Feb 14 2025 33 mins
On this week’s episode of the Seekers of Meaning TV Show and Podcast, Rabbi Address speaks with Dr. Rick Moody about his newest book, Climate Change in an Aging Society, about the intersection of climate change and aging.
They discuss the urgency of climate action, particularly for older generations, and the importance of local activism. Dr. Moody shares his journey into climate advocacy, emphasizing the interconnectedness of climate issues and the need for grassroots efforts. The conversation also explores the power of dreams in the second half of life and how they can guide us in taking action against climate change.
About the book
Climate Change in an Aging Society is the first book fully devoted to the impact of climate change on those who are old today — and those who will be old in decades to come. In doing so, Moody focuses on issues of critical importance: aging in place; health and age in a warming world; responsibility for the climate crisis; options for climate-conscious consumers; planning for investment for a green retirement; and opportunities for political action.
The number of Americans aged over 65 is projected to rise from 17% to 21%. By 2060 nearly one in four Americans will be 65 or older. By 2050, however, average temperatures in the USA could rise by as much as 3°C, and extreme weather events are likely to become more frequent and severe. Despite these alarming projections and the likelihood that climate change will cause serious health issues among the elderly, little attention has been devoted to the impact of climate change on this demographic. Employing a life-course perspective and a cross-generational approach, Moody assesses the impact of climate change on those who are old today and those who will be old in years to come. Challenging both climate complacency and climate defeatism, the book adopts as its clarion call, HERE NOW YOU HOPE.
Written in an engaging personal style with highlighting case studies of influential “eco-elders,” this urgent book will be of great interest to students and scholars with interests in climate change, gerontology, and environmental and social policy.
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Amazon MusicAbout the Guest
Harry (Rick) Moody, Ph.D.
Harry (Rick) Moody, Ph.D., retired as Vice President for Academic Affairs with AARP and is currently Visiting Faculty in the Creative Longevity and Wisdom Program at Fielding Graduate University. He previously served as Executive Director of the Brookdale Center on Aging at Hunter College and Chairman of the Board of Elderhostel (now Road Scholar). He is author of many scholarly articles, and books including co-author of Aging: Concepts and Controversies (Sage), a gerontology textbook now in its 10th edition. His book, The Five Stages of the Soul, was published by Doubleday and has been translated into seven languages worldwide. In 2011 he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society on Aging and in 2008 he was named by Utne Reader Magazine as one of “50 Visionaries Who Are Changing Your World.” His new book, Climate Change in an Aging Society, was published this year by Routledge.
The post Seekers of Meaning 2/14/2025: Rick Moody on his book, “Climate Change in an Aging Society” appeared first on Jewish Sacred Aging.