The future is ours to build.
It’s okay to feel hopeless.
This moment is heavy. There are many implications, some yet to be seen, that last night’s election will have on our families, our communities, and the more-than-human world.
It’s okay to feel that. It’s okay to question. It’s okay to grieve.
We are already holding an immense weight, as we see the climate emergency unfold before our eyes. This work has always been hard, and it would have been hard regardless of what happened at the polls. But add to that leaders who deny, scapegoat, and actively resist climate justice, and the heaviness can feel impossible to manage.
In this moment, my mind keeps returning to my experience giving birth. Years ago, my birth class instructor shared a piece of wisdom that has stuck with me ever since: Childbirth does not ask us to be fearless; it asks us to be brave.
“Not fearless, but brave.” That was my mantra while I was rocked with contractions. And that is what this moment requires.
When the world feels heavy, when we are scared to our core, and the tasks before us feel impossible, I am not going to say that we have to feel hopeful. Hope will come and go, and that is okay.
But we do have to find the courage to continue on. And the good news is, we can find courage in community. We can find strength together. And hope will find us in those spaces where we connect, where we commit, where we act, where we dream.
WE are the changemakers and the architects of a better tomorrow.
In the words of expert climate communicator and scientist Katharine Hayhoe, “Change didn’t begin with the King of England deciding to end slavery or the President of the United States giving women the right to vote or the National Party of South Africa opting to end apartheid. It began when ordinary people – people of no particular power, wealth, or fame – decided that the world could and should be different… We are the people who changed the world before: and we are the people who can change it again.”
We will not be deterred by those who seek to sow doubt and division. We will not be silenced by those who prioritize profits over people and planet. We will not allow our future to be compromised by inaction and indifference.
Together, we will rise to the challenge. Together, we will demand bold and decisive action from our leaders. Together, we will hold them accountable for the well-being of our planet and its inhabitants.
We will champion renewable energy, invest in climate solutions, and protect our precious ecosystems. We will advocate for policies that prioritize environmental justice and uplift marginalized communities. We will empower individuals to envision and sculpt a better future for our kids.
The future of our planet is not predetermined. It is ours to shape. Let us unite, let us act, and let us create a world where humanity and nature thrive. The time is now. The future is ours to build.
Sarah Lundquist
Families for a Livable Climate