Last week, The Guardian ran this story reporting that nearly 80 percent of top IPCC climate scientists anticipate global temperatures rising by 2.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels by 2100. Many predict even higher increases. The article describes these scientists as feeling ‘hopeless and broken’ . In a way, that portrayal of their profound emotions inspired me to explore further the themes of ‘hope and despair’ within the context of the climate crisis. ‘Hope’ – believing that technological and policy innovations can avert the worst climate outcomes, and ‘despair’ – overwhelmed at the enormity of the challenges and the speed of climate change that’s already underway.
And this was the another piece issued one and a half year ago. The world was warned about being close to an irreversible climate breakdown with a pressing alert that emissions must be reduced by half by 2030 to keep global warming within the internationally agreed target of 1.5 degrees Celsius. Beyond that point, Boom! we face an-‘irreversible climate breakdown’.
Undoubtedly, these headlines contribute as a prompt to push harder for the changes we need today and should serve as an important call for governments to take bold actions. But communicating climate science should effectively strike a balance: we must be clear about the severity of the crisis but it should also be able to convey climate science without much tempering. What I have learned so far is that there’s no such ‘point of breakdown’ that should potentially lead to public resignation and inaction. And there’s no point not worth fighting for. Climate change represents one of the most difficult problems of our time. And addressing climate change is more than just reducing emissions. So, such a tough challenge cannot be approached with just a scientific and technological response but also a deep, introspective look at our values, behaviors, and the emotion we navigate both in abundance and scarcity of resources and the future we wish to create.
Insights from ‘The Long Thaw’
For those interested in how climate scientists view climate change, I highly recommend the book ‘The Long Thaw,’ by David Archer. This book provides profound insights into the ‘long timescale’ associated with Earth’s climate. The sheer scale of geological time and the drastic changes that our planet has experienced should inspire humility and a deeper understanding of our current climatic period’s ‘relative stability’ – if it hadn’t been that mankind’s vested interests which are often focused on a much shorter timescale–a timescale of century.
The earth’s climate system has undergone dramatic changes, but the rate and magnitude of global warming are unprecedented in human history. David Archer in this book provides amazing insights into how mankind has impacted the climate over the last 150 years, the level of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere has soared from about 280 parts per million to over 427 parts per million (as of May 12, 2024). And tropical glaciers are melting for the first time in thousands of years, signaling changes far beyond natural variability. It is this ‘timescale’ that should drive the urgency, rather than that ‘point of irreversibility’. We’ll unpack more about this in future posts.
Well, my point is—we will continue to see news headlines on climate change that oscillate between hope and despair as we advance the target years and many goals likely remain unmet–with the current pace. Optimists believe with sufficient technological innovation and political will, we can cut down the emission and reverse the tide of climate change. They see the abundance of renewables potential as inspiring hope for combating climate change. On the other hand, some view the relentless rise in global temperatures, extreme weather events, and slow policy responses and funding and lack of global solidarity as signs that it might be too late to mitigate the worst climate outcomes.
Loss and hope
Then, there are also spiritual emotions associated with approaching losses incurred by climate change. Matthew Potts introduces the concept of ‘Apocalyptic Grief,’ an approach that combines grief with hope and communal rituals to navigate the emotional and spiritual dimensions of climate change. He talks about the importance of acknowledging irreparable losses—species that will never return, coral reefs that bleach and die, and small island nations that might disappear, along with communities increasingly threatened by wildfires and floods. Potts believes that this form of grief is not about giving up but about facing reality with clarity and resilience and thereby connecting us deeply to what we are losing and reinforcing the fight to preserve it. It’s like caring for a terminally ill family member or loved ones. You know the outlook is grim, but you don’t give up. Instead, you channel that grief into action and fight hard.
One thing appears clear: The 2050 net-zero emissions targets may need reevaluation or adjustment as we progress. However, our discourse on climate change must maintain a critical balance: Emphasizing the gravity of our situation while inspiring action and hope.
The fight against climate change is about more than data and deadlines—it’s about the future of our planet and the legacy we leave. We must transform our collective despair into a driving force for innovation and cooperation. By fostering resilient communities and pushing for policy reform, we can navigate the uncertainties ahead with determination and a shared sense of purpose. Our response must be a call to action -in hope, despair, and grief.
Kandel is a senior fellow at Nepal Economic Forum. He regularly writes on energy, climate, and governance issues.
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