"Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something is worth doing no matter how it turns out." Václav Havel
"Critical thinking without hope is cynicism, but hope without critical thinking is naivete." Maria Popova
Some interesting studies and other resources related to Climate Change and Hope:
It is easy to feel overwhelmed and despondent about the Climate Crisis. I want you to know there is hope! There are available solutions for many of the challenges we are facing and governments and people are moving us forward!
We have the technology:
Sadly, we knew this crisis was coming for a very long time. However, that means that scientists and researchers, industry and governments have been looking for solutions.
Iceland has technology to capture carbon dioxide and inject it back into rock far below the surface, effectively stopping additional carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere.
Researchers at the University of Edinburgh have shown that oil rigs could pump emissions into the rocks below the North Sea. Rather than decommission the old rigs, they could be used pump emissions into deep sea carbon dioxide storage sites. Companies like BioCarbon Engineering may help speed up reforestation processes. They uses drones (aka "sky tractors") to accelerate reforestation (not just trees, but the accompanying ecosystem as well). Carbon sequestration technologies, such as artificial trees, may help in areas that are not best suited for reforestation. The Dragon Energy Island project takes a unique approach by combining renewable power source- marine, solar, and hydrogen
Political and social progress:
Some of the biggest hurdles we face in the Climate Crisis is turning the ship, and getting governments and industry to destructive practices. Progress is happening, we are moving forward!
Legal action. Dutch courts ruled the Dutch government is responsible to protect it's citizens from climate change by cutting carbon emissions. Germany, Canada, the United States and other countries around the world are facing similar legislative actions.
Countries leading the way on renewable technology. Iceland meets almost 100% of their energy needs with renewables. This is a great example of using what is available regionally and makes sense for the local economy.
Hope in the Amazon. In response to the reduced protections for the Amazon, and recent massive fires there, Germany and Norway have suspended aid to be sent to Brazil. France and Ireland are also threatening action. The loss of aid to the Amazon Fund, which promotes rainforest protection, is not exciting. What gives me hope in this story is that there are still governments around the world that are willing to take a tough stance against international activities which threaten to worsen the climate crisis. Additional hope can be found in Equador, where indigenous tribes have won other battles to protect the rainforest there.
Africa's Great Green Wall. Originally a project to plant trees to stop the spreading of the Sahara, it has evolved into a development planning tool, helping communities thrive and adapt to climate change. "By 2030, the Wall aims to restore 100 million hectares of currently degraded land, sequester 250 million tonnes of carbon and create 10 million jobs in rural areas." (From greatgreenwall.org.)
Individuals:
Greta Thunberg is a Swedish teenager who is part of a global movement of young student activists. She began on her own, taking Fridays off of school to protest at the Swedish Parliament. Her actions and example, with a clear moral imperative, have sparked global movements.
Consider Felix Finkbinder. In 2007, at 9 years old, he decided to plant 1 million trees. Three years later, he succeeded. Now his organization, Plant for the Planet, owns its own land in Mexico where it is planting trees, and in 2018 kicked-off the Trillion Tree Campaign.
Felix was inspired by Wangari Maathai. Born in Kenya, she developed the Green Belt Movement which used tree planting to improve communities and promote conservation. Since its founding in 1977, the GBM has planted 51 million trees.
Find ways you can help by checking out my own page on taking Action!