Staff Reports
Newly unearthed documents unveil the depths of the Biden administration’s peculiar obsession with what they call “ecogrief” workshops. According to insiders at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), the initiative is as ridiculous as it sounds, encouraging employees to channel their so-called ecological anxiety into what is purported to be “lifesaving changes” for the planet. It seems the government has taken the angst of millennials – specifically, those who can’t handle the fact that the weather changes – and turned it into a taxpayer-funded therapy session.
The revelations come courtesy of an open records request by the Functional Government Initiative, showing that these grief workshops were more prevalent than the bureaucrats initially cared to admit. The FWS didn’t just dabble in ecogrief; they were committed enough to consider it a “high priority.” Apparently, the agency’s main training center is working on developing a permanent course on this emotional farce for employees struggling with climate-induced sorrow. One can only imagine what the curriculum includes—perhaps a lesson on hugging trees to ease one’s existential dread.
When the Washington Times first broke the story in 2023, FWS officials scrambled to downplay the number of workshops; they initially only admitted to three, despite emails indicating at least four had transpired, and likely more under different titles. It’s amusing how easily government officials underestimate the curiosity of taxpayers. Most professionals would think that transparency is a fundamental aspect of public service, but in this case, it appears the officials anticipated—and feared—how Congress would react to the antics. Putting lipstick on a pig that flings lefty ideological nonsense is tough work.
The timing of these revelations couldn’t be any more ironic. As the new Trump administration has rolled out directives to put all Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) employees on leave, it leaves some wondering whether the ecogrief courses fall under the same scrutiny. An anonymous employee illustrated the chaos unfolding as FWS staffers scramble to conceal DEI activities to save their jobs. While conservation specialists plead for essential resources, vast sums of taxpayer dollars are being frittered away on emotional workshops promoting a radical leftist agenda.
Biden agency misled over the extent of ‘ecogrief’ traininghttps://t.co/htZNEeQ0tw pic.twitter.com/YW123Nf5Wj
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) February 7, 2025
Ecogrief itself is a nebulous term created by activists to describe a questionable sense of trauma regarding environmental changes and climate variations. The American Psychological Association boldly stated that very little is known about how to cope with such a vague construct, yet that hasn’t stopped this administration from pursuing it with vigor—on taxpayer dime, of course. Internal emails show FWS employees were quite aware of how dubious these workshops are. One employee, likely feeling the pressures of political correctness, awkwardly justified their actions by referencing vague APA warnings instead of diving into the scientific rigors usually associated with mental health treatments.
Participants in these workshops were treated to a buffet of emotions: recognition of despair, guilt, and anxiety, presiding over what they could only describe as “real” grief. For a mere $4,000 per virtual workshop, employees could take a half-day off from their real work to engage in their self-imposed emotional turmoil. Some employees reportedly found the experience “amazing,” while others were mortified that they had to participate in such absurdity. One exasperated employee could only summon a cry for help, deeming the agency’s descent into “ecogrief” a “freaking, over the edge, crazy” venture.
In an era where American workers face real challenges, the notion of spending government funds on fostering the feelings of sadness over climate change makes one question whether officials have forgotten the value of hard work and common sense. The workshop attendees might need to get outside more and remember that, just like nature, people need to brush off the gloom and get back to thriving. Because in the end, America needs solutions, not a therapy couch for eco-anxiety.
