Whoa, this just in - super relevant to our issue this week is Dense Discovery's issue! It also talks about climate doomerism, and has some epic recommendations on combatting it. It also features Emily!
Whoa I loved that, thanks for the rec! Storing some sweet notes to self from it 😍
> Even if you hold the climate emergency framework very strongly, it needs positive reinforcement. If the climate emergency framework only brings you unhappiness or social isolation, it will wither. In order for it to be sustained, you need to somehow bring your entire social circle with you (psychologists would call this a social tipping point), or you need to adopt a second framework (and then a third etc.) that positively reinforces climate-aligned behavior until it is intrinsically enjoyable, rewarding, and socially encouraged.
> The place we all have the opportunity to participate in the climate movement can be found on the cultural front. Many of our reward systems are socially constructed, which means they draw their power not from some objective source, but from co-created belief.
> Climate activists, through continued and repeated messaging, hope to reach a social tipping point that changes normativity or social expectations on its own, perhaps even catalyzing the government to take top-down action.
> One of the larger projects of our modern society and economy is a project of dislocation and disconnection. The more we can untether people into individual units, the easier it is to mobilize them for maximal utility to the market. Most of us are not people of place, we are people of a market.
> If I could impart one piece of advice, it would be to Get Involved. Get Involved. Get Involved. Join a climate group, run for something, try to improve your neighborhood in one single way, then keep going. Entangle yourself with your community and local ecosystem. They need you, and you’ll need them.
Climate change isn’t a problem that we can simply solve and move on from – it’s a predicament. Unlike problems, predicaments don’t have clear cut solutions. They demand our attention, creativity, and adaptability - and I love (really love) how this page calls to action this very thing. We can respond to climate change, we can manage its effects, but we can’t legislate it away or restore things to the way they once were.
Embracing this truth isn’t about admitting defeat; it’s about understanding the real stakes, trusting the scientific community and their data and facing this head-on. It’s about channeling our energies towards meaningful responses that respect the complexity of the situation.
The ‘okay doomer’ remark highlights a real tension between two forward-looking views. On one hand, there’s the Doomer, who’s bracing for inevitable hardships like food shortages, weather chaos, and political instability. Their outlook isn’t about pessimism; sometimes it’s simply about preparedness and facing reality.
On the other hand, there’s the Bloomer, driven by active engagement and positive change. They’re not naive; they recognize the same challenges but choose to meet them with hope and action.
These perspectives aren’t mutually exclusive. In my opinion, they can strengthen one another. The Doomer’s clear-eyed realism can ground the Bloomer’s optimism, while the Bloomer’s energy can inspire the Doomer to see potential even in dire circumstances. Together, I believe they create a balanced, intelligent approach to our shared future.
So I hope these two perspectives don’t become polarized (as we humans love to do - left vs right, dem vs repub), creating an unneeded division between people’s perspectives.
Great point that the Doomer is at least being willing to embrace the reality of the challenges we're facing, unlike others who would rather ignore the facts! I was only introduced to the concept of Doomers and Bloomers this morning, so I'm hearing that there might be a lot more behind the meaning of "Doomers" than people who are apathetic and unwilling to engage in solutions due to feelings of hopelessness, and in some cases actively talk down efforts to make change ("doomers" in lowercase, I guess)
Although your definition of a Bloomer - who is not naive, but chooses to take action in the face of reality - sounds like they have all the benefits of a Doomer, plus the action and energy to create change?
Perhaps what we should really be on guard against is becoming the ‘Gloomer’ (lol). When discussing Doomerism as a form of Climate delay, I want to point out that “Division” is the actual game being run by lobbyists. Let’s be real here, they are playing both sides (Bloomers work in their interest too) as they are keen on maintaining the existing framework, appeasing without causing any “real” disturbance (ie. profits have not dropped).
Action and community involvement are key, but I’m just saying we’ve got to be mindful that dividing and labeling one another just serves those lobbyists’ interests.
So let’s keep our eyes on the big picture, working together and not getting caught in the division trap. We’re better than that, and we’ve got better things to tackle?
Gotcha - fully agree that division is the last thing we want, and we need everyone working together. And perhaps the "okay, doomer" didn't reflect the fact that everyone should feel welcome in climate action communities, regardless of where they're at in their feelings about climate change - and part of the work is nurturing that hope, rather than dismissing an expression of anguish! Thanks for pointing that out!
