I Don’t Know How to Feel About 2023 

So will 2023 be the best it ever was, or the worst it ever got?

I think we messed up by putting the fate of the world in the hands of economists and businessmen instead of scientists

Most people I know are not outright deniers. They would rather not think about it. What do you do when someone agrees with you about climate change but then "would rather not think about it"?

I’ve got to say that this definition of climate change is the same definition that has gotten me into so many heated arguments. Climate change is the change in climate, it is not a term to define your political position.

As a dad and someone that wants to live on the planet a while longer, I just wanted to say thank you.

“Why try?” Because the lives of our descendants, if not our own lives, depends on it. Don’t give in without a fight!

How do I feel about 2023? Trying real hard not to be angry. As you said, we’ve known about this for a long time. Yet, we sat on our hands and watched it unfold before us. Makes me sad for those that already suffer from the consequences. We are privileged, not everyone is and the irony is that most of the people that suffer didn’t have a say in this…

I'm so glad you're still around. I used to watch you about 10 years ago in college and even met you at vidcon 2015. Thank you and the team for all of your work and dedication!

All of us doing our part and continuing to not lose hope is vital of course, but a massive chunk of the problem is caused directly and intentionally be a few thousand of the richest people on the planet. So our plan of action also needs to include justice and accountability for the ones knowingly making everything worse.

Trying rather than not doing anything is the same mindset I'm cultivating to change my life. We have to do something for our future and the future of our children. And the same for our environment.

The biggest obstacle I face is not that people don't believe, it's that they don't want the "inconvenience" of changing their habits to help. I try to live as low a carbon lifestyle as possible, but I agree, it's not easy. Buying local is often more expensive (especially with this crazy inflation) avoiding single use plastic is near impossible. it definitely comes with a feeling of helplessness or hopelessness at times

The real problem isn't "doomerism". It's a lack of actionable direction. The average person can't do anything themselves. It's up to governments and policy (which a lot of people oppose even if they recognize the need for change) and corporations (who are the slowest organizations to change) to make the big changes. The day someone offers every-day people a real, actionable solution will be the day real people do something. In the mean time.... eh?

Climate change discussions remind me of water conservation efforts here in California. Nestle's still stealing our water, and almond farms (for example) haven't drastically reduced production, but they tell individuals to conserve and ration water. We're not really the problem, but we're the easiest target for guilt tactics. From my end, it's not doom and gloom, but that the social logistics for younger generations are extremely challenging due to our arrested development from experiencing multiple "unprecedented events." People in office - political or corporate - are doing as little as possible because they're mostly older and don't care about the future unless it threatens their way of life and/or makes them money. Whereas those of us under 40 realize that by the time we can enter these spaces, decades will have passed, we're fighting an even more uphill battle, and change will be much less effective. I'm now 36. Just last year, I was eligible to run for US president. Most of my generation has been too busy being poor and paying off student loans from half a lifetime ago to afford to run for office, leaving likely conservative, wealthy peers as eligible choices. We'd have had to start 15 years ago (during the 2008 recession) to gain enough of a political foothold to make it to an effective political office by now. Even then, we won't be voted for unless we maintain the status quo because too many older people still believe we're incompetent children. Unless people my age were literally child laborers (or created their own companies), they're not yet in the C-suite positions of the highest polluters to make a difference. Our biggest option is raising awareness independent of major media outlets, who happily portray climate change activists as crackpots. Or elect truly progressive candidates. Options are limited, but they do exist.

This is a really good mix of optimistism, warning, and call to action. It's not super scary or glossing over things. I think everyone should see this video.

Hey Dr. Joe! I just wanted to say from my family to yours and everyone at PBS...Happy Holidays! Thank you for spreading information, education, positivity, and love. You've taught me and my boys so much over the years! If I ever see you in public, I'll ask to shake your hand. ♥️

When I was growing up in the nineteen sixties, seventy two degrees was considered a normal temperature to keep your thermostat at. The current temperature in my living room now is sixty two degrees. That's normal for this time of year. I used to mourn the end of summer and the coming of the winter months with its short days and cold nights. But now that climate change has turned my summers into brutal heat slogs I welcome the relief that winter brings.

Doing something feels like nothing, but doing nothing is nothing.

