Not the End of the World: How We Can Be the First Generation to Build a Sustainable Planet

by Hannah Ritchie

As will be seen, all of these assumptions were wrong. In fact, in nearly every case the world was moving in the opposite direction.

We almost never step back to look at the data on these changes in global development. Instead, we watch the daily news and those headlines become part of our world view.

Many changes that do profoundly shape the world are not rare, exciting or headline-grabbing. They are persistent things that happen day by day and year by year until decades pass and the world has been altered beyond recognition.

If we want clarity we have to take in the full picture, and that means giving ourselves some distance. If we take several steps back, we can see something truly radical, game-changing and life-giving: humanity is in a truly unique position to build a sustainable world.

Third, and perhaps most importantly, our impending doom leaves us feeling paralysed. If we’re already screwed, then what’s the point in trying? Far from making us more effective in driving change, it robs us of any motivation to do so. I recognise this from my own dark period when I nearly walked away from the field entirely. I can assure you that after reframing how I saw the world, I have had a much, much bigger impact on changing things. When it comes down to it, doomsday attitudes are often no better than denial.

Complacent optimism is the feeling of a child waiting for presents. Conditional optimism is the feeling of a child who is thinking about building a treehouse. ‘If I get some wood and nails and persuade some other kids to help do the work, we can end up with something really cool.’

Don’t mistake criticism for pessimism. Criticism is essential for an effective optimist. We need to work through ideas to find the most promising ones.

In 1987, the UN defined sustainable development as ‘meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’

A world full of avoidable human suffering does not meet our definition of sustainability.

As the Native American proverb goes: ‘Take only what you need and leave the land as you found it.’ Similarly, the ancient Kenyan proverb: ‘Treat the Earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children.’

Every day, 300,000 people get access to electricity and a similar number get clean water, for the first time. This has been the case every day for a decade.