3 Reasons Why You Should Be a Climate Optimist

It’s time to start feeling good about the future.

If the climate crisis makes you feel anxious, you’re not alone. A study by the American Psychiatric Association found that more than two-thirds of people are “are somewhat or extremely anxious about the impact of climate change on the planet.”

Climate change is here and it can seem overwhelming. Sometimes it helps to share those feelings with someone you trust so that they aren’t just rattling around in your head.

Another powerful way to deal with your climate anxiety is to shift your perspective and to learn about the many incredible opportunities this moment offers us. For lack of a better way of putting it, it can feel good to, well, feel good about the future.

Want some reasons for climate optimism? We’ve got you covered.

Reason 1: Optimism enables action.

Learning to be optimistic (also known as learned optimism) has many benefits including better health outcomes, lower stress levels, better mental health, and longer lifespan.

Another benefit of learned optimism is higher motivation. Being optimistic helps people sustain motivation in pursuit of their goals. Optimists focus on positive changes they can make—in the face of challenges—as they work to achieve their goals.

Optimism helps people want to make things better. It makes them more resilient in the face of adversity. That’s a great thing. Especially since we need resilient people to make local ecosystems like Los Angeles more climate resilient!

Reason 2: The solutions exist, the resources exist, and the will exists.

We understand if you mostly feel doom and gloom when you think about climate change. But the fact of the matter is that the solutions needed to adapt to and stop climate change already exist. That’s something to celebrate!

Of course, solutions only matter if they’re put into practice. Things are looking up on that front, too. The fact is, there is a lot of money in climate solutions, in part because the climate tech industry is growing at a rapid rate. There’s a growing awareness of climate change by the general public and governments are responding by crafting new climate-focused policies.

A powerful way to deal with your climate anxiety is to shift your perspective and to learn about the many incredible opportunities this moment offers us. For lack of a better way of putting it, it can feel good to, well, feel good about the future.

Look no further than the passage of the poorly named—but highly impactful—Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The IRA helps you qualify for more than $10,000 in tax credits and rebates when you help the environment. It’s a win-win.

In other words, being a climate optimist isn’t just good for the environment—it’s good for your wallet.

And that’s where the will comes in. Everyday attitudes about climate change are shifting in the right direction — and quickly. According to a Yale study, 64% of Americans say they’re at least somewhat worried about climate change, and 63% have the will to act.

Sure, there’s a long way to go from here. But we have a majority, and that majority can make a big impact.

Reason 3: There is real value in every climate action.

Speaking of impact, our final reason to be a climate optimist is because big changes are happening in your city, and your contributions truly matter. There is real value — ecological, economic — in every climate action you take.

And action at the local level has the power to change systems and create large-scale impact. We believe that understanding the impact of actions is empowering.

Take food, for example. The average family wastes about 250 lbs of food each year. Sent to the landfill, that food not only takes up space, it also produces methane — a greenhouse gas that’s 25x more potent than CO2 — which in turn drives climate change. In fact, 14% of all methane emissions come from food in landfills.

But simply separating that same 250 lbs of food waste for composting (hint: Angelenos, you can now put your food scraps in the green bin!) you can prevent those GHG emissions AND grow local resilience, too!

Instead of fueling global warming, your food scraps create compost, often called "black gold" because it's such an incredible fertilizer. Think of compost like a vitamin for the soil, which puts nutrients (and carbon) back where they belongs, helping grow better, healthier veggies for all of us to eat. This enriched soil, in turn, draws down carbon from the atmosphere!

The benefits don't end there. Composting supports water retention and storm water filtration (both critical to helping LA achieve water independence). And it can also reduce the need for chemical fertilizers, which emit a lot of carbon and harm biodiversity.

Now multiply the impact of that 250 lbs of food waste to everyone on your block. On your street. In your neighborhood. In all of Los Angeles…

That’s why composting your food scraps is one of the most powerful climate solutions available. If you eat food, you can compost, and it’s easier than ever.

Healthy soil + healthy veggies + reduced emissions = a reason to be optimistic.

Be clear-eyed, but be optimistic.

Yes, we’re in a climate crisis. There’s no denying that. But, it’s also easier, more profitable, and better for your health to take action on climate change than you may have known!

Ready to put that optimistic energy to good use? If you’ve got the will, we’ve got the ways. Find climate solutions recommended by local experts, get rewarded for your contributions, and understand how your actions contribute to the big picture on the Dashboard.Earth app.

Together, we know we can make things better.