On Thursday, February 24th, the PCC Undergraduate Cohort held its Winter Quarter meeting, focusing on sharing and discussing stories of climate hope. We are constantly inundated with discouraging news surrounding the state of the environment and the future of climate change, and while it is important to remember that the climate crisis is certainly a crisis, it is not one without moments of hope, success, and inspiration. Countless scientists and activists have been working towards environmental progress through research, education, and policy, and we felt that it would be a disservice not to recognize some of the vast achievements that are being continually made in the environmental movement.

The meeting focused on climate hope stories across many different disciplines, and members split into five groups to learn about the stories that interested them the most. The topics included:

• Supercorals and Saving Coral Reefs: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-03629-7
• The Ozone Layer Success Story: https://www.nrdc.org/experts/david-doniger/we-saved-ozone-layer-we-can-save-climate
• Environmental Justice in WA State: https://www.seattlemet.com/news-and-city-life/2021/05/environmental-justice-arrives-in-washington-state-law-heal-act
• Costa Rica, Reforestation, and Conservation: https://dialogochino.net/en/climate-energy/how-costa-rica-deforestation-millions-for-conservation/
• Bhutan and Carbon Negativity: https://www.planetforward.org/idea/bhutanese-carbon-neutrality

After each small group read and discussed their story, the Cohort reconvened, and each group was given the opportunity to share about their story and what stood out to them. Many important and inspiring topics were discussed, from the implementation of bills promoting environmental justice by the Washington state legislature last year to the strategies of the small, but growing number of countries that have achieved the feat of carbon negativity. There was even a spotlight on positive actions occurring through the UW, including its work with the Nature Conservancy emphasizing how Washington’s natural spaces help fight climate change or sentiments shared by Dr. Kyle Armour, lead author on the 2021 IPCC Report and member of the PCC Executive Board, who states that, “most extreme warming scenarios predicted by the [climate] models are less likely to occur. Some good news for our climate” (Armour 2021).

After each group finished sharing, there was a collective proclamation of “There’s hope!”, a message that truly embodies the essence of both this meeting, and this cohort as a whole. We come together to learn about how climate is changing not to mourn, but to be inspired and to learn what we can do to protect our planet, a sentiment that relies on the belief that things can and will get better through our work. The future is certainly not utopic, but it is not yet beyond saving, and this cohort is dedicated to ensuring that all UW climate undergraduates are put in a position to keep fighting for a sustainable, equitable future through connection, education, and most of all, hope.

If you are interested in attending or planning one of the future quarterly PCC Undergraduate Cohort events, sign up for the Climate Undergrads List-serve or directly contact Mary Margaret Stoll!

Shoutout to the PCC Undergraduates who helped plan this meeting, Annabel Wade, Alana Kraft, Medha Kumar, Maddie Brooks, and Isaac Olson. Special thanks to the brilliant P-GraSC members who helped facilitate this meeting: Mary Margaret Stoll, Jacob Cohen, Emma Heitmann, Nina Buzby, and Leslie Nguyen.