Stay Tuned to Our Planet: A New Docu-series Tackling Youth Climate Anxiety

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Happy Eco News Stay Tuned to Our Planet: A New Docu-series Tackling Youth Climate Anxiety

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Stay tuned to our planet: A new docu-series tackling youth climate anxiety

I couldn’t bear the thought of my son inheriting a broken climate. So I decided to help, in the only way I knew how. 

One morning, swimming in the ocean pool at Sydney’s Bondi Icebergs, my mind was running between the bleak climate future my son – and his generation – look certain to inherit, and my long to-do list waiting for me in the office.

I’m a filmmaker and have spent the last 25 years of my working days in advertising, TV and film production, running several local and international companies.

That particular morning, as I stepped out of the ocean pool and back into reality, I realized something: I had to be part of the climate solution and use my skills to help young people and the next generations feel more positive about their future.

I decided I was going to create a climate series, aimed specifically at teenagers.

At the time, this kind of project had never been attempted before. When I started researching, there was nothing I could find in the climate change discussion that targeted young people (young people don’t particularly like being called ‘young people’, but for the sake of argument let’s say anyone between the ages of 13 and 21). Plenty of studies and white papers and nightmare-inducing stats, sure, but nothing that reached out to teenagers and involved them in an actual solution. 

Three-and-a-half years later, and after extensive consultation with researchers, mental health experts and a teen advisory board, we launched Stay Tuned To Our Planet (STTOP): a 28-episode climate-action docuseries designed specifically for young people on YouTube and TikTok. It’s the first series of its kind – but hopefully not the last.

The idea behind STTOP is, first of all, to break the climate anxiety cycle. There’s so much scary messaging out there, and it’s easy to become overwhelmed and paralysed and spend your Saturday nights mindlessly doomscrolling in your pyjamas. I know; it’s happened to me. Which is why STTOP’s overarching mission is to equip young people with the tools and knowledge they need to take climate action in their own lives. Not necessarily to ‘save’ the planet – although I sincerely believe if we work together as a species we can do just that – but simply to make small, meaningful changes and regain a sense of control. 

Because that’s what’s missing from the majority of the climate discussion: providing hope to those who feel hopeless and power to those who feel powerless. That’s why I wanted to create something that spoke to young people on the platforms they actually engage with. 

According to research, one in three (32%) young Australians are dealing with climate anxiety – an endless sense of existential dread – on a daily basis. On the flipside, 72% of young people say that hearing positive climate stories online genuinely helps. Seeing smart people out there doing good things helps silence – or at least, quieten – that omnipresent voice of eco-anxiety. 

When we were writing and producing the show, we spoke to mental health experts from the Orygen Institute and headspace.org.au, and they backed this up – one of the most helpful ways to alleviate climate anxiety is to provide young people with resources on how they can take action. Fear is paralysing. But knowledge is empowering. 

So what knowledge have we shared so far? Well, all 28 episodes are currently live on our YouTube channel, and they cover everything from zero waste living and greenwashing to the ecological importance of flies (turns out they’re good for more than ruining picnics). We’ve also tackled green banking and the finance industry with Emerson Brophy, and chatted bee hotels with prominent meliponist (stingless bee keeper) Sarah Hamilton. 

We wanted to make these short documentaries entertaining, but also surprising and educational. For example, I was blown away by Dr. Peter Ralph addressing the invisible CO2 on the internet, and learning that deleting photos and emails on our devices actually reduces our carbon footprint. That’s the kind of stuff we don’t even think about! 

Our series is now endorsed by the Orygen Institute, the University of Melbourne, headspace, Planet Ark, Environmental Education NSW, Parents for Climate, Conservation Volunteers Australia and Surfers for Climate. We have also been fortunate to be supported by Documentary Australia and be part of their  Environmental Accelerator program. I don’t actually host the episodes myself – we have an actual talented young person for that, the wonderful YouTuber, Mathew McKenna – and we have a highly skilled team behind the scenes who helped me pull it together and bring this whole vision to life

Youtuber Mathew Mckenna. Image: STTOP

Truthfully, this project has kind of consumed me over the last three-and-a-half years.  I have self-funded most of it with some philanthropy, and it’s even become my full-time job. Somewhere along the way I think I became what you’d call a climate activist. 

We’ve been overwhelmed with the response so far, and the plan is to (hopefully) secure some grant funding and further philanthropy to turn the series into a free education program for schools and community groups across Australia, launching next year. 

And as I’ve become more aware and involved and inspired by all these amazing people making a difference, I’ve reclaimed my voice and committed myself to speaking out about things that matter. And nothing matters more than the world we’re leaving behind for our kids. 

And the best bit? Collectively our actions can have a huge impact. 

You may feel like you don’t have much sway over systemic stuff like government policy or international energy agreements. But we all have power as a consumer and as an individual, and using that power can create effective, collective impact. 

So, think before you buy, everytime you choose a product you are exercising your buying power. Learn about ethical banking, or how to recycle properly (according to your local area). Try opshopping or upcycling, or reduce your digital footprint by simply deleting all those unneeded photos and emails!

I absolutely believe we can all make a difference. All we need to do is start!

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