Choose Climate Positivity; Lose Climate Gloom-ity
Bozeman, MT
2020, Senior, Creative Writing
“We all agree that pessimism is a mark of superior intellect,” stated American-Canadian economist and diplomat John Kenneth Galbraith. Galbraith’s words ring true with many Americans with the impending threat of climate change. A recent Pew Research Center study finds that 59 percent of Americans believe the environment’s condition will worsen by 2050 (Gramlich), revealing the current prevalence of pessimism.
This is unacceptable. As a member of the generation that will experience 2050 first-hand, and as a glass-half-full kind of girl, the climate pessimism surrounding me is disquieting. “If you think it’s going to rain, it will,” actor Clint Eastwood prophesied. If you think the climate change crisis will destroy us, it will.
The solution to the pessimistic problem is simple: trade pessimism for optimism; swap cynicism for hope.
Admittedly, it can be hard to stay positive as daily, gloomy climate reports predict the worse. Yes, global carbon emissions dropped 17 percent from this time last year (Specktor) and the International Energy Agency predicts that in 2020 we will experience the most significant drop in annual emissions since World War II (“Flattening”). However, experts such as Richard Betts of the Met Office Hadley Center, a leading climate change research center, declare the drop will make little difference in solving the climate crisis (Specktor).
The coronavirus pandemic has also opened opportunities for countries to roll back environmental regulations, the Economist reports (“The World”). President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil seeks to allow farmers intent on agricultural development who have illegally inhabited preserved land to legally claim it as their own while his country is too distracted with surging coronavirus deaths to protest (Phillips). According to the New York Times, President Trump has also decided the time is now to prioritize economic recovery, sacrificing the environment as his administration starts the process of weakening two critical climate protection regulations (Davenport and Friedman).
It would seem our climate crisis is a brakeless train, hurtling downhill at 100 miles per hour. And you would be right. That is, if you choose to lose hope and accept pessimism, not hold optimism closer.
Carol Dweck, an American psychologist who researches the “growth mindset,” explains in her TED talk, The Power of Believing You Can Improve, the importance of believing in “yet,” the idea that something can be accomplished in the future, even if not at the moment. Her research found that the growth mindset emphasizing effort and resilience can be taught, with accomplishment soon following (Dweck). By fostering a belief that improvement was inevitable, improvement occurred.
Via the transitive property, this logic can apply to climate change too. If we believe we can improve our climate, we will.
In fact, the evidence of our climate opportunity, not crisis, is around us. The coronavirus pandemic has provided an unprecedented chance to say goodbye to fossil fuels and welcome a transition to renewable resources. As governments prepare stimulus packages for stumbling economies, the Economist reports that “if a decent fraction of that is earmarked for climate action, it could be world changing” (“Flattening”). Potential federal climate action is incentivized with increasingly affordable renewables (“Flattening”) and a declining fossil fuel industry hard-hit by the pandemic. Hope for a sustainable future is realistic.
Around the world, many governments are transforming Covid-19 recovery plans into green opportunities. Britain, the EU, South Korea, and Japan are promoting green jobs and investment in the future: renewable energy and energy efficiency (“The World”). In the United States, a bipartisan group of senators proposed the Growing Climate Solutions Act, with a goal to aid the agricultural community to absorb carbon-dioxide in exchange for carbon credits (Volcovici). Countries plan on collaborative solutions too. Singapore and Australia are investing in new renewable technologies such as “green hydrogen,” where hydrogen, a non-polluting gas, is produced via renewable energy (Fogarty). Covid-19 is an opportunity in disguise for governments to commence climate action.
With economies and governments taking advantage of this climate opportunity, it is time to change the rhetoric surrounding climate change in our day-to-day lives. Just as all political movements start with the people, so too must the movement of positivity against pessimism start with the people. We must campaign relentlessly for a positivity crusade if we want to achieve our climate goals. A positivity crusade begins with changing our mindset and ends with changing our lives. Transportation by bike over car, composting to reduce waste, and reducing needless purchases are all actions that a changed mindset inspires; positive actions for a positive change.