Whoa, this just in - super relevant to our issue this week is Dense Discovery's issue! It also talks about climate doomerism, and has some epic recommendations on combatting it. It also features Emily!
https://www.densediscovery.com/issues/251
We also loved the idea of this self-organised 1 week group course!
https://www.theweek.ooo/?utm_source=DenseDiscovery-251
https://spencerrscott.substack.com/p/emergencies-frameshifts-and-feedback I really liked this on climate and personal narratives!
Whoa I loved that, thanks for the rec! Storing some sweet notes to self from it 😍
> Even if you hold the climate emergency framework very strongly, it needs positive reinforcement. If the climate emergency framework only brings you unhappiness or social isolation, it will wither. In order for it to be sustained, you need to somehow bring your entire social circle with you (psychologists would call this a social tipping point), or you need to adopt a second framework (and then a third etc.) that positively reinforces climate-aligned behavior until it is intrinsically enjoyable, rewarding, and socially encouraged.
> The place we all have the opportunity to participate in the climate movement can be found on the cultural front. Many of our reward systems are socially constructed, which means they draw their power not from some objective source, but from co-created belief.
> Climate activists, through continued and repeated messaging, hope to reach a social tipping point that changes normativity or social expectations on its own, perhaps even catalyzing the government to take top-down action.
> One of the larger projects of our modern society and economy is a project of dislocation and disconnection. The more we can untether people into individual units, the easier it is to mobilize them for maximal utility to the market. Most of us are not people of place, we are people of a market.
> If I could impart one piece of advice, it would be to Get Involved. Get Involved. Get Involved. Join a climate group, run for something, try to improve your neighborhood in one single way, then keep going. Entangle yourself with your community and local ecosystem. They need you, and you’ll need them.
Climate change isn’t a problem that we can simply solve and move on from – it’s a predicament. Unlike problems, predicaments don’t have clear cut solutions. They demand our attention, creativity, and adaptability - and I love (really love) how this page calls to action this very thing. We can respond to climate change, we can manage its effects, but we can’t legislate it away or restore things to the way they once were.
Embracing this truth isn’t about admitting defeat; it’s about understanding the real stakes, trusting the scientific community and their data and facing this head-on. It’s about channeling our energies towards meaningful responses that respect the complexity of the situation.
The ‘okay doomer’ remark highlights a real tension between two forward-looking views. On one hand, there’s the Doomer, who’s bracing for inevitable hardships like food shortages, weather chaos, and political instability. Their outlook isn’t about pessimism; sometimes it’s simply about preparedness and facing reality.
On the other hand, there’s the Bloomer, driven by active engagement and positive change. They’re not naive; they recognize the same challenges but choose to meet them with hope and action.
These perspectives aren’t mutually exclusive. In my opinion, they can strengthen one another. The Doomer’s clear-eyed realism can ground the Bloomer’s optimism, while the Bloomer’s energy can inspire the Doomer to see potential even in dire circumstances. Together, I believe they create a balanced, intelligent approach to our shared future.
So I hope these two perspectives don’t become polarized (as we humans love to do - left vs right, dem vs repub), creating an unneeded division between people’s perspectives.
That’s my two cents anyway. Thanks!
- Sam
Great point that the Doomer is at least being willing to embrace the reality of the challenges we're facing, unlike others who would rather ignore the facts! I was only introduced to the concept of Doomers and Bloomers this morning, so I'm hearing that there might be a lot more behind the meaning of "Doomers" than people who are apathetic and unwilling to engage in solutions due to feelings of hopelessness, and in some cases actively talk down efforts to make change ("doomers" in lowercase, I guess)
Although your definition of a Bloomer - who is not naive, but chooses to take action in the face of reality - sounds like they have all the benefits of a Doomer, plus the action and energy to create change?
Perhaps what we should really be on guard against is becoming the ‘Gloomer’ (lol). When discussing Doomerism as a form of Climate delay, I want to point out that “Division” is the actual game being run by lobbyists. Let’s be real here, they are playing both sides (Bloomers work in their interest too) as they are keen on maintaining the existing framework, appeasing without causing any “real” disturbance (ie. profits have not dropped).
Action and community involvement are key, but I’m just saying we’ve got to be mindful that dividing and labeling one another just serves those lobbyists’ interests.
So let’s keep our eyes on the big picture, working together and not getting caught in the division trap. We’re better than that, and we’ve got better things to tackle?
- Sam
Gotcha - fully agree that division is the last thing we want, and we need everyone working together. And perhaps the "okay, doomer" didn't reflect the fact that everyone should feel welcome in climate action communities, regardless of where they're at in their feelings about climate change - and part of the work is nurturing that hope, rather than dismissing an expression of anguish! Thanks for pointing that out!