College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

We are at an inflection point: today, more people than ever before recognize that climate change and biodiversity loss are urgent and existential threats. Yet constant reports of climate doom are fueling an epidemic of eco-anxiety, leaving many of us feeling hopeless and powerless –and hampering our ability to address the very real challenges we face.

Elin Kelsey’s new book “Hope Matters” boldly breaks through the narrative of doom and gloom that has overtaken conversations about our future to show why hope, not fear, is our most powerful tool for tackling the planetary crisis. Kelsey, an award-winning author, scholar, and educator, reveals the collateral damage of despair – from young people who honestly believe they have no future to the link between climate anxiety and hyper-consumerism. She argues that the catastrophic environmental news dominating the media tells only part of the story. She describes effective campaigns to support ocean conservation, species resilience and rewilding, demonstrating how digital conservation is helping scientists target specific problems with impressive results. And she shows how we can build on these positive trends and harness all our emotions about the changing environment – anger and sadness and hope –into effective personal and political action.

Timely, evidence-based, and persuasive, “Hope Matters” is an argument for the place of hope in our lives and a celebration of the turn toward solutions in the face of the environmental crisis.