When reviewing the UK party Manifestos prior to the election, we noticed quite a split between hopeful and fearful manifestos. In the past few months, it feels like hope has been winning out. In the US, an ageing white man has voluntarily relinquished power. Meanwhile, in Europe, France’s far-right was pushed into 3rd place in the elections and the Seine was cleaned up for swimming. Closer to home, a new government has come in with a narrative of renewal.  

Yet underneath these hopeful signs, the fragility of these shifts is clear for everyone to see; in France the far right still scored 25% and it only took one downpour to render the Seine un-swimmable. Scratching a little deeper, the trends are deeply worrying; Europe is in the midst of a heat wave that already feels like the new normal, maybe because it is.  

For the past 18 months, average surface water temperature has essentially taken a step up and is now exceeding record highs by 0.3 degrees, helping trigger the heatwaves, storms, and wildfires that are part of this new normal. This follows on the back of record rainfall that has impacted food production, distribution, and prices.  

This suggests the fearmongers are right; we have a lot to be concerned about, so how do we use this fear to inspire the correct action? And how do we remain hopeful in the face of the overwhelming challenges? 

One approach is looking to ourselves and our communities. Pooran gave his personal guide to prepping and we’re seeing community groups creating plans for community resilience, such as Eastbourne’s food growing and climate change mindmap. While we can’t know the full impacts of climate change, we can help our community prepare. 

Yet if hope is a bigger driver, we need to go further and highlight the benefits of these changes. Greater resiliency requires a closer-knit community, helping to reduce crime, and coming together to use natural flood control to clean our waterways – imagine if it was safe to swim in them to cool off!  

The world’s climate has changed, and this must inspire us to action. Addressing these challenges together can enable us to see all the benefits of a resilient future.