We need more of these academic style articles that push a more optimistic outlook. The constant bombardment of (understandably) negative messages around the climate crisis risks making change appear hopeless, and motivation to change a trait to be ridiculed in the face of ‘realistic’ models of collapse. We need to be kept informed of all aspects of the challenge - negative and positive, to ensure expectations are kept unsentimental and rational.
The pessimism I experience and most frequently encounter has nothing to do with the scientific or even the technical possibility of dealing with the problem, but the social and political.
We’ve known of the need to do something since the mid-1980s and earlier. Before internet! I gave my first presentation on anthropogenic climate change (when it was still known as global warming) to my high school’s science club in 1973.
We know what we need to do. We know the majority of how to do it. And we’ve known the what and how for almost as long as we’ve been aware of the need.
My pessimism arises from the fact that those who are greedy for power, resources, and/or money are also, by definition, selfish assholes who tolerate nothing that affects their agenda and who have the resources to con the general public into following their agenda.
Sure, I can understand that. I think maybe I didn’t explain myself particularly well. I was mostly referring to the discourse you tend to get online, including Lemmy, where any even vaguely positive climate/environment news is dog-piled by comments stating how it’s not enough, won’t work or is otherwise ‘actually a bad thing™’.
We have been so saturated with negative news around climate change etc that anything to the contrary is misinterpreted as false. It’s exhausting, and risks drowning any positivity and motivation under a torrent of defeatism. It also becomes a convenient scapegoat, facilitating the excuse of doing nothing under the guise of ‘well, we’re all doomed so why bother even trying?’. That isn’t the kind of false reasoning we can afford to foster.
Im obviously not advocating that we bury our head in the sand and pretend everything is fine, but we do need more fairly balanced reporting to ensure that everyone stays informed, and that optimism and positivity can be used to encourage and motivate, rather than trying to replace that with fear, hopelessness and depression. Fuck knows there’s enough of that about as it is.
I understand that point of view as well.
I guess my real issue is my own selfishness. I think the problems will ultimately be solved, but at my age, I doubt I’m likely to see anything other than the “worse” in “things will get worse before they get better,” no matter how aggressively we act.
Yeah, you and me both. It’s only natural. It’s not really selfishness, I’d argue it’s more like survival. I think that things are likely to get real ugly just when my partner and I hit retirement and start getting frail. Not much I can do about that other than prepare, but ultimately you and I are not going to see the end of this issue in our lifetimes, but we can collectively help ensure that the younger generations do. ‘A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit’ and all that. It sucks but that makes it all the more important learn to celebrate things like this article that’ll help make it suck less. Enjoy the little wins.
Thanks for helping me look at things from a different angle!
No problem :) Here’s some more good news stories. Stay happy if you can, friend.
Not the Michael Mann I expected, but still worth the read for the optimism.
