Great essay, as I anticipated. I think I waver between an eco-pessimist and an eco-optimist. As a teacher of adolescents, I couldn't do that job without holding onto a sense of a possible future for these young people. I'm with you on the lack of viability for the cynical approach. If you believe that we are all f***ed and nothing matters, then selfishness and inaction are appropriate responses. But if you believe that humans are basically good and intelligent and loving and creative and capable of elegant solutions to complex problems, then caring, connected action is an appropriate response. How do I want to live my life? If I'm right, and humans are capable of changing our collective course, then great, my life has helped thjat process. But if I'm wrong, and we are f***ed, then I still got to live a life of caring and connection.

I don't want to be Pollyanna and deny that we are heading for Hell in a Handbasket, but neither am I going to give up trying to get us out of the ding dang basket.

I am curious where the Jevons Paradox fits into informed eco-optimism for you. As I see it, techno-change needs to be combined with social change or it will only increase emissions in the long run.

Best to you.