Shifting Climate Activism Toward Hope
Infernos blazed through urban Los Angeles neighborhoods in January. Droughts in 2023 revealed a Spanish medieval church in a reservoir, yet Spain now reckons with the effects of flooding after heavy deluges. Coral bleaching ravages the Great Barrier Reef after a record-breaking year. Cherry blossoms in Washington D.C. bloom early once again, impacting pollen counts and shifting ecological cycles by weeks.
Our climate is rapidly warming. The last ten years have been the hottest on record, with 2024 topping the charts. Climate Copernicus, a European Union climate observatory, reported that 2024 was the first to breach 1.5° Celsius of warming since the Industrial Revolution.
Similarly to our own, Anaïs Mitchell’s Broadway hit "Hadestown" depicts a world out of tune — rather in frigid temperatures — and burdened by unfair economic conditions. "Hadestown” intertwines the Greek myths of Orpheus and Eurydice and the Gods Persephone and Hades with contemporary issues such as workers' rights and climate change. Even though “Hadestown” ends in tragedy, Orpheus’s character remains the epitome of hope, restoring balance in the world.
Climate activism isn’t only pointing out the bleak projections and realities of a warmer world, but remaining hopeful for a greener future. Just as Orpheus’s song acted as a catalyst for renewal, climate activists should leverage hope to inspire action and unity.
The Problem: Gloom and Doom
Environmental media and organizations often emphasize the catastrophic nature of global warming. News channels fail to summarize climate change and its consequences adequately, so they use alarmist rhetoric to raise the stakes. While this method communicates the urgency of climate change, the media omits explanations of its causes and long-term effects.
Furthermore, climate alarmism can amplify eco-anxiety. Studies show that eco-anxiety increased in adults exponentially, partly due to media exposure. According to TIME Magazine, the Google search terms "climate anxiety" and "eco-anxiety" rose 4,590 percent between 2018 and 2023. Likewise, a July 2023 survey conducted by Yale's Program on Climate Change Communication revealed seven percent of American adults experience some level of eco-anxiety.
Climate anxiety, however, is especially potent in young adults and children. In a 2024 survey, 75 percent of youth aged 16 to 25 in the United States were at least “moderately concerned” about climate change. More than half the respondents said they were “afraid” and “sad,” and 48 percent said they felt “angry.”
At times, climate activists exacerbate this fear themselves. During protests, they appeal to the dread associated with global warming and take more drastic action to showcase corporate greed and political inaction by barricading roads and vandalizing art displays. Protests frequently intensify with police present, leading to arrests. In turn, the media depicts activists as "extreme" and "radical."
Jennie King, the Head of Climate Research and Policy at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, told The Green European Journal that the media rarely focuses on activists' proposed policy or the actual science of climate change. Instead, King says they concentrate on protest actions.
“It’s rare that you will see an article about Just Stop Oil that is actually addressing their advocacy positions; 99 percent of the article is about the methods being used and whether or not they are legitimate," King said.
Playing to fear and anger may embolden proven activists, but it can alienate potential supporters. Learning how to harness these negative emotions effectively is crucial. Passionate speeches at town halls may win over legislators, but disrupting ordinary life won't win over regular people.
Activists believe disturbing lives may raise awareness for an issue, and it does, but often the wrong type of attention – disdain. Society's view of climate supporters becomes contempt, rather than an altruistic campaign. This is commonly referred to as the activist's dilemma. According to a Stanford study, activists must choose between relevancy and maintaining public support.
But climate organizations don't need to worry about remaining topical. Unfortunately, climate disasters transpire daily, keeping climate change firmly in political discussion.
Just Stop Oil, a climate organization affiliated with coordinated stunts defacing Vincent Van Gogh's "Sunflowers" with tomato soup and interrupting Wimbledon matches, understands this dilemma. Recently, the organization announced a shift in tactics. The group mentioned in a statement their success in halting oil and gas projects in the United Kingdom, but intends to focus on legal battles rather than street protests in the future. Just Stop Oil isn't the only climate coalition that discontinued its use of disruptive protests. In 2023, Extinction Rebellion stopped protesting due to concerns about arrests and public opinion.
