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Hope in a hopeless age: environmentalism’s crisis

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  • Andrew McKinley

    (University of Toronto)

Abstract

In this short essay it is argued that recent criticisms portraying the activist environmental movement as overly pessimistic are valid and that the communication of this pessimism to the public at large has been largely counterproductive to the objectives of environmentalists. It is argued that, in contrast to historic assumptions of a ‘progress paradigm’ that epitomized the widely held optimism of the past, the shock tactics and pessimistic media campaigns employed by the activist environmental movement, and the media that capitalizes upon those campaigns, have contributed to the creation of a figurative hopeless age. The key characterization of the hopeless age is the widely held assumption that the future will be worse than the present and that the lives of future generations will be diminished relative to our own. It is argued that the creation of this social-psychological phenomenon is counterproductive to the aims of the environmental movement and that the restoration of a collective vision and message of hope would be far more productive. Lastly, some reasons for a hopeful outlook are suggested.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrew McKinley, 2008. "Hope in a hopeless age: environmentalism’s crisis," Environment Systems and Decisions, Springer, vol. 28(3), pages 319-326, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:envsyd:v:28:y:2008:i:3:d:10.1007_s10669-008-9169-1
    DOI: 10.1007/s10669-008-9169-1
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Douglas, Ian & Hodgson, Rob & Lawson, Nigel, 2002. "Industry, environment and health through 200 years in Manchester," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 41(2), pages 235-255, May.
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