In this Book
Rejecting Climate Doomism
Book
2026
Published by:
University of Michigan Press
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
summary
As scientists call for widespread climate action, there has been an alarming rise in climate doomism, the belief that it is too late to do anything about climate change. Many people who struggle to imagine the solutions and social order that would be needed to support more sustainable outcomes instead look away and do nothing, immobilized by defeatist thinking. Yet every fraction of a degree of warming avoided means saving lives and livelihoods in the future.
Drawing from climate science, sociology, psychology, and philosophy, Rejecting Climate Doomism outlines the reasons to instead choose action grounded in active hope. It examines how global warming could be effectively limited through specific policy proposals. Despite the many obstacles to achieving some of the policies discussed in this book, they are still possible and worth pursuing. By outlining a positive vision of the far-reaching changes that can be used to minimize warming, the book encourages readers to advocate for the social and economic changes necessary to forge the best path for people and the planet.
Drawing from climate science, sociology, psychology, and philosophy, Rejecting Climate Doomism outlines the reasons to instead choose action grounded in active hope. It examines how global warming could be effectively limited through specific policy proposals. Despite the many obstacles to achieving some of the policies discussed in this book, they are still possible and worth pursuing. By outlining a positive vision of the far-reaching changes that can be used to minimize warming, the book encourages readers to advocate for the social and economic changes necessary to forge the best path for people and the planet.
Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
pp. i-ii
Copyright Page
pp. iii-iv
Contents
pp. v
Acknowledgments
pp. vi-vii
Introduction
pp. 1-3
1. Rejecting Climate Doomism
pp. 4-16
2. Motivating Climate Action
pp. 17-31
3. What Kind of Climate Action?
pp. 32-44
4. What Else Do We Demand?
pp. 45-59
5. The Need for Collective Action
pp. 60-72
6. Changing Our Minds, Building Something Better
pp. 73-85
7. Active Hope
pp. 86-95
Conclusion
pp. 96-97
Notes
pp. 98-107
References
pp. 108-116
Index
pp. 117-119
| ISBN | 9780472905744 |
|---|---|
| Related ISBN(s) | 9780472057979, 9780472077977 |
| MARC Record | Download |
| OCLC | 1531591295 |
| Launched on MUSE | 2026-02-07 |
| Language | English |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Creative Commons | CC-BY-NC |
Copyright
2026



