Opinion: Cause for hope in the face of climate change

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 1, 2026

It is understandable why people succumb to hopelessness about the future habitability of our planet. The extraordinary website “Fix The News,” based in Australia, focuses entirely on good news around the world, and there is plenty of it. Focusing on such positive developments, however, doesn’t mean we can ignore reality. As global temperatures and seal levels continue to rise, climate impacts in the foreseeable future will become more severe. Keeping our foot on the pedal in the transition to renewable energy, we can stay on a trajectory to attain net zero emissions. We may not be able to restore lost coastlines or lost species, but the planet will establish a new equilibrium, and still be habitable. ~ Joseph Hardy, Wells