About

If you’ve found this website, you probably have a reasonable understanding of the climate crisis. You likely learned the basics of climate change science in high school, if not earlier. And, if you are like many people, you are probably pretty freaked out about the implications of climate change. You might be particularly freaked out about the social (in)justice implications of climate change. When you read or listen to news stories about climate change, they have likely centered narratives of despair and destruction. And maybe you are feeling like this problem is too big and overwhelming to engage in. You are not alone – these are common experiences, especially for GenZers.

This website includes case studies that illustrate hope, resistance, adaptation, and change for a climate-altered world. We hope that these stories prompt you to think about what is possible instead of what is wrong, vis-à-vis climate change and the environment. The goal here is not to obscure the terrifying reality of climate change but to instead focus our learning on how communities are acting on climate change in ways that support justice and well-being. As adrienne maree brown eloquently writes, “I learned in school how to deconstruct—but how do we move beyond our beautiful deconstruction? Who teaches us to reconstruct? How do we cultivate the muscle of radical imagination needed to dream together beyond fear?”

These narratives were created by undergraduate students in a class at Western Washington University called “Hope and Agency for a Climate-Altered World”. Their work has been posted here with their permission. The views and opinions expressed on this site are those of the student authors and do not represent the views of WWU or the State of Washington.

Questions?

Contact Dr. Kate Darby (darbyk@wwu.edu), Associate Professor, Environmental Studies, Western Washington University

Web Designer: Natalie Taylor, (taylo290@wwu.edu), Environmental Studies Student, Western Washington University