Thread by @JacquelynGill

Last week, I was quoted in an AP article interviewing scientists who are pushing back on the emerging narrative that there's nothing we can do about climate change -- that we're doomed, no matter what.

Since then, I've gotten phone calls, emails, and actual mail in response.

Only one email was from a dismissive (informing me the climate has always changed, and I should learn about dendrochronology, LOL). I got several emails and one phone call peddling crackpot technological solutions to control the climate that absolutely would not work.

I did get a handful of emails from folks asking what could be done, asking for a way forward through anxiety and hopelessness. These are hard emails, and I wish I could give them the time they deserve (I'm working on an FAQ with resources because I get them all the time now).

The majority were from people who wanted to convince me that humanity is doomed. One guy sent me two self-published books on the meaninglessness of life. It was dedicated to the future humans who will unfortunately be born against their will (!?).

One email challenged me to list one thing -- ONE -- that had been done to improve the climate crisis. Another told me that it's immoral for me to give people hope, and I am no worse than fossil fuel companies. Another told me scientists are to blame for not doing enough.

I share this not trying to center my personal feelings, though it can be tough to show up and do this work every day. The abuse, the parasocial relationships, etc., especially directed at white women and BIPOC folks, is a lot. And it's infinitely harder when it's "your team."

And I should note that all of these appeared to be from men. I honestly can't think of a time when a woman has reached out (off Twitter) for help with emotional processing, or to fight me on the science, or sell me a carbon sucking machine, or call me a [redacted].

But mostly, I just want to point out -- for myself, and for everyone else -- that these harsh voices aren't representative of the majority. Yes, the defeatists are becoming more vocal. We don't know how prevalent they are, but I suspect they're still a minority.

You know how one negative comment, review, or evaluation sticks in your head longer than the rest? Or how people take the time to say mean things, but rarely nice things, so only the negative feedback comes through?

This is like that. Don't let the despair shape your narrative.

The work we do is hard, and we have to take care of ourselves and each other. We have to learn how to be sustainable, and find the role models who show us how tp avoid burnout. We need to do the internal work of not allowing ourselves to brutalize others because of our own pain.

And if you're out there, worrying about the planet and the climate crisis and each other, just remember that it's really easy to fixate on the doom, and forget about the determination. For every defeatist, there are a thousand doers. And the best advice I can give is: team up.