Stories of Hope Amid Ecological Crisis – Slow Hope: Rethinking Ecologies in Times of Crisis

Christof Mauch, Director of the Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society, sets out his concept of “slow hope” - the gradual, almost invisible nature of environmental damage and mostly untold stories of quiet but positive environmental change that are often hiding in plain sight. The search for environmental hope does not downplay the magnitude of the problems we are facing, nor is it synonymous with unadulterated optimism. Yet it is possible to look to hopeful narratives as alternatives to stories of decline—narratives which can help us to think creatively and and act courageously in these challenging times.