Instead, climate advocacy groups are opting for other protest methods, including legal battles and boycotts. These actions can shift corporation tactics and prove that activists have the power to make change. Activists can fight the injustices of fossil fuel proliferation and governmental policy in courts.
Likewise, climate advocates can champion and create stronger environmental regulations in the legislature. And on an even more individual level, boycotts of unsustainable items signal to companies that their consumers want a greener product. When corporations adopt a greener alternative, we should praise the company for taking tangible action – while staying wary of greenwashing.
Activists can also mobilize their base and conduct nonviolent protests. These marches can uplift voices and show the power of the climate movement. These demonstrations evoke more than just fear but also hope, unity, and community. Organizers should emphasize speeches that discuss more than the harms of climate change, but also a cautiously optimistic future.
We Need Hope, Not Fear.
Overall, climate organizations should adopt Orpheus's strategy: hope.
Orpheus symbolizes optimism throughout the show. Orpheus can bring spring to life with a song, bringing rejuvenation to a desolate world. The introduction of "All I've Ever Known" portrays Orpheus' hopeful ambitions the best, as the narrator Hermes sings: "He had a gift to give / he could make you see how the world could be / in spite of the way that it is."
Climate activists must think similarly.
Climate activism is more than understanding the risks and dangers of climate change. Resisting corporate and governmental greed, too, is paramount. We must show that oil executives cannot continue to rake in money for our planet's health and future.
Yet, we don't have to yield to alarmism or anxiety. We are not powerless. We can mitigate the consequences of climate change with immediate action and practical solutions.
The road won't always be easy. Polarization after President Donald Trump's re-election approaches a fever pitch. The public’s trust in the media, government, and science continues to decline, and even reach record lows. But despite the circumstances, like Orpheus, climate activists must lean on hope during challenging times as the movement continues to score triumphs.
While "Hadestown" ends in tragedy, Orpheus accomplishes a difficult task: harmony. After singing the song of Hades and Persephone's love in "Epic III," Hades relents slightly and reconciles with Persephone in "Wait for Me Reprise," promising to repair their relationship in the fall.
Trump's second administration is an apt comparison. Trump wasted no time repealing environmental regulations and stripping federal climate funding. Yet activists continue to clinch major climate wins. For example, in January, the Montana Supreme Court upheld a ruling granting youth the right to a clean environment. Further, after Trump ordered the United States’ withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, several global mayors stated their continued support of the treaty. Also, Trump cannot stop the surge in green innovation and technologies. The renewable energy industry grows despite Trump's cancellation of clean energy grants. Solar energy supplied 92.5 percent of global new electricity generation in 2024.
These victories are usually underreported and buried in the blitz of alarmism. Media channels can shift the narrative by focusing on successful climate efforts, not vandalism or cataclysm.
Even without significant achievements, activists must continue spreading hope for a better future. Activists choose to fight for a better future despite the risks of failure. We cannot abandon our values in tumultuous times, rather our call for justice and faith should only grow.
We do that best when we rally together. Here, Orpheus lends another lesson to climate activists: stay in the fight together. Orpheus embodies this as he leads the workers' chorus to Hades in the song "If It's True." After lamenting his situation, Orpheus gains the attention of the workers. Orpheus's words open the workers' eyes to the poor conditions Hades enforces, leading to a revolution.
I believe that with each other, we are stronger than we know / I believe we are stronger than they know / I believe that we are many / I believe they are few / And it isn't for the few to tell the many what is true.
A collaborative message of hope and positivity will not only encourage climate action but also gain the numbers necessary for a mass movement. A movement where not only ardent supporters feel welcome, but also ordinary citizens who care for their planet. Our call for climate justice and action strengthens with people; the climate movement should focus on opening doors, not causing fear.
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Tangible actions like boycotting corporations and pushing legislation will guarantee an ethical shift toward environmentalism. Every punitive action must come with solutions.
We must display hope. Signature advancements in technology and inventions began with an aspiration to solve a problem. Climate solutions are no different. Our society is capable of mitigating wicked and complex issues like climate change. As Hermes says, the right attitude can bring the world back into tune.