Staying positive is by no means easy. A World Economic Forum study finds “most people around the world are overly pessimistic” (McKenna). This overt pessimism is our biggest enemy when confronting climate change, tying ankles before the march has even begun. We must transform our global mindset from “we will fail” to “we will improve,” adopting Carol Dweck’s growth mindset.
Rosie the Riveter challenged the American public to stay strong during World War II with her famed slogan “We Can Do It!” I challenge you to stay strong against the threat of climate change, recasting our “climate crisis” into a “climate opportunity” with the transformative power of positivity.
“Believing in negative thoughts is the single greatest obstruction to success,” author Charles F. Glassman advised. To heal our planet, we must let the power of positivity shine through.
Works Cited
Davenport, Carol and Lisa Friedman. “Trump, Citing Pandemic, Moves to Weaken Two Key Environmental Protections.” The New York Times, June 4 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/06/04/climate/trump-environment-coronavirus.html?campaign_i d=9&emc=edit_nn_20200605&instance_id=19111&nl=the-morning®i_id=89375566 &segment_id=30155&te=1&user_id=7025d9a28f64bb4a997a8278d7d00f85.
Dweck, Carol. “The Power of Believing That You Can Improve.” TED, Nov. 2014, www.ted.com/talks/carol_dweck_the_power_of_believing_that_you_can_improve. “Flattening the Other Curve.” The Economist, vol. 435, no. 9195, May 23 2020.
Fogarty, David. “Singapore: The Nation Sees Future in Renewable Energy.” The Japan News, Apr. 3 2020, the-japan-news.com/news/article/0006576313.
Gramlich, John. “Looking Ahead to 2050, Americans Are Pessimistic About Many Aspects of Life in U.S.” Pew Research Center, Mar. 21 2020, www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/03/21/looking-ahead-to-2050-americans-are-pessi mistic-about-many-aspects-of-life-in-u-s/.
McKenna, John. “Most People Around the World Are Overly Pessimistic.” The World Economic Forum, Dec. 14 2017, www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/12/you’re-probably-too-pessimistic/.
Phillips, Dom. “Studies Add to Alarm Over Deforestation in Brazil Under Bolsonaro.” The Guardian, May 28 2020, www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/may/28/studies-add-to-alarm-over-deforestatio n-in-brazil-under-bolsonaro-covid-19.
Specktor, Brandon. “Global Carbon Emissions Dropped an Unprecedented 17% During the Coronavirus Lockdown—And it Changes Nothing.” LiveScience, May 2020, www.livescience.com/carbon-dioxide-reduction-coronavirus-lockdown.html.
Volcovici, Valerie. “In Rare Bipartisan Bill, U.S. Senators Tackle Climate Change Via Agriculture.” Reuters News Agency, June 4 2020, www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-climatechange-agriculture/in-rare-bipartisan-bill-u-s-senators-tackle-climate-change-via-agriculture-idUSKBN23B23J.
“The World in Brief June 4th 2020.” Espresso Morning Briefing, The Economist, June 4, 2020, espresso.economist.com.
Reflection
Reflection
Inspiration is a fickle thing. For me, the best way to loosen up my creative juices is to explore quotes and adages that pertain to my topic. When discussing climate change, I explored quotes about nature, sustainability, technology, and hope. Deliberating the words of others helps me to find clarity on my own words and thoughts. Through this process I stumbled upon the idea of the power of positivity. The one word people will without fail always use to describe me is "positive," so this idea struck a chord with me. With a rough outline in mind to guide me, I wrote, my words falling into place as I typed. I explored the idea of positivity through the creation of my op-ed style piece, and as I did so, I felt my own drive for climate action grow. Even I find it hard to remain positive when thinking about our climate, so I was writing to inspire others just as much as I was writing to inspire myself. I’ve learned that words can give me hope. I’ve learned that there is no end to solutions for climate change; pessimism, not the sky, is our limit. And I’ve learned that humans were meant to hope and dream of a better future, as that's the only way we can ever achieve it. I plan to take action through words; empowering the people around me to become their best positive selves for the best positive future.