Sometimes things are actually good.
Climate doomism is not helpful nor is it accurate.
It’s a rare moment when I easily find more good news than bad when I’m scrolling headlines.
My Spotify Shuffle is playing an upbeat mix for some ‘Monday Motivation’ and I’m in that follicular state of mind (uterus-havers will know). I have spent a disproportionate amount of my money on good cappuccinos. For once I woke up feeling calm.
The victories of the left-wing coalition in France and the end of over a decade of destructive Conservative rule in the UK are at the top of my mind.
I know it’s not the end of the story, I know every commenter on Instagram is quick to point out the new uncertainties and dangers that lie ahead. The difficulties of a coalition parliament, the inescapable failings of the Labour party, the terror of the US elections.
Did it always feel like we were on the verge of something cataclysmic? Is this really all so unprecedented?
Fun story: In Leeds in 1806, a hen started laying eggs that had the message ‘Christ is coming’ inscribed on them. Locals visited the hen en masse, anticipating Judgement Day.
Hopefully you’re not too surprised to learn it was a hoax by Mary Bateman, the hen-owner who was writing on the eggs and uh, pushing them back into the hen. That’s not the point. It’s the willingness of the people to believe that Judgement Day was imminent that’s interesting to me.
I’d like to think it takes more than a prophetic hen to inspire despair now but I’m not sure. When we’re convinced that we’re doomed, we find evidence everywhere. Just look around!
In Brussels where I live, we have a litter problem. On a bad day, seeing plastic flying down the windy street makes me wonder what the point of my job is. I pick up one piece of trash and turn around and see 10 more. This is what being an activist feels like - hell, it’s what being an adult feels like. It’s so easy to feel overwhelmed and hopeless.
I’ve been writing about the climate crisis for nearly six years and one thing I notice is that in some ways, the news hasn’t changed much since the scribal writings of the Doomsday visions of 8th century monks. The end of the world is always imminent and society is always, apparently, in a state of decay and moral degradation.
Across the political spectrum, people take to their opinion columns to let me know that the end is nigh. Again.
It’s true that with each passing year, it becomes harder to reverse or mitigate the impacts of deforestation, biodiversity loss, carbon emissions and unpredictable weather. There are tipping points we can’t undo. Predictions now are based on science, not the movement of the stars and religious visions.
But it is also in our nature to believe that every era is the last moment before it all goes downhill. Resharing decontextualised apocalyptic headlines is the modern-day version of visiting the hen for evidence of Christ’s second coming.
And we ignore evidence to the contrary. Left-wing voters are also swayed by misinformation. There is an often-shared ‘business as usual’ prediction for global warming which paints a harrowing picture of the future - but we’ve been moving away from that trajectory for quite some time. The number of people dying in natural disasters is at its lowest in decades. Extreme poverty has fallen but most people think it has increased.
I’m not using historical doomsday predictions to dismiss modern-day concerns or to pretend everything is going great. The risks of global catastrophe and the rate of global warming are at their historical highest, while the gap between the rich and the poor is widening.
But as
points out, doomism and denial are pretty similar and both end up in inaction.
Working in climate activism, I struggle with pushing away the sense of doom and impotence on the daily. But this doomerism is not inevitable, nor is it, despite what we tell each other, a result of being more ‘aware’ of the state of the world.
Doomerism is making us mentally ill, burnt out, susceptible to misinformation, and it risks pushing people away from action. Who wants to hang out with the people who think everything is fucked?
And ultimately, we don’t need to prove whether everything is getting worse or not to justify taking positive action. In a world without inequality, climate disasters and a thriving ecosystem, it would still be better to pick up that piece of litter and to act like there is a chance to make things better. There always is.
I also chased my team members for highlights:
Toninio Waelkens, community engagement volunteer:
My highlight was the Climate Comedy, I did not expect to see this many people show up. In the end it turned out to be a fun evening where we were able to reach a lot of new people and collect money to support local climate initiatives. Big success!
Nic Fife:
My 2024 highlight is that I’ve just finished an apprenticeship at Bread and Puppet Press :) I worked in the press printshop for two weeks making banners and posters including some huge 10 foot tall flower prints.
