Climate change is top of mind for young Australians when considering their futures. In 2025, 80% of 18–34-year-olds said they were at least moderately worried about its impact on their future. Compare that to just 50% of those aged 65+, and you see a clear generational divide.
Many people have reflected on the role of hope in response to a changing climate. One example is the book, ‘Hope in the Dark’, which makes a radical case for hope as a commitment to act in a world whose future remains uncertain and unknowable.
Another example is 'Active Hope: How to Face the Mess We're in with Unexpected Resilience and Creative Power'. As the author says, "Active Hope is something we do rather than have. …Since active hope does not require our optimism, we can apply it even in areas where we feel hopeless. The guiding impetus is intention. We choose what we aim to bring about, act for, or express – and then we move in that direction.” [1]
To quote Hannah Maloney, from Gardening Australia…“Radical Hope is a verb…where despite all odds, you choose to do positive actions that can help counter the “said crisis”. The global challenge we all face right now is the climate crisis. It’s so big and so scary it’d be easy to curl up into a ball in a dark corner. However Radical Hope and permaculture are the tools we use to address crisis in a proactive and positive way.”
[1] Macy, Joanna. (2022). Active Hope: How to Face the Mess We're in with Unexpected Resilience and Creative Power. New World Library
[2] Hannah Moloney. https://thehobartmagazine.com.au/hannah-moloney-2/
