There was a rather depressing piece on CBC’s What on Earth this past week where Laura Lynch eventually interjected that this program was all about solutions.

The interview shifted to a discussion of the way forward. One of the things I appreciate about the program is that as well as raising awareness about climate change issues, they are promoting solutions, especially those being developed right here.

One I remember in particular was a study of a mountain in B.C that could produce a lot of geothermal electricity. But the place is isolated, and transmission lines would be long and expensive.

The plan is to use the geothermal energy on site to produce green hydrogen. While hydrogen is a clean fuel, producing it can be carbon intensive (black hydrogen made from coal) or use some carbon (blue hydrogen made from natural gas). Getting green hydrogen, hydrogen produced without increasing carbon emissions, is tricky. This project would do it well.

The discussion about new technologies is important. If the climate emergency makes us feel helpless, we won’t take action. We have to feel that a positive shift is possible.

During COP27, I paid attention to some of the presentations going on at the water pavilion. Even just the titles of the presentations gave hope that there are attainable ways to get clean water to isolated communities and lower carbon output at the same time.

If, on the other hand, moving to hydrogen produces more carbon emissions, it isn’t worth it even if there could be less pollution in heavy traffic areas. We have to know that the shifts we make are having a positive effect.

However, technology alone is not going to get us out of the mess we are in. We need the will to act, especially on the political and corporate levels. This is harder. Countries and companies that make money from oil have a lot of leverage. People need to apply pressure to insist that we “leave oil in the soil”.

And we need to be prepared to pay for techniques that capture carbon. It is hard to think of adding this cost to our heating and grocery bills in this time of high inflation, but it is something we have to be willing to do. Hopefully, over time, the technologies will improve so that the cost will come down.

Some argue that we also need to cut back on our consumption of everything. From fast fashion to fast food, from our desire for the newest tech to appliances with obsolescence built in, we in the global north have way more stuff than we need. Can we adopt a new, “just enough” lifestyle?

So, we need new technology that uses less carbon-based energy. We need the will to make significant changes to our economy and way of life. What else do we need?

I think we need to be able to imagine what we hope for. We need to see, at least in our mind’s eye, a new situation for our planet.

If we can picture Greenland still covered in ice and ocean shorelines remaining where they are, then we have an idea of where we want to head.

If we can picture solid sea ice, allowing Inuit to hunt as they have since time immemorial, we will be motivated to cut our carbon emissions.

If we can picture rain falling on East Africa, restoring the ability of people to grow their food, we will understand why the changes are needed.

There is a new genre in art and literature known as “solarpunk”. It’s the effort to picture that better future. I only heard about it when my publisher put my new novel in that category, but for me, it affirms the need to stir our imaginations.

One more thing as I look back at COP27 and remember the words of indigenous people. We need a sense of belonging. We need to remember we belong to the earth, to the ecosystem around us. That sense of belonging grounds us in a community that includes air and water, land and trees and creatures.  

There is a lot of despair in climate conversations. Laura Lynch tries to counter that despair with news about solutions. Many are trying to shame us all into having the will to act. Imagining our way and strengthening our sense of belonging are just as important.

Cathy Hird lives on the traditional territory of the Saugeen Ojibway Nation.