Yes, I’m Feeling Down About Climate Change. Let’s Discuss.
What the science of climate change is telling us about the future is hard to process. Here’s how I handle it.
Recently, my mother asked me why I seemed down. It’s taken me awhile to articulate what I wanted to say, and how.
There are big, macro issues that weigh on me as a feeling human and in my work. One is the state of democracy and rise of autocrats around the world, which I believe is horrible for freedom, equality, and the economy. I’m not going to talk about that one today. What I do want to grapple with is the state of the planet we call home. Because the existential problem that gnaws at my well-being is the destruction of the natural world and the profound climate crisis.
I think I’ve found balance in how to talk about how serious the situation is in my writing and speeches to companies about megatrends. People say I make it sound serious, but with some hope.
But I’ve struggled more personally with how to talk to loved ones about it. Do I share the news those of us in the field are bombarded with and obliged to read? Or do I protect those around me from the worst of it?
In short, what do I tell my mom, my kids, or any interested person in my life?