The problem isn't climate doomerism, nor climate denial, nor most things people blame. It's capitalism. As long as the ones holding power insist that endless profit and growth is more important than the health of this planet, then we will continue hurtling down this trajectory. Personal decisions to consume in a more environmentally friendly way will always be overwhelmingly dwarfed by the immense effects of the mass production of carbon guzzling corporate machines brought on by capitalism.

for me from 2021 to today I have had nothing but problems: 1) the covid that turned my brain almost to mush. 2) while I was working on the farm, due to a small stupidity I was stung by a dozen wasps (luckily for me I didn't go into Anaphylactic Shock, but it was terrible). 3) with these wars around, there were many occasions when I said to myself: "now World War III starts, 2 wasn't enough" or "it would be better Godzilla & Co." Let's hope that in the coming years we can learn from the past, we shouldn't say "new year, new life" but perhaps it's better "one year over, take the best pieces to strengthen the new"!

I find it interesting how the video addresses climate doomerism and how we shouldn't lose all hope. Yet half of the comments are just like: "give up"

I love you guys. I want permission to challenge your thinking. I don't think "doomerism" is about the belief that the *climate* can't be changed for the better. It's about the belief that *people* can't be changed for the better. You say we need to "flip our mental switches from doomerism to activism," but the idea that the answer is "moar advocacy" hurts. If our only plans rely on an impossible level of consensus, how can good things ever happen? It's time to stop talking about advocacy and start talking about things we can do to improve the environment that *don't* require changing minds. I'm not talking about recycling and drinking from mushy straws, but plans with real impact that can be accomplished by 20% or less of the population with or *without* permission and government support. That's a tall order, but it's not impossible if we put our best minds to it NOW. The future is hopeful, but we must change the conversation to get there.

I loved what you said about flipping climate doomerism to activism. In summer 2021 I was pretty bummed out about heat and climate, and I resolved, as much as I could, whenever I went out walking, try to pick up trash and recycling that I see. I know it’s a very small impact, and is more cleaning littering than climate change, but it has made me feel better, like I’m doing something to clean up the Earth. Doing something legitimately makes you feel better

You still keep me optimistic Joe. Thank you for everything you do!!

"Should I be worried?", well, in short, YES!

I enjoy how increasingly simplified the explanations are getting, it’s like “hey idiots, do you get it yet? No? I’ll go get the colour by number earth.”

The way I think about it is if it's doomed then why not try, might as well give it a shot, what do we have to lose?

Thank you for your continued efforts and for sharing amazing . . . stuff!

The scariest thing about 2023 is how many people there are out there who are completely oblivious to anything that happened this year or the last.

Great and very important message. Thank you for what you do!

Tokyo, New York and Shanghai being underwater is the type of wake up call that people need. Unfortunately people dont work together on the scale needed until it makes sense in an economic day-to-day obvious way. I think we're more likely to find a technological answer than a global political answer.

Great video Joe ! Merry Christmas !

Thank you for this!

For me, the most disheartening thing is that for the many people who thought that climate change isn't happening and "it's fake" 5-10 years ago, now it is actually so much easier to accept "it's too late now" and get on with their lives. It is just mind-blowing that while accepting you are wrong about something so important that would basically make your children' lives worse, your next step is just to ignore it and let it happen... (Maybe we should've listened to Al Gore from the beginning and not let money and greed get in our way... Who knows what the world wouldve been now)

It's fascinating how we express sentiments about completing a trip around the sun. I might share mine in April; there's no fixed starting point, yet we reflect on our feelings about the journey.

This exactly what I needed to support what I do believe, 'we can change this' or 'we've got this'. Thank you for the pep talk, I will keep this in my pocket when going out and speaking up for native plants and the whole world associated with them. It is just one cog in the wheel, but every cog is important. I especially appreciated what came out of your mouth at the end. I feel exactly the same about CC.

Thank you for the video

Climate denial is not a big blocker anymore? Have these people spoken to non-academics? IMHO it's more of a problem now than it ever was, and the problem is being manifested pretty clearly in what and who people vote (or don't vote) for.

For me 2023 is my worst year I faced in my life but it's is the year I learnt lot of things as well as!

Loved where this went! Thank Be Smart team!!!

Thanks for this video

The weather over the past couple of years has made me very anxious. I feel like so many people hate winter they are actually happy about climate change. I miss the snow and ice skating outside.

Thank you for making this video - and you are right; we have to switch our minds from doomism to activism. 💙✨

Thank you so much for explaining the stakes and the need to work hard for a hopeful outcome for everyone. 🙏🙏

Thank you for the refreshing, clear and honest perspectives!

This video taught me that I am a Climate Doomer. We aren't "electric-car-ing" our way out of the this problem.

