Last week, the world greeted another nail-biting, 1,000+ page climate report full of pure terror and dire projections. I know what you’re feeling. You’ve got those post-climate report blues. It’s tough. I’ve been there.
But there’s good news. No, really. As I like to say in this newsletter, focusing on human-scale, culture-changing, achievable goals helps combat the hugeness of the problem. And one of the lead authors of the report, Katharine Hayhoe, agrees. She went on CNN Tuesday to discuss the federal report’s big implications.
The whole interview is worth watching, but here’s my takeaway: Climate change is already here, and the most important thing we can do is talk about it.
How do you start? Last year, Hayhoe gave some pointers: Make it personal, focus on shared values, look for hope, imagine a better world together. In short, treat each other like humans. Care about each other. Understand and bond over the fact that this is an opportunity to help make the world a better place.
“The only reason that we really should care about climate change is because it affects everything else we already care about,” she said. (Here’s a six-minute clip of the highlights.)
So, maybe set that as a goal for yourself this week. Have a friend who’s never mentioned the subject? Bring up climate change and challenge yourself to do it in a way that’s hopeful and courageous and imaginative. I’d love to hear about how your conversation goes. You can do this. I got you.
