Why optimism is a radical act
89% of us care, tropical corals reach a tipping point, and hope finds a way with Anne Therese Gennari
This week I am delighted to have kindred spirit
curate this newsletter. Anne Therese is a speaker, consultant, educator, and mom who helps schools and companies build cultures of optimism and climate leadership. She is the author of The Climate Optimist Handbook, the host of Hey Change Podcast, and the founder of The Climate Optimist. (You see a theme here!)If this message strikes a chord, don’t miss what’s next: my behind-the-scenes conversation with Anne Therese, available next month to paid subscribers. In it, I ask her how she practices hope in the face of disasters like Hurricane Melissa and what words of encouragement she has as we head into the holiday season. Join us!
Take it away, Anne Therese!
“Activating climate’s ‘silent majority” is a phrase coined by The Guardian earlier this year. It alludes to the hidden truth that most of us around the world – a full 89 percent – want stronger climate action but mistakenly believe we are the minority.
What’s missing isn’t the science, technology, or innovative climate solutions, but rather our willingness to speak open-heartedly about the world we care about and the changes we desire. We must trust that what we feel so urgently, others feel too – and when we speak up, we can join forces.
But why aren’t we already doing this? Why are we kept in this ‘spiral of silence’? That is the question I’ve been asking myself for years, and it is what led me to launch a company that focuses on that mission. The answer is not straightforward, but it’s simple: we need to shift the narrative on climate change.
I’m a Climate Optimist by professional title, mission, and passion, and what has become so clear to me is that optimism is a practice. Optimism is not merely a mindset or an attitude; it’s a strategy, a mission, a lifestyle choice. In my opinion, one should choose to be radically optimistic or not be radical at all.
To turn from silence to collective action, we must understand and activate the powerful forces we have at our disposal. We must recognize that in a time that matters so much, we ourselves as individuals can become the tipping points our future relies upon.
(👋 Katharine here - AT’s words here remind me of a quote from “just shower thoughts” I read not long ago: “When people talk about travelling to the past, they worry about radically changing the present by doing something small; but barely anyone in the present really thinks that they can radically change the future by doing something small.” Just think about that for a minute!)
Speaking of tipping points, the world just reached a major harmful one: the world’s shallow water tropical coral reefs are now facing the point of no return thanks to ocean acidification and rising temperatures. When I learned this news, it felt like a big piece was cut out of my stomach.
To be climate aware feels more challenging right now more than ever, and the fears we’ve been trying to push down are resurfacing in big ways. And with those fears, the internal noises that are hard to ignore and harder to keep quiet get louder once more: Does it matter? Do we matter? Are there still reasons to keep showing up?
One planetary tipping point has been breached, but there are many more, and just because those tipping points are pushing us beyond our “safety shore” doesn’t mean there aren’t wins to be collected. There’s massive room for education, restoration, and new futures worth striving for.
Of course we matter and there are plenty of reasons to keep showing up! But I won’t lie, this past year has been tough. With a daunting political situation and new climate denial surfacing, it’s hard not to ask the unavoidable question: Is it enough? Do our (seemingly) small individual actions matter? And most importantly, is there still room for optimism in climate change?
The next section is my attempt to flip our narrative and instill a faith that no matter how small you feel, your actions matter – more than you probably will ever give them credit for.
It’s simple: Keep showing up. Below are four (major but often overlooked) reasons your actions matter.
They make you feel better: One big yet often overlooked reason to take climate action is that it simply makes you feel better. I like to call it rebel sanity. When you align your actions with your values, your body rewards you with feel-good hormones, which are pretty much your own renewable energy! The more you show up, the better you feel, and the more inspired you’ll be to keep going.
They build character: Your actions don’t just make you feel good — they shape who you become. The way you show up, the energy you carry, and the conversations you start all begin to shift. One of my favorite quotes is from
: “Maybe it’s not about the dream, but who you become while you’re chasing it.” Every step you take shapes the future through the person you’re becoming.They plant seeds and shift culture: Every conscious choice, from refusing plastic, eating plant-based foods, or voting with your wallet, plants a seed – even if you can’t see it. Think of it as a purple flower in a field of yellow – at first, you might stand out, but you’ll spark a ripple that changes the whole landscape. This is how social tipping points begin and new norms evolve.
They build community: In acting, we find others doing the same, and community gives us the strength to keep going. Hope grows through connection, persistence, and joy.
We may not know if there is a livable world for future generations. As a mom of two little ones (they’re about to turn 3 and 1), I allow myself to sit with that acceptance at times. But then I pair it with what I know in my gut is more true than anything else, which is that it’s not too late until we say it is, and that there’s hope brewing in our actions. Now, let’s turn that silent churning we (89 percent of us!) feel into a revolution so loud, it’s impossible to ignore it!
To quote
(via Katharine Hayhoe on Hey Change Podcast),“It is a magnificent thing to be alive in a moment that matters so much.”
👋 Katharine here! Thank you, Anne Therese! I love The Climate Optimist Venn Diagram (above) and your relentless practice of optimism. I’m also excited about your next project and want to make sure people don’t miss it.
In the next few weeks, Anne Therese is launching the Climate Optimist Cohort. If you’re someone who refuses to give in to despair and wants to be part of a group that is actively working on building resilience and finding new, creative ways to lead with hope and purpose, this online group is for you! Click here to register.
If you want more Climate Optimism content, you can also subscribe to Anne Therese’s Substack newsletter, The Climate Optimist, and follow her on Instagram @AnneThereseGennari.
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