Climate hope, grief and resilience
Generation Hope activists and scientists share how they stay motivated
The Natural History Museum
By Roween Rawat
What is Generation Hope?
At the Natural History Museum, London, we believe everyone has the power and potential to take meaningful action for the planet.
Generation Hope is our annual programme that delves into the challenges of and solutions to the planetary emergency through inspiring workshops, panel discussions and talks.
To help us put together and deliver the programme, we gathered people from all around the world who are on the frontline of our collective response to the emergency.
But how do these climate activists and scientists cope with climate grief, find hope and stay motivated? We chatted to them to find out.
Mitzi Jonelle Tan
Mitzi is a climate justice activist based in Metro Manila in the Philippines. She’s the convenor of and international spokesperson for Youth Advocates for Climate Action Philippines.
Mitzi Jonelle Tan at a climate strike by AC Dimatatac/350.orgThe Natural History Museum
What brings you climate hope?
‘I think life brings me climate hope. Being able to be here and be on this planet and live life with the people I love and to laugh with them – that gives me so much hope because I know I don’t ever want to lose that.’
‘So, I will keep fighting for them because everything we’ve ever loved, and will ever love, is on this planet and I want to keep living that life. That’s what gives me hope.’
How do you process your climate grief?
‘I process my climate grief in different ways. In the beginning, I was so against it. I was like “no, I have to be hopeful” because if I allow myself to feel a little bit of that grief, I’ll just crumble and I won’t be able to do anything.’
Mitzi Jonelle Tan (centre) on a Generation Hope event panelThe Natural History Museum
‘Then I realised that just made it worse. Now I’ve come to terms with realising that it’s a part of me and it’s part of my feelings. I need to recognise that it comes from a place of love, and it means that I want to keep fighting.’
‘I almost see my climate grief and anxiety as a guest in my home, I imagine it in my living room. Sometimes it’s this huge thing that breaks everything and sometimes it’s just there in the corner. The more I just accept it and let it be there, the less tantrums it will have.’
Erica McAlister
Erica is Principal Curator for Fleas and Flies at the Natural History Museum, London. She’s been recording, researching and describing flies worldwide for more than 15 years.
How do your science and activism intersect?
‘Beyond my personal research, I realised that I wanted to do something more to help protect our planet. The resources we have at the Museum can help many others, including providing evidence for activists to argue for environmental protection.’
Erica McAlister preparing fly specimens at the Natural History Museum, LondonThe Natural History Museum
‘For example, by digitising the specimens that have been collected over the last 400 years we can see how these insects have changed over time – in shape, location, emergence – and so provide clear evidence of human-induced changes.’
Erica McAlister giving a talk about her work at a Generation Hope eventThe Natural History Museum
‘We work with people from around the world and as such are able to spread this knowledge further than the Museum, giving weight to arguments for habitat protection and more.’
Erica McAlister (middle) taking part in a Generation Hope event discussionThe Natural History Museum
Where do you find climate hope?
‘We’re seeing more and more people taking individual action. We’re seeing governments starting to come on board. We’re seeing that the science we do here in the Museum is being taken and used.’
‘There are so many people that appreciate their environment, who want to hold on and nurture it. This is what brings me hope for our future.’
Daphne Frias
Daphne is a proud Latina climate justice activist, disability awareness advocate, organiser and storyteller based in New York, USA.
Daphne Frias taking part in a Generation Hope eventThe Natural History Museum
Where do you find your climate joy?
‘I find it in the power of disabled climate activists. I think disabled people are some of the most well-versed activists when it comes to the climate because we know how to live in a society that isn’t made for us to thrive. This is a skill we bring into our climate work.’
Daphne Frias talking at a Generation Hope eventThe Natural History Museum
‘Love is revolutionary, but when we think about ways to solve the climate crisis, love is not often on the list. I always say people have to fall radically in love with our planet in order to protect it. There’s truly so much worth protecting, seeing and holding close.’
‘One of the reasons, if not the most important reason, why I do this work is because I am obsessed with our planet. All the natural resources she provides us – the beauty, the wonders and the safety of home.’
How can we ensure that climate-action spaces are inclusive?
‘I think when cultivating a space, you want to make sure that frontline communities are at the forefront. That you have Indigenous voices, that you have voices of colour, that you have voices coming from multiple sexual orientations.’
Daphne Frias talking at a Generation Hope eventThe Natural History Museum
‘Because the climate crisis stems from so many different systems of oppression, when someone experiences discrimination in one way, it’s exacerbated by the climate crisis.’
‘So, multiple identities represent multiple realities, and we need those multiple realities to make sure that we are creating robust and wholly encompassing solutions for the climate crisis.’
Natalie Cooper
Natalie is an ecologist and evolutionary biologist at the Natural History Museum, London. She works on understanding how the diversity of life evolved and how we can protect it from human activities.
Natalie Cooper (right) taking part in a Generation Hope event discussionThe Natural History Museum
Where do you experience climate hope?
‘I tend to experience climate hope when I work with young activists and young people through Generation Hope.’
Natalie Cooper talking at a Generation Hope eventThe Natural History Museum
‘It gives me a lot of hope to know that people are actually really interested in this area, keen to try and make change and find out how to get involved. It makes me feel really hopeful for the future.’
Natalie Cooper at a Meet the Scientist event at the Natural History Museum, LondonThe Natural History Museum
Where do your activism and science meet?
‘My activism and my science are completely interconnected. The research I do at the Museum on biodiversity loss and climate change is communicated almost immediately to the public once I’ve finished that work, and also through things like Generation Hope.’
Disha Ravi
Disha is a climate justice activist based in Bangalore, India. She founded the Indian branch of the Fridays for Future network.
Disha Ravi talking at a Generation Hope eventThe Natural History Museum
How do you keep motivated in your activism?
‘Climate activism can be really draining and it’s not always fun, but it’s really important to remember why we’re doing it and go back to that. So, personally, I like to spend time in nature with the community that I do this work with, and they remind me why I’m doing this.’
Where do you find climate hope?
‘For me, climate hope comes from the community and the people I work with. They’re a constant reminder of unity and the fact that we’re not alone in this fight.’
Disha Ravi (left) taking part in a Generation Hope event discussionThe Natural History Museum
‘No one person or small group of people is going to be able to solve the climate crisis. It has to be all of us together, doing our bit, and this reminds me that there is hope in the world as long as we’re trying to make this world a better place.’
Ken Johnson
Ken is a Principal Researcher at the Natural History Museum, London, where he studies the history of coral reef systems. Documenting how reefs have responded to past environmental changes will help us to understand how they might respond to future changes.
Ken Johnson (second from the left) at a Generation Hope discussion eventThe Natural History Museum
What gives you climate hope?
‘Meeting young activists who are making a difference in their communities is what brings me hope.’
‘For 30 years or so we’ve all been saying “everything’s going to die, everything’s going to die, everything’s going to die” and it’s felt like nobody cares, right? So, it’s nice to see so many people caring now and wanting to make a change.’
‘For a long time, it felt like scientists weren’t allowed to have opinions, that we had to be neutral, but you can’t separate science and research from the state of the world that you live in. Or from yourself – you live on the planet, of course you’re going to care about it!’
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