ECOVIEW
Games and Other Products
“Climate Cooldown” - Review by Nancy Pearlman
For those who see the divine in rivers, forests, and oceans — for whom the sacred is not a distant deity, but the living Earth itself — “Climate Cooldown” by Thomas Yount is more than a board game. It is a celebration of reverence in action. This cooperative board game invites players into a shared experience of healing the planet, aligning with a Pantheist view that faith is not about belief, but about relationship.
Each card and challenge in the game echoes the Pantheist ethic: habitat rejuvenation and protecting the land and bodies of water—all serving as sacred acts of restoration. These elements aren’t abstract strategies; they are opportunities to act in fidelity to what we love—to protect the integrity of Nature’s systems so that all life may flourish through climate shocks and beyond.
“Climate Cooldown” fosters awareness, empathy, and cooperative action. The game honors the Universe not through words but through our choices that support Earth’s vitality. For Pantheists, who hold awe for life as a spiritual imperative, this game is a living ritual of engagement. It turns a game focused on climate literacy into love-in-action and is a meaningful way to reconnect with Nature and each other in service of a just, sustainable future.
We not only have to make a just transition from our dependence on fossil fuels into sustainable power but more importantly, we have to heal and protect the land and ocean, the soil’s health, the water quality, and the habitats which all living creatures need to survive. Reinvigorating our connection to the planet is essential to collectively winning the game.
“Climate Cooldown” also challenges the anthropocentric mindset that places humans above and apart from the web of life. Instead, the game promotes a shift toward ecological humility and interdependence and calls on players to adopt a planetary perspective where every species has value and every action has consequence. Through its emphasis on diplomacy, cooperation, and multilateral solutions, the game reflects an earthkeeping ethic: that we must work together across boundaries to restore harmony with the Earth, not as masters of it, but as participants in its unfolding story. As terrestrial beings it provides the pathways to new narratives where the Earth and humans can live in harmony.
The drawings and pictures are beautiful. Have fun playing the game, which can be acquired at: climatecooldown.com or write to Thomas Yount at cleanearthfuture@gmail.com