A Reality Check: Moving from Crisis to Hope
Emily Stephens
Emily Stephens is a Communications & Research Assistant for PCSSM and is a recent Master of Environmental Studies graduate.
On September 22, 2025, Dr. Michael Mann and the Penn Center for Science, Sustainability, and the Media headed to New York City to kick off the first day of New York Climate Week, the world’s largest climate event. PCSSM partnered with Exeter University, Climate Basecamp, and Fortescue to discuss how we can move from crisis to hope to tackle climate backsliding. The event took shape in an invite-only gathering consisting of opening remarks, science speed talks, a panel discussion, audience Q+A, and closing reflections. By bringing together professionals from academia, business, government, nonprofits, philanthropy, and other critical sectors with panelists representing the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia, the event explored climate risk, science, and solutions at the intersection of heavy industry and policy.
The event was held on the world’s first green ammonia dual-powered vessel, the Fortescue Green Pioneer Ship, which aims to pave the way for low and zero-emissions vessels and decrease the impact of the shipping sector and chart the course for a green energy revolution.
Aboard the ship, the event opened with welcoming remarks from Rainn Wilson, noteworthy American actor, comedian, writer, director, businessman, and producer. Wilson has been a long-time climate change advocate and attended the event representing Climate Basecamp where he serves as the Founding Director. The organization works to engage scientists and social trendsetters across the entertainment space to speak science into culture and center climate change in every conversation.
“The biggest pandemic is hopelessness in young people.”
Wilson began his keynote speech and opening remarks by explaining the sense of disconnect and deterioration young people are experiencing in the current state of the world. His mission along with Climate Basecamp is to communicate the idea that hope and change are possible, we just have to think out of the box. Through humor, memes, social media, musical performances, or other creative outlets that engage younger demographics, he believes we can counteract negativity by harnessing the arts and bringing climate into culture.
After the welcoming remarks, Professor Pierre Friedlingstein, Chair in Mathematical Modeling of the Climate System at the University of Exeter and Lead Author on the Global Carbon Budget, kicked off the 5-minute science speed talk segment of the event. He provided a necessary foundation of the climate change problem by providing context of what our global carbon budget is and how much time we have left before we exceed 1.5° and beyond. He explained the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide and that according to scientist’s best estimates, our carbon budget is predicted to run out anywhere between 6 to 27 years based on the level of inaction we choose to take. The presentation reminded the audience that climate change is worsening, but carbon emissions have not yet peaked and it is still well within our control to limit emissions.
Dr. Mann discussed “The Reality of Climate Backsliding” in his science speed talk where he opened by stating that the urgency for addressing climate change is obvious, but there is still agency to make progress and lessen the impact. He explained that “doomism” leads to inaction, and by emphasizing the shortcomings and enormity of the problem without clear-cut pathways forward, it leaves people feeling paralyzed and unable to contribute especially when bad actors are fanning the flames of doom.
“The truth is bad enough.”
Dr. Mann warned the audience of the negative consequences of overstating the issue, and omitting a clear path forward provided by listing all of the terrible things happening to our climate as if there is nothing that can be done to rectify the damage. The truth itself is enough of a story that warrants urgent and immediate action, and there is no need to produce clickbait or journalism that overemphasizes the impacts of climate change and elevates fear unnecessarily. Dr. Mann ended by focusing on one of his prevalent sentiments throughout his publishings– that agency is vital. It is up to us to make sure our policymakers do what is right for us, and it is not too late. There is still a window of opportunity, although it is becoming smaller as time goes on, and there are still commitments and actions that can be taken to directly reduce emissions and stop the planet’s warming in its tracks.
Dr. Mann was followed by Professor Gail Whiteman, founder of Arctic Basecamp, Founding Director of Climate Basecamp, and Hoffmann Impact Professor at the University of Exeter. She centered her speed talk on business risks and opportunities, where she highlighted that there is an acceptance of the general climate science but global risks are pervasive and the long-term effects of climate change still exist. She walked the audience through the various responses to net-zero commitments that are being seen in the corporate sector, where some businesses have decided to exit, where they are getting out of their net-zero commitments entirely, hide, where they are no longer talking about their climate commitments but may still be working towards it internally, fight, where they keep going with their net-zero goals despite political conditions, or foster, where they are finding a way forward in a sustainable and bi-partisan way.
COURAGE.
Professor Whiteman, along with the sentiments from the other speakers, highlighted that we desperately need courage on an individual and collective level if we are to continue forward. We must persist and continue building the base of people who believe in fighting climate change and finding solutions.
The panel discussion brought Wilson, Friedlingstein, Mann, Whiteman, and Founder of Fortescue, Dr. Andrew Forrest, together to address questions on how we can continue to move from crisis to hope. Dr. Mann mentioned that “we already have truth and justice on our side”, we just need to keep the messages simple and convince those that would be environmentalists if they were receiving the right messaging and information to join the movement. Friedlingstein noted that the future is in our hands, and all of the future natural disasters that come from our action or inaction are also in our hands. We determine the severity of future events based on our commitments to abate carbon emissions. We know what the problem is, we know how much time we have, we know what we need to do, but we remain fragmented. We must find new ways to come together, and Wilson suggested a need to find commonality and leverage the right words in order to create a message that resonates with everyone and to bring people together. “Conservation is a powerful word across the spectrum”, said Wilson, and the shared love of nature should be nurtured.
Hope.
The discussion concluded with asking the panelists where they see hope, and how we can foster it to fight climate change. Dr. Mann noted that “there is urgency and agency in acting now”.
The event convened leaders from various corners of the environmental movement to highlight concrete pathways forward by facing the crisis head-on with an awareness of the carbon budget we have left, the bad actors attempting to spread doomism, and we can invigorate a new generation by weaving climate across culture and entertainment. The speakers left the audience feeling optimistic about the future while grounding everyone in the reality that there is still work to be done, but we can only do so by having hope in the face of crisis.