Ana Alexandrescu, social media officer:
This year so far has been more about acceptance and celebrating the small wins, finding joy and gratitude for simple things, deciding what is worth time and energy and what is not, and prioritising what brings peace. Some years ago, I would have been furious about the election results. But now, I feel like we already knew this was coming. What is left now is to take a step back, take a pause, take a deep look into the mirror, think what to do next, and learn how to let go of grudges. It is a good moment to be less self-righteous, and exercise more empathy and acceptance. We probably have a difficult path ahead of us, so learning how to put our energy and rage to good use is the only option.
Issy Pountney, assistant editor:
Over the last month I’ve been working on Jeremy Corbyn’s re-election campaign and to finally win an election I’ve campaigned in (after 8 !! failed attempts) was so exciting. Being at the pub with our team and seeing the results come in felt like watching the World Cup final. It can feel exhausting spending so much energy on things you care so much about, to often be ignored, but lots about this UK election felt like a significant turning point. To get four Green MPs in a First Past The Post system is a major victory, and for the first time in my political life, the Tories aren’t in power. Although I feel deeply disappointed with Labour recently, I feel relieved to have a party in power who I think would at least listen to my concerns, rather than celebrate my losses.
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What’s Going On?
Left-wing coalition wins most seats in France & pushes far-right to third place.
Related: What does the French left-wing alliance’s shock election win mean for Europe?The EU got more than 50% of its electricity from renewables in first half of 2024.
Related: New South African government fuels optimism for faster energy transition.Hurricane Beryl grows to Category 5 strength as it razes southeast Caribbean islands.
Related: How record-breaking Hurricane Beryl is a sign of a warming world.Landslide victory for the Labour party in the UK election - what does this mean?
Related: Half the globe is voting in 2024 and UN study finds 80% want climate action.The ‘fearless young activists’ thrown in jail for climate campaigns in Cambodia.
Related: Australian youth activist sentenced to 3 months in prison for coalmine protest.AI drives 48% increase in Google emissions.
Related: Can the climate survive the insatiable energy demands of the AI arms race?
Focus On… 2024 so far in The Green Fix
We’re going on holiday until the end of August! Here’s some of our most popular content from this year:
Also, some of our events from this year:
Climate Comedy Night, 6th June 2024
We teamed up with Countdown Comedy Club to bring a climate comedy night to a packed house. We gave €200 in donations to Reseau Transition, a local grassroots initiative.
Fuck-Up Night, 21st May 2024
The Green Fix and Idealists Quarterly (a very cool community for people in tech, sustainability and policy) teamed up for a night of sharing our fuck-ups and normalising talking about failure in this conversation circle.
Climate Drinks! 10th April 2024
Since 2022, we’ve been hosting open, free climate drinks in Brussels. No agenda, no compulsory networking. In April we co-hosted with Brussels Creative Workers and are always seeking to collaborate. You can also get in touch to host climate drinks in your city.
We’re committed to creating accessible and open spaces for people concerned about the climate to meet. But our independence means we have been doing it for free and running on your donations.
The only way to make this sustainable is to work with sponsors and collaborators to be able to provide more events and content in the future.
Get in touch at wearethegreenfix@gmail.com to chat about collaboration.
So Now What Do I Do?
LEARN SOMETHING
My recent obsession is by Zawn Villinies, an amazing newsletter about dismantling the patriarchy at home.
Listen: Having a successful career with depression, anxiety, and
imposter syndrome.Check out the Climate Reality Check which tests whether TV is representing climate reality.
TRY SOMETHING NEW
The Gender Just Climate Solutions Awards are open for entries until the 21st July.
Applications are open to be a Restoration Steward (cool name) for the Global Landscapes Forum until the 25th July.
The Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement is open for nominations until the 9th August!
CHANGE THE SYSTEM
Transformative Youth in Action programme is looking for young leaders aged 18-35 in the Mediterranean! Deadline 21st July.
Apparently 622 of you are based in Belgium. The 31st July is the deadline to register to vote in local elections.
I don’t normally share jobs but Rethinking Economics are looking for a part-time Communications Lead and you should apply.
Stay in the loop
You can follow us on Twitter @TheGreenFix, Instagram @thegreenfix_ and LinkedIn. Connect with Cass on Instagram @cass.hebron and LinkedIn Cass J Hebron.
Girl! Yes love this i needed it!! I was literally writing about this yday how im sick of doomism! i’ve grieved enough! I similarly said ive been leaning too far into doomerism and using it as an excuse to “give up” and how it’s sometimes just as bad as too much hope. Sending love
Great article, thanks for writing it.