So often it can feel like all you hear are the negative things that are going on with the environment. The danger in that, though, is that you can overwhelm the listener, make them want to tune out and, worse, feel like there is nothing that they can do. I mean, why try to make eco-friendly choices when you feel like it won’t make a difference, right? Dr. Nancy Knowlton, a world-renowned marine biologist, saw how she, herself, was guilty of only talking about the bad and saw how it affected those that heard it. She decided to try a new approach where success stories were highlighted and the response she and her colleagues have received has gone viral. #OceanOptimism, and all that has come from it, is helping to push conservation narratives to be more focused on what is working with the aim of inspiring hope and encouraging action. On this eve of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, let’s celebrate what we’ve accomplished and look ahead on what we can replicate and scale up for a better tomorrow.

Some highlights from our talk:

2:00) Why should we focus on solutions rather than problems?

4:25) Should scientists be advocates?

11:13) How to make positive news stories as sticky as negative ones.

13:33) How has optimism catalyzed into action?

 15:55) How to walk the line of being optimistic while not downplaying the gravity of the problems.

What you can do to promote earth optimism:

• Share the good news! Talk about it, share it on social media.
• Try to change your own thinking to be more solutions-oriented. When you hear something bad, what are some tangible steps, no matter how small, that you can take to counteract it?
• Take cues from the good stories you hear. Can you replicate them yourself?

It’s ok to feel disheartened and overwhelmed about what’s going on in the world today. The power lies with those who can push through that by finding the good and making more of it happen.

Mentioned in the episode:

• David Burn Reasons to be Cheerful website
• Christiana Figueres TED talk  and Outrage and Optimism Podcast
• Scripps Institute of Oceanography Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation

 

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