---
title: 5 Ways to Combat Climate Doomism
date: 2023-04-25T05:30:00-04:00
author: University of Maryland
canonical_url: "https://today.umd.edu/5-ways-to-combat-climate-doomism"
section: Articles
---
# 5 Ways to Combat Climate Doomism

*April 25, 2023* — by [Karen Shih ’09](/author/karen-shih)


> Extension Specialist Offers Practical Tips—and Hope—Through Popular Webinars

*Climate Hero 1920x1080 — It's possible to take effective personal action against climate change that can help fight off global warming-based gloom, a UMD Extension specialist says.*

If you care even a little about the planet, it can be hard to tear yourself away from headlines and videos about parched riverbeds out West, giant seaweed blobs advancing on Florida or the savannization of the Amazon rainforest.

“Anybody in their right mind would be anxious about climate change,” said Sara Via, professor of entomology and University of Maryland extension specialist. “But the antidote to eco-anxiety and climate doomism—both of which result in no action—is to do something. Pick something that suits you, then keep moving and do the next thing.”

That’s the message she spreads through her [website](https://climatecorner.org/) and [mailing list](https://climatecorner.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=55115badaf36c7e297e902a6a&id=92736efa5f), as well as in-person talks and popular summer [webinars](https://climatecorner.org/webinars/), which draw hundreds of attendees from across the country.

An evolutionary geneticist by training, Via for years taught a UMD course on ecology and evolution, which included human impacts on ecosystems such as acid rain. But over the decades, she found herself increasingly alarmed by the consequences of climate change and decided to shift from research to focus on educating the public about global warming—and how to make a difference.

“I interpret the science and make things as simple as I can, with useful visual aids. I help people understand what works, like electric heat pumps, and what is less likely to be useful, like carbon capture,” she said. One message she emphasizes: People often feel that individual choices don’t matter, but [60% of emissions from energy use are the result of decisions we make at home](https://e360.yale.edu/features/from-homes-to-cars-its-now-time-to-electrify-everything).

Though we can’t all [develop more efficient air conditioning technologies](https://today.umd.edu/crank-up-the-ac-not-global-warming), [create heat- and blight-tolerant apples](https://today.umd.edu/apples-adapted) or [build beautiful, sustainable bus shelters](https://today.umd.edu/with-new-umd-invention-all-the-cool-kids-will-be-riding-the-bus) like UMD faculty and alums, Via offers ways for the rest of us to address climate change in our everyday lives:



*green and white icon of a fork with a leaf*



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*green and white icon of a shirt with arrows on it*



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*green and white icon of electric plug and leaves*



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*green and white icon of leaves*



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*green and white icon of car with electrical plug*



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**Bonus: Read “The Future We Choose,”** by Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac, who led negotiations of the Paris Climate Accords. “The authors provide a vision of just how much better the future can be after we get rid of fossil fuels and then explain how we build that future using a mindset called ‘stubborn optimism,’” said Via.




**Topics:** [Research](https://today.umd.edu/tags/research)


**Tags:** [Climate Change](https://today.umd.edu/topic/climate-change), [Entomology](https://today.umd.edu/topic/entomology), [University of Maryland Extension](https://today.umd.edu/topic/university-of-maryland-extension-2), [Research](https://today.umd.edu/topic/research)


**Units:** [College of Agriculture and Natural Resources](https://today.umd.edu/topic/college-agriculture-and-natural-resources), [College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences](https://today.umd.edu/topic/college-computer-mathematical-and-natural-sciences)