THE LIGHTER SIDE OF CLIMATE:
A NEW APPROACH TO CLIMATE ENGAGEMENT
Lighter Side of Climate is grounded in positive psychology and taps into our innate sense of wonder, play, and delight, sparking our creativity, connecting us to others, and leaving us feeling renewed.* We use playfulness and creative facilitation to empower sustainability students, leaders, green teams, and organizations of all types.
Our approach isn't about glitter storms, rainbow farting unicorns, or other forms of toxic positivity, so if you're looking for unrepentant optimism about climate change, we may not be a good fit.
Our Mission
We’re on a mission to help people imagine a more playful and creative approach to the Serious Business of climate change as an avenue for navigating climate stress and amplifying impact.
Our Vision
We envision a world where people nurture possibility, connection, and creative solutions to help solve the world’s most pressing problems.
Our Values
We value the power of joy, delight and play as an avenue to bringing about a better world and enjoying life in the process.
We believe in the power of curiosity and imagination to help us envision possibilities and creative solutions that don’t yet exist.
We understand the importance of building community and connecting people to one another, to the environment and to their purpose in the climate space.
We believe in the importance of deepening personal and community resilience so we can keep doing the work that the world needs us to do.
We believe that shifting to a lighter approach on climate will help us amplify our positive impact on the world.
“ …if we want to make it safely and sanely through all the challenges coming our way, we’re going to need to come out and play.”
Meet the Founders
Together, Casey and Tamara are leading a new path for the climate space— one that emphasizes a sense of lightness, play, creativity, and long-term resilience for a healthier planet and healthier people.
Casey Meehan, PhD
Co-Founder, Climate Strategist & Educator
Casey Meehan is dedicated to reshaping how we engage with climate action. As a certified LEGO® Serious Play® facilitator with a background in climate education and sustainability leadership, he believes integrating playfulness and resilience into climate work isn’t just an option—it’s necessary for long-term impact. Drawing from years of experience in higher education and community sustainability initiatives, Casey helps individuals and organizations find creative, energizing ways to approach their climate efforts.
When he's not working...
Casey loves spending time on and near Lake Superior, traveling with his familiy, and hosting neighborhood donut parties.
Tamara Staton, M.A.
Co-Founder, Resilience Coach & Facilitator
Tamara Staton is passionate about equipping changemakers with the emotional tools they need to thrive in climate work. As an Integral Master Coach®, educator, and facilitator, she blends positive psychology, mindfulness, and leadership training to help professionals build sustainable engagement strategies. With deep expertise in guiding groups and individuals through climate anxiety and burnout prevention, Tamara brings a unique approach to fostering well-being and effectiveness in climate leadership. Find her at Changing Your Climate, as well.
When she's not working...
Tamara loves romping off-grid in big basalt canyons in Oregon, Idaho and Utah with her family and two German Shepherds, Mika and Maya.
Our story
Tamara and Casey had both been on a mission to bring more fun into the climate movement and make it less about existential dread — simply on separate paths, like two ships passing in a vast ocean of climate possibility.
Tamara had been sprinkling playfulness into her work with Citizens’ Climate Lobby, her climate coaching business, and the inaugural Climate Camp in 2018—because who says saving the planet can’t come with a side of fun? Meanwhile, Casey was busy in the world of higher education, designing joy-based climate engagement strategies – because let’s face it, doom and gloom aren’t exactly great tools to inspire action.
Then, in 2023, fate played matchmaker (a.k.a. “Lucy”— a mutual LinkedIn connection from the UK!). Casey and Tamara met regularly on Zoom, where they spent hours throwing around ideas, cracking jokes, and questioning how many video calls one person can handle in a lifetime.
Their first big experiment? Co-hosting a second Climate Camp in Oregon. It was such a smash hit that they thought, We can’t just stop here…right? So they did the only logical thing: commit to even more Zoom calls (nothing says "passion project" like willingly scheduling extra meetings…)
And thus, Lighter Side of Climate was born—a space where climate action gets a much-needed energy upgrade. Because if we’re going to save the planet, we might as well have a little fun doing it.
CONNECT WITH US