In the Midst of Climate Losses, We Are Still Finding Hope
The past couple of weeks were challenging ones in the Living on Earth newsroom. Every time we thought we were done putting a show together, some startling breaking news would land on our desks. It’s been a reminder of how difficult it can be to cover climate change.
Just the other week, we rushed to cover the Senate’s reversal of a 20-year moratorium on mining in and near the Boundary Waters, a million-acre special wilderness area in Minnesota famous for its crystal-clear waters. The area was first protected back in 1909, but mining projects have posed a threat over and over again. Most Minnesotans, including many Indigenous tribes in the region, oppose mining near Boundary Waters. They say pollution from the industry could easily contaminate connected water bodies, which could have devastating effects—from loss of animal and plant life to severe economic costs through loss of tourism. So, the mining moratorium reversal by Congress – which President Trump has since signed into law – is raising alarms, though mining would not take place without state permits. And that’s something Minnesota may not grant given how unpopular mining in the Boundary Waters appears to Minnesotans overall.
More federal-level decisions continue to drag, impacting communities in the meantime. For example, last week, we brought you the newest chapter in a long fight to hold pesticide manufacturers accountable for alleged harms. Glyphosate is used in the popular weedkiller Roundup produced by Monsanto (now part of Bayer), and research suggests it can cause cancer. In fact, the World Health Organization has labeled glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic,” but the EPA says it has not found that same link. There are over 100,000 lawsuits filed against Bayer by farmers and other plaintiffs across the country who developed cancer and allege they were never warned of the risks associated with using the weedkiller. The latest news is that the Supreme Court recently heard oral arguments in a case that could determine what happens next for these lawsuits. But we will have to wait and see, as guest Pat Parenteau tells us on the show.
With so many important environmental issues getting bogged down in federal decision making, it can be difficult to see a clear path toward a green, just, and healthy planet.
But there’s always some light at the end of the tunnel. The past few weeks have also been inspiring beyond measure, as we continue to release our interviews with this year’s Goldman Environmental Prize winners. The annual award champions individuals from around the world who have taken meaningful actions for the protection of the planet.
In last week’s show, we heard from Alannah Hurley, Executive Director of the United Tribes of Bristol Bay. Since 2002, Alannah and her community have faced the daunting prospect of Pebble Mine, a proposed open-pit copper and gold mine right at the headwaters of two important rivers for the Yup’ik, Dena'ina, and Alutiiq people in the region and the thriving sockeye salmon run they depend on. The potential impacts of mining in Bristol Bay echo the concerns of folks in Boundary Waters today. After years of organizing and advocacy, Alannah and her community secured a rare “EPA veto” of the Pebble Mine.
But getting there wasn’t easy—there was friction. “Our people’s concerns were really falling on deaf ears at the state level,” Alannah says.
Building a large coalition of people—not just from different tribes, but also locals and fishermen—to tackle the issue was also challenging. But Alannah says it was precisely the difficulty of the moment that brought them together.
“At the end of the day, the connections between people, the relationships and the commitment to work through hard moments, and there were a lot of hard moments.”
Alannah’s story, like so many others highlighted by the Goldman Prize every year, shows that there is still an abundance of hope circulating in our world. The voices of those who are charting a path forward may not always be the loudest, but they are all around if you pay close attention.
As climate journalists, we often worry we are flooding readers with bad news all the time. We rack our brains trying to find balance, to find the good news that can provide hope despite the despairing headlines. But I think these stories are not as black and white. There are thorns in the rosy stories, and roses among the thorns. That becomes clear when we step back and take a long view, because no matter what the latest breaking news may be, these stories develop over many years. The change is incremental and usually not smoothly in one direction.
Julia Vaz
LoE Intern
