From Pessimism to Progress

I recently tuned in to the Season 3 trailer of "Hope is a Verb," one of my favourite podcasts.

Thanks to co-presenter Gus Hervey, I’ve discovered a new label to describe my current state of mind: It seems, like him, I am a recovering pessimist.

Perfect, right? Here at UK for Good, we work hard to?stay on top of climate, ecological, and societal research.

As you can imagine, some days, weeks, and even months are tough. Sometimes, I crave good news. But do I really? Gus Hervey, also Founder of Fix the News, puts it best:

“I’m not interested in good news; I’m interested in progress.”

In the last episode of Season 2, Gus shares his mission to spotlight stories of progress and prove that journalism can inspire real hope for our planet's future. Check it out and explore more progressive planet news here

Acceptance and Adaptation

Lately, I've also noticed a real shift among scientists, environmentalists, and planet lovers. Instead of merely fighting climate change and exhausting themselves in the process, more people are moving towards acceptance and adaptation. This movement accepts the evidence suggesting we're unlikely to meet the Paris Agreement target of 1.5° above pre-industrial levels. With the global average temperature reaching 1.64° to the year?June 2024, people are beginning to seriously?adapt to the future climate.

Professor Jem Bendell brilliantly illustrates this shift. His impactful new TV documentary, "Collapse Readiness," is a must-watch.

It’s not doomerism, I promise! Jem quotes a Buddhist saying that describes three types of people: "The hopeful, the hopeless, and those who are done with hope." Wherever you are on your journey, this documentary is worth your time. Discover more about Jem Bendell and watch it here?

Please do let me know what you think.

The Rise of Ecological Economics

Let’s imagine a world where everyone has enough and nature thrives. Hard, isn’t it? Yet the post-growth, or ecological economics movement seems to be?gaining real momentum. I’ve talked about Jason Hickel’s book 'Less is More' ?and Kate Raworth's Doughnut Economics?many times before, but this idea is no longer on the fringe. B Corp Certified Triodos Bank is the first bank to support publicly the call for a post-growth transition.

This is forward-thinking and mainstream. You can read their paper here?

Bridging Political Gaps

To shape a cleaner, greener, fairer future we need exceptional collaboration, regardless of political leanings. And there is some good news here. Did you know there’s already an established APPG (All Party Parliamentary Group) in the UK focused on limits to growth?

Yes, even I hadn’t heard of it, and I read a lot about this topic! The APPG on Limits to Growth offers a platform for cross-party dialogue on lasting prosperity within environmental, social, and economic limits. Learn more about their work here.?

Real progress is afoot!

Together, let’s turn pessimism into progress.

Until next time,

Best wishes

Donna