By Isabella Geeding

How should we live in a world that regards climate disaster as a foregone conclusion?  Contemporary life is a series of climate events, whether in the form of one-off disasters or the constant threat of new ones on the horizon. Some events shake the world, like Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy, while omnipresent issues like global warming and sea level rise rarely make the headlines even as they transform the world as we know it. Surely you have been told at some point, “Visit Venice while you still can!” or “Well, one day New York will be underwater, so enjoy it for now,” or some version of this global story about “rising tides.” In recent years, this story has taken on a resigned tone, as if one day the coastal cities will cease to exist and there is nothing left to be done. How has the rhetoric become so blasé? These hopeless narratives hurt everyone involved.

Condemning cities and the people that call them home is not an ethical way to proceed. There are communities to support and histories to preserve. As climate events unfold with increasing frequency and intensity, we should resist resignation. This piece invites you to consider the tone with which we discuss climate events and to consider the line between false optimism and hope.

Isabella Geeding – Contributor, Story Editor – Isabella is entering her 4th semester at Hunter college, exploring the intersections of science, cities, people, and art.  Originally from Cincinnati, she spent a few years in New Orleans before moving to New York.  While not at school or work, she enjoys painting, traveling, and going to (mostly free) events around the city.