Work-Study Assistants: Dani LaPointe, Odin Rasco, Rylie DeGarmo, and Shayla Kerr Additional Production Help: Amelia Bryan, Jonathan Hawkins, and Laurien Alexandre. – – – To access a full transcript and find more information about this and other episodes, visit theseedfield.org. To get updates and be notified about future episodes, follow Antioch University on Facebook.