We Need the Right Kind of Climate Optimism

as bad as climate doomism is, so is what she called “hopeium” — an unfounded optimism that someone else will come up with a magical climate solution akin to a silver bullet. “Underneath doomerism and hopeium is the question of ‘Are we going to win?’’” Ms. Heglar said. “That’s premature at this point. We need to ask ourselves if we’re going to try. ... See more

part of a growing cadre of people, many of them young, who are fighting climate doomism, the notion that it’s too late to turn things around. They believe that focusing solely on terrible climate news can sow dread and paralysis, foster inaction, and become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Yet not all have lost faith, particularly among the young adults coming into the climate movement. Many of them are hopeful, even guardedly optimistic, that things can — and will — get better. Their outlook is shaped not just by an acceptance of the problem, but also a belief in solutions along with the determination to implement them.

It can be hard to stave off despair these days. We’re inundated with bad news about everything from COVID-19 to the mounting threats against democracy to, of course, climate change. The headlines on that front have been particularly awful.

In an extract from her book Not the End of the World, data scientist Hannah Ritchie explains how her work taught her that there are more reasons for hope than despair about climate change – and why a truly sustainable world is in reach

Yes, we are riding and resting a bit on the vibe, and the mood and enthusiasm. It doesn't mean the problems aren't real. Vibes alone won't cure climate change. Climate change is real. The threat to us is real. The ongoing extinction of our friends and partners, it's real. But when we understand these challenges purely through the metrics and the fl... See more