I’m currently a freshman in college trying to double major in statistics and either environmental science or meteorology. Why? Because I want to devote my life to environmental problems like climate change that have immediate and far reaching consequences. What pains me is that we’ve known this kind of thing would happen for so long but it feels like we just let it happen…we also know theoretically what can be done to mitigate climate change effects and reverse the anthropogenic contributions to it, and yet it still feels like nothing is being done or at least not fast enough. I hate when socioeconomic factors and politics get in the way of issues such as this but that honestly feels like where we are at globally with this problem. What is the next step in actually solving the issue of climate change? I’m all for complex problems, but this is definitely a tough one…

Thank you!

Thank you foe another great thoughtful video. I enjoyed your positive comments. I need more of this style of information.

It is hopeful to hear that we need to push for progress, and that progress is being made. Also nice to learn to watch out for Doom as a tactic for delay

Thank you for sending a hopeful message, even if the data is scary!

Thanks be smart for another great video 👍climate anxiety is rampant. You can’t do it all yourself, do what you can.

Thanks, Joe 🙏

So what should we do? NO, to really do to make this situation better for us all?

I think I needed this video. My sibling just asked me yesterday why I don’t want to have kids, and climate change was one reason. I had a really doomer mindset overall, but this gave me a boost of hope. Still don’t see kids anywhere in my future, but I’m excited to see a greener earth one day, and hope I can be an activist when I’m older.

Thank you!!

Come on fellow humans, huddle up, we gotta do something about this, I know we can. Start with small changes, and if each of us makes small changes over time, those small changes start to add up and make significant differences. Be thoughtful, don't just exist for yourself but rather do something to make a change. I am saying this to myself as much as I am saying it to you, don't give up hope. Stay safe!

Your Videos are epic bro. I like your Video topics. Love from India❤❤

This is the first video that’s given me real hope that the world won’t end in my lifetime.

Thank you! ♡

I needed to hear this, and I need to change my thinking.

Great message. Wanted to say that I am mostly doomerish in my outlook. However, pessimistic as I am, I want to act with love towards other living beings. That compels me to try to limit the harm of climate change and the other combined problems that make up the metacrisis. No matter how difficult or pointless or sure to fail it might seem, I can't give up.

I'll put it simply: Southern hemisphere's winter had some hot weeks: 27ºC

It is scary to think that i fell into "climate doomerism" even if i am surounded myself with the knowledge the science and all that. I am recognizing this in my heart but still dont know how to deal with it..

Still feel like we skipped spring where I live because my allergies barely bothered me this year.

Made me realize how much of a doomer I am. Thanks for this!

I'm in NYC. We're not famous for our snow but it does happen. We get slushy, snirty, gross New York City snow. Sometimes we'll get a blizzard that'll knock out the city for a few hours but we keep angry and carry on. But we didn't get any last year, or the year before that or the year before that. My 3 year old has never seen snow. It's nice to not deal with but inspires dread when I think about it too much. I never thought I'd miss pushing my stroller through the snow but I do... I hope we get some this year but I won't hold my breath.

Thanks 😊

It was a cool year to start getting involved. Wow, to see how much work has been getting done is incredible! To say I've helped will be worth 100X more than procrastinating gave me!

Imagine if we just stuck to Nuclear fission until we got good renewables going. This one desicion to abandon Nuclear because the public is scared has probably had the biggest impact total.

Where is the rain this winter? in my country, it had barely rained and it's already the end of December, That's crazy.

Joe: "Doing SOMEthing is better than doing nothing." Micronesian island: starts spraying reflective aerosols in the stratosphere Joe: "Not like that."

Thank you, Joe.

The biggest part of the solution is to get efficient, and make up the rest with renewables. I personally reduced my energy use by 85%, still living in the same house with the same number of people.

I hauled wood in the middle of December and it was so warm I didn't need a jacket. While there was half a meter of snow on the ground. It was legit Terrifying.

Thank you I need this!

the dice is a great explanation!

I hope we are able to flip this, for the sake of everyone and everything alive right now and will be alive in the future

Alright, but what CAN we do as individuals on a daily basis??

This is important! We have to recognize all aspect of an issue. The negative, the consequences, the things we could to better; but also where we *are* succeeding, making progress, and seeing change.

i love the message of the video ❤❤ keep it up!

Where exactly are your sources ? I saw that you are refering to them in the video description but I didn't found them.

Great video! Calling out the doom and gloom as the biggest obstacle to progress is exactly what is needed right now.

This channel is amazing!

