Is climate hope radical? The importance of collective hope amid the climate crisis

The climate crisis is real. We see evidence of this in increased storm severity, more intense wildfires and inundated shorelines. As with all problems, humans naturally search for a root cause for these continuing disasters. It can be difficult to reconcile that we — the humans searching for answers to this crisis — are responsible for the global climate crisis. Greed, short-sighted mitigation strategies and stubborn opposition to change are among the top reasons why mankind have thus far failed to adequately address the urgency of climate disasters. 

At times, many of us working in the climate science realm feel hopeless or as if we are unable to do enough in our lifetimes to make a substantial impact. Perhaps the problem is with our perspective. What if, instead of focusing on the vast array of climate problems in need of solutions, we approach each problem as an opportunity to build a new “normal”? Instead of focusing on how we have failed to act in the past, we shift our focus to building societies that work in concert with one another, our communities and our planet. This way of thinking — focusing on climate hope over climate doom — may be radical, but perhaps that unapologetic hope for a better future is the solution for our best pathway forward. 

The climate crisis should not be minimized. While the impacts of climate disasters can be felt across the world, the contributors of greenhouse gases are more likely to be lower income and face the largest consequences from the impacts of climate change. Frustratingly, wealthy countries, who house the corporations and billionaires responsible, for causing this crisis feel the fewest repercussions. Climate change exacerbates global inequities and conflicts — all the worst parts of humanity. These among the other seemingly never-ending consequences of climate change can cause anyone to panic or think there are no options for a better future. Instead, I want to share an experience — or a set of experiences — that changed my way of approaching the climate crisis. 

When I was in my last semester in the Environmental Science and Policy program at Hopkins, I decided to take a course called Sustainability Leadership. We learned methods to enact change and mobilize our networks to address the climate crisis. The lesson that stuck with me the most was minimizing fear responses when talking about climate change. 

Human beings generally have a set of instincts when confronted with danger: fight, flight, freeze or fawn. The trauma that comes with climate change is real. We are constantly hearing about the physical, mental and psychological dangers stemming from climate change. 

So, how do we approach such a dire situation without causing further issues such as polarizing the situation, ignoring it or downplaying the ramifications? Is it too late to create meaningful change? Are our societies capable of doing what is necessary to combat the climate crisis? Is there any hope for a future where we have successfully restored balance between humans and the natural world? In short, yes. I have hope; a radical hope that we can come together with collective action and rebuild our societies in equitable, functional ways that truly upend and root out the weeds that have caused these problems. 

The good news is that there are a multitude of people trying to do just that. In fact, Hopkins alumni from the five most recent Sustainability Leadership cohorts recently held the inaugural Climate Hope Retreat with the theme “Reinvigorating our Capacity for Action.” I attended with the hopes of cultivating my community and support system of like-minded professionals in climate-related fields. It was so incredibly inspiring to be among a community of undeterred people, working through existential dread to dream of a better future. 

In my professional life as a research scientist studying Antarctica and the surrounding Southern Ocean, I am reminded every day that many people are currently trying to understand, protect and advocate for one of the planet’s most vulnerable and critical landscapes. My globally collaborative and interdisciplinary research has shown me the potential of collective thought and action. I have colleagues in literally every continent in the world. People everywhere are gathering to enact real change in real time. Humanity is restructuring our relationships with nature, moving away from extraction that creates mutually assured destruction toward a restorative approach that benefits all. 

Together, our tendencies to flee, fight, fawn or freeze can diminish. Our chances of a successful, impactful movement increase with increasing numbers. I don’t pretend to have any or all the answers to our most pressing climate change threats, but the wonderful thing about collective climate hope is that it leads to action based on a diverse, vibrant and inclusive community. That is powerful!

Social movements for change have, throughout history, been successful in mobilizing people united for a common cause. In the context of climate action, this collective mobilization of people focused on solution-based approaches, like those discussed at the Climate Hope Retreat, has the ability to empower and invigorate those in the climate movement. We can do that now. 

I am very excited to see the future we all build together. Maybe that’s radical as we face so many devastating problems, but I would rather have hope than nothing. 

I would like to acknowledge the people involved in this piece. Thank you to Melissa Willhouse, Julian Longoria, Sophie Kendall, Megan Haley and Caroline Birsner for helping to plan the first Sustainability Leadership Retreat. To ThorpeWood for hosting us and having the mission of “nurturing therapeutic relationships with the natural world to promote empathy, wonder, and restoration.” The sincerest thanks to Amber Lively for providing incredible guidance and crucial feedback on this piece, and to Dr. Cassandra “Cassie” Hansen — the Program Director for the masters in Environmental Sciences program— and everyone in the program for supporting climate work. And last but certainly not least, an abundance of gratitude to Paul Kazyak for starting the Sustainability Leadership course at Hopkins, paving the way for future solutions.

It takes a village to accomplish anything. I am proud of the village here at Hopkins and around the world.

Hayley Kwasniewski is a Hopkins alum from the Environmental Sciences and Policy masters program, and doctoral student at the University of Colorado Boulder with Dr. Cassandra Brooks researching human impacts on the Southern Ocean in Antarctica.