Rebecca Nestor established the climate cafes after the hot summer in 2018 [Rebecca Nestor] Sessions in cafes which discuss climate change are helping “break the silence” on the issue, the coach who set them up has said. Rebecca Nestor, who facilitates so-called climate cafes in Oxford, said the group meetings were spaces for people to talk about climate change without involving topics about taking specific actions or “debating science”. She said the conversations provided “a sense of connection and community solace”. Participant Bryony Parrish said she found the sessions were “helpful to step outside of daily life”. Ms Nestor set up “safe spaces” for people to discuss climate issues [Rebecca Nestor] Ms Nestor said she noticed people beginning to talk about climate change during the hot summer of 2018 when “the grass was brown and the trees were struggling”. She decided to use concept of “safe spaces” for groups of about 10, lead by two facilitators. “There is then a more free flowing discussion – people might be angry, very anxious or a bit despairing. “What we find is that being able to say that out loud with other people, who are maybe feeling similar, is just incredibly supportive and it gives people a sense of connection and community solace.” She said their climate cafes had “quite a diverse representation” and discussions included topics such as the typhoons in South East Asia. She said climate issues can make people “feel helpless, concerned and not knowing what to do”. “Having an approach that tries to break that silence is necessary and that’s what climate cafes do.” What is climate change? A really simple guide Ms Nestor said the meet-ups did not involve talk about climate action, science, or government policy. “The idea is that people, who have only recently discovered […]