People worry only about things when consequences hit them hard. Data is not scary, but when a tornado, fire or flood takes away your home thats when you pay attention. 😢

I appreciate the effort to inform, but I think the problem with videos like this is that they feel compelled to end on a positive note (just as he explicitly said). This is bad to the extent that it gives people false hope that everything will be OK, that “we still have time,” or that someone else is working on the problem and we’ll be OK. The reality is that we’re way past the future being OK. Ask yourself if this video makes you angry and feel an urgent need to make drastic systemic changes? Nobody is seriously considering the types of cuts in CO2 emissions that we need to make. And of course they aren’t, because that would crash most economies - which is why we’re screwed. Yes, I consider myself a doomer but I consider it more to be a “realist.” I really dislike that Mann says that *I’M* the problem. I’m NOT saying we shouldn’t do anything, and it’s wrong of him to insist that I am. If anything, I feel like understanding how truly desperate the situation is actually makes me MORE motivated. “Do not go gently into that good night…” Given all that, is it appropriate for a video to leave you feeling like you don’t need to make our support any changes? People need to feel motivated!

Meanwhile, on this morning's news, they said today is expected to set an all-time record for air travel. It's pretty hard to remain hopeful.

Great video!

We appreciate you so much! Here's to all of us, striving to improve our world.

I am not a big fan of using EV's as a way to show positive change for global climate change because it still means that humans are driving around in single occupancy vehicles and charging them at stations that are generating electricity using fossil fuels (overwhelmingly), and the infrastructure for electric is very vulnerable to the climate change disasters we see each year (fires, flooding, etc). Just last year, we had winter storms flood in low lying areas and it completely totalled all of the electric vehicle motors. Many of these vehicles had been purchased by seniors using government rebate programs, and now they have nothing to show for it. The best ways to reduce carbon footprints are as follows: 5) Improving mass transit and walkable/bikeable city infrastructure. 4) Reducing commutes by using WFH and hubs for work. 3) Reduce waste by improving local manufacturing and reuse of items before they are discarded in landfills. 2) Going after waste generated by the top gross polluters (ie: wealthy folks). 1) Actually going after companies that "build fines for their ecological disasters" into their cost of doing business and Stopping pollution at the industrial level. Some individual action will help, but if all the combined work of us taking 5 minute cold showers is literally wiped out by some rich dude taking his private jet to his private island where he leaves the AC and heating on all year long with the windows open, then why is it that the average person is asked to suffer greatly while a select few set the world on fire more quickly? We need to work together, but this is a problem that is far more of a political and finance-makes-right problem than a scientific one. After all, the wealthy don't like being told they can't play with their toys.

This meme is actually perfectly described the global situation lol

thank you Joe

This is just the right video at just the right time for me, I too only saw the doom scenario in the last few years. Thanks!

Don't give up, that's what the companies want

As a child, I was certain that humans, as a whole, were much smarter (than we're currently behaving) and we would NEVER let things get this bad because we're just too smart to allow that to occur. I expected the complete opposite of what I'm seeing, now. Imagine my surprise and disappointment. I had high hopes, at one time. Now, I have finally given up.

I spent 2023 bedridden due to a herniated disc that gave me sciatica down my legs. Most pain I’ve ever felt. I would just lay there and read bad news after bad news. It was a bad year for everyone. I’m starting 2024 off with back surgery and I’m excited. I hope it’s a better year for everyone!

Fantastic video with the message we all need to hear. I'm a generally positive person, but I've been totally in the camp of climate doomerism and I didn't even realize it.

Regular people cannot contribute to climate change all that much in reality. What makes a difference is that corporations and governments choose to go green. The sad thing is that corporations have noticed that going green is good for business, so they greenwash as much as possible, but in reality they just do whatever makes the most profit. Greenwashing is the action of making something sound environmentally friendly, but is usually anything but. Most people can’t afford new cars, regardless of their method of power. Usually our choices are limited to our pick of a shopping bag. Get a tote bag, or a plastic bag. But then arises a question of how long do I need to use this tote bag for it to be more environmentally friendly than a simple plastic bag? People need to realise that the process of making batteries is not environmentally friendly nor sustainable. But neither is the process of making fuel. Not much have been said about how environmentally friendly and sustainable are solar panels and wind turbines. A lot of people just assume they are the greenest thing ever, but wind turbine blades are a huge issue when it comes to recycling. For us to make good decisions, we’d need to better understand environmental effects of entire lifecycle of a product. But therein lies the infamous greenwashing. A lot of decisions are made based on profit, not what is good for Earth.

Personal initiatives are like a drop of water in the see,so the only thing we can actually do Is to vote politician Who want to do something about It. Even something that would lower out quality of Life. We have to do something as global community not as countries only

Not knowing how to feel about a year is such a nice change. Cause I had no trouble knowing how to feel about some of the recent years in the past. I'm gonna call it a win.

amazing video