Hope for the Planet? 5 Reasons to be Optimistic and Smoke Herbs
Hope for the Planet? 5 Reasons to be Optimistic and Smoke Herbs
Is There Hope for the Planet? 5 Reasons to be Optimistic and Smoke Herbs
Hey, you – yeah, you, huddled in the corner muttering junior high flashbacks like your pants just lost a fight with a tampon. Your face is a pizza zit party, and you’re pretty sure everyone secretly wants you gone.
I see it in your eyes. You’ve been doomscrolling again.
The world feels like a flaming turd on a tiki torch of racists in white face masks – melting, burning, collapsing. Climate catastrophe, political implosions, pandemics, famine. If the headlines are to be believed, we’re all riding shotgun on the express train to hell.
But hold up. Before you spiral into another apocalyptic rabbit hole, take a breath – and maybe a shot. Salt, lemon, and Tequila Cayeya: fire on the finish, warm to the core.
Yes, we’re deep in the muck. No sugarcoating that. But this is not the end of the world. Actually, there are plenty of reasons to feel hope.
As New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof put it: “Enough with the doom and gloom! Our planet may be in better shape than you think.” He continues, “Until the pandemic, I wrote an annual column arguing that the previous year was the best in human history. I can’t do that this year. But I can suggest that, broadly speaking, much is going right—and this may still be the best time ever to be alive.”
Yes, we’re deep in the muck. No sugarcoating that. But this is not the end of the world. Actually, there are plenty of reasons to feel hope.
As New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof put it: “Enough with the doom and gloom! Our planet may be in better shape than you think.” He continues, “Until the pandemic, I wrote an annual column arguing that the previous year was the best in human history. I can’t do that this year. But I can suggest that, broadly speaking, much is going right—and this may still be the best time ever to be alive.”
So before Rachel Maddow locks you in your doomsday bunker and welds the door shut, hear this:
Here are five reasons to be optimistic – hell, even happy.
The world is healing, evolving, inching toward better, slowly but surely. It may still look like a dumpster fire through your bedroom window, but underneath the smoke, there’s real progress. Let’s dig into it.
1. Renewables are Becoming a Viable Reality
Solar power may be one of our best hopes for saving the planet – and its future looks brighter than ever. Over the next five years, global solar capacity is expected to triple, putting it on track to surpass coal as the world’s leading source of electricity.
Thank the nerds – they’re going to save the world. Innovations are accelerating this shift: researchers at MIT are developing ultra-thin, flexible solar panels that could turn nearly any outdoor surface into a clean energy generator, from rooftops and tents to vehicles and backpacks.
At the same time, major strides are being made in energy storage. Breakthroughs in battery technology are improving efficiency, lifespan, and scalability, helping to store solar energy for use when the sun isn’t shining. Green hydrogen is also gaining ground as a promising solution for long-term energy storage and zero-emissions fuel, especially in sectors like shipping and heavy industry.
Together, these advances signal a powerful transformation in how we generate, store, and use energy, with real potential to reshape the future. We’re building the tools to effectively mitigate climate change, and we just might save the planet yet.
2. Disease is Collapsing
Sure, we just survived a literal cooties epidemic, but believe it or not, disease is on the run.
Scientists are making remarkable strides in vaccine development, with promising breakthroughs that suggest we may be entering a new golden age for global health. One major milestone: researchers are finally making headway on effective vaccines for malaria, a disease that has plagued humanity for centuries and continues to kill hundreds of thousands each year.
Meanwhile, immunotherapy is transforming the fight against cancer. By harnessing the body’s own immune system, this approach is not only extending lives; it’s saving them.
Gene editing is also pushing boundaries. A groundbreaking new technique may soon offer a cure for sickle cell anemia, a debilitating genetic disorder. And according to Bill Gates in his annual letter, the same gene-editing approach holds promise for curing H.I.V./AIDS in the future.
Together, these advances point toward a future where once-deadly diseases could be prevented – or even eliminated – within our lifetimes.
3. Optimism is Actually Hella Punk Rock Rebellious and Delicious
As mental health blogger Mitchell Wilson theorizes, optimism is actually hella rebellious. While Doom and Gloom are popular world views to embrace, you can choose a third option:
“The one where you keep your power and look forward to tomorrow. You’re screwed without hope. And if you think the world’s messed up beyond repair and there’s nothing you can do about it – why bother?
Or, if you’re lucky, you can still make out the faint light up ahead.
“You can choose to believe Goodness is around the corner, that it will prevail.
“You can choose to be on the side of history that doesn’t preemptively go through their basement of canned beans in a paranoid frenzy. Or jump off a bridge out of a selfish delusion.”
Choosing optimism isn’t about ignoring the world’s problems. It’s a bold act of defiance. It’s how we push back, stand tall, and reclaim our agency in the face of chaos. Optimism is a way to fight back, to get even with cynicism, and to rebel for a future that’s kinder, more compassionate, and more beautiful than the one we’ve been handed.
In a world that thrives on fear and outrage, optimism becomes a revolutionary act – a weapon of rebellion fueled by hope, vision, and the belief that we can do better.
4. People Are Becoming Aware of Nature, and Ready to Do Something About It
First, the clusterfuck news: Humans have caused the loss of 83% of all wild mammals and half of all plants. But people are becoming aware of the damage and are working to contain it.
The Eco-wakening report reveals that this rising awareness isn’t just talk; it’s sparking a real shift in mindset.
In countries like India, Pakistan, and Indonesia, online conversations about nature loss have surged, by 190%, 88%, and 53% respectively, indicating a groundswell of concern in places where environmental degradation often hits hardest.
But these conversations go beyond expressions of worry. They signal a growing resolve. More individuals are calling for accountability, demanding change, and pushing for solutions. This shift is also influencing policymakers, who are increasingly factoring public environmental concern into their decisions. As awareness spreads, so too does a sense of responsibility, a recognition that the fate of forests, oceans, and wildlife is intertwined with our own. The momentum is clear: people are no longer willing to stand by while nature suffers. They’re ready to act.
Despite the growing damage from climate change, especially for the most vulnerable, there is still a path forward. The IPCC’s Climate Change 2023: Synthesis Report makes clear that limiting global warming to 1.5°C is possible, but only with deep, rapid emissions cuts across all sectors this decade.
The report calls for climate-resilient development – a strategy that combines emissions reduction with climate adaptation in ways that also improve public health, equity, and quality of life. Clean energy, low-carbon transport, and better air quality aren’t just climate solutions; they’re investments in a better future.
Progress depends on bold action and massively scaled-up, better-aligned climate finance. The tools are in hand. What’s needed now is the commitment to use them.
Mathew Gallagher
Wordsmith Specialist
A freelance writer for hire, Matt Gallagher is the face and voice behind Web Copy Magician. He enjoys Bear Blend as a tea to spiritually reconnect with nature and the therapeutic wonders of chlorophyll.
2 Comments
Submit a Comment
Join the Bear Blend Tribe
Tribe members receive special discounts on products, invitations to premier events and are welcomed to contribute writings and videos to the community.
Really appreciate y’all for this article.
I was crying when I opened my email to slog thru, and I have been basically doing a lot of that including horrinle flashbacks.
Here it says there’s zero comments on the article and I didn’t want it to go unappreciated.
Thank you ❤️
Thank you.