New edition of book tackling eco-anxiety was born in Bristol

Co-authored by resilience specialist and medic Dr Chris Johnstone and 93-year old Buddhism scholar and author Joanna Macy, Active Hope, a bestselling and internationally recognised book aiming to transform eco-anxiety is set to release its 10th anniversary new edition on July 15.

The book first emerged when Macy visited Johnstone back in 2008, staying at the Avon Gorge Hotel.

The pair were meeting to discuss the work they had been collaborating on over a 20 year period, initially with a view to creating an article, but the material thrown up was so rich, the idea for Active Hope was born.

In the interim decade between the initial publication, the state of the world and the climate has evolved significantly.

Responding to these changes, there are a number of rewritten sections to the latest edition, designed to better reflect the reality of the planetary emergency we now face.

“Our very act of facing the mess we’re in can help us discover a more enlivening sense of what our lives are about, what we’re here to do, and what we’re truly capable of,” write Johnstone and Macy.

Dr Chris Johnstone

Joanna Macy

The book highlights three core stories of our time: the Great Unravelling, wherein we are heading towards catastrophe; Business as usual, where we downplay crisis and continue as we are; and the Great Turning, where we rise to the challenge of changing the everyday systems on which we rely.

Recognising that we can choose the story we live from is liberating,” says Macy. “Describing the epochal transition from a doomed industrial society to a life-sustaining society, the Great Turning is the essential adventure of our time.

“This far-reaching change is comparable in scope and magnitude to both the agricultural revolution ten thousand years ago and the industrial revolution less than three centuries back. We make the Great Turning happen by turning up with an intention to play our part.”

Three stories of our time graphic, from Active Hope

This necessary, transformative shift in consciousness is seeded throughout the book. For Johnstone, this new way of thinking is made easier by the knowledge that we all something to offer in a collective transition towards a better way, more sustainable way of living.

In rising to the challenge of playing our best role, we discover something precious that both enriches our lives and contributes to our world,” he notes. “An oyster, in response to trauma, grows a pearl. We grow, and offer, our response of Active Hope.”

Alongside the book, a free online companion course has been developed by the authors, aiming to reduce feelings of overwhelm and increase motivation towards acting for positive change in the climate crisis. 90 per cent of respondents to date have reported a significant personal impact on both these factors.

Active Hope: Joanna Macy & Dr Chris Johnstone (New World Library) – image: courtesy of the authors

Active Hope, by Joanna Macy and Dr Chris Johnstone is published by New World Library on July 15, and is available from all good book stores. For more information about the book and to read the opening chapters, visit www.activehope.info.

All photos: Courtesy of Joanna Macy and Dr Chris Johnstone

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