By Marcy Franck

Being a climate optimist isn't about imagining things will magically improve—it's about believing that we can adapt to the environment as it changes, and prevent it from getting worse in the future.

Believing can be difficult when news cycles are filled with extreme weather events like the heatwave we're experiencing this week. That's why climate optimism is about trusting science and knowing that the innovative technologies available today are enough to keep us on track for a sustainable future, as long as we scale up quickly and keep innovating.

That's where we come in, Dear Optimists. Finding our place in the push for climate solutions is an essential piece of the puzzle, and a powerful antidote to despair. This month we feature three special guests who explore climate optimism, justice, and action, and they may just give you the dose of hope you've been looking for.

INTERVIEW WITH A CLIMATE OPTIMIST
She inspires change. She tells it like it is. She refuses to be boring.
If there's one person I turn to for clear-eyed insight into the state of climate affairs, it's our former director and first-ever White House National Climate Advisor, Gina McCarthy. She sat down with Property Brothers' Drew and Linda Scott to talk about exciting developments happening in climate policies, solutions, and hope.

This episode was co-produced by our Reel Science program and At Home with Drew and Linda Scott.

You can watch it, listen to it, scroll down for highlights, or all three. You do you!
HIGHLIGHTS
Gina McCarthy and Drew and Linda Scott
What are specific initiatives the U.S. is working on to improve the climate?
Train, bridge, buildings
Offshore wind. New building standards. EV infrastructure. Sparking private sector competition. The list goes on.

I don't want to spoil the whole segment, so if you're a details kinda person—or maybe someone who could use something positive to fixate on when things feel a bit too heavy—these 6 minutes of specifics are salve for the soul.
How do we create a future worth fighting for?
Scenes from a city
“If all you do is stand around and say how horrible climate change is, and how we’re all going to die about a week from tomorrow unless you do something, people don’t follow that. They go where there’s excitement and opportunity. And so the most important thing that we can do is be honest about what you see, and what the science is telling us, but say ‘Wow, if you go here, we can all make money. We can all have great jobs. We can actually breathe easier, and have cleaner air.”—Gina McCarthy

How can we ensure the communities that have been left behind benefit from the shift to clean energy first?
Green power plant
The Biden Administration has committed to ensuring 40% of benefits from federal climate investments flow to frontline communities that suffer disproportionate health impacts from pollution and extreme weather. In this segment we hear how the federal government is building equity and climate into every decision.

How can we all take climate action?
Kids carrying Earth
It could be that a collective attitude change and regular conversations about climate change are just the things we need.
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