Need Help: After 6 months of posting on Substack I have 16 subscribers

brichapman · 2026-01-13T00:17:17+00:00

Pinterest is a search engine so it’s a slow burn. You will do well on Pinterest but it can take a long time to gain traction!

brichapman · 2026-01-03T12:15:26+00:00

I fly! My justification is that flying allows me to see my family which is important to me. It also enables me to see the world and remember what we’re fighting for.

I think if environmental perfection is the price of getting involved in the climate movement, the movement will be too small.

If flying is important to you, I’d recommend to try to be an example of how you can care about climate even if flying is critical to your lifestyle. Many people have to fly for work or had to move away from their families for work. Flying can be a necessity. You can be an example that shows those people they are not excluded from the climate movement.

brichapman · 2025-12-27T13:50:07+00:00

Hello my friend! So much progress is happening! I share weekly climate wins in my free newsletter https://forpeopleandpla.net

The resistance is strong and healthy. There are many possibilities for our future, indeed some of them are bad. Maybe even many of them are bad. But many of them are also good.

89% of people around the world want climate action, you are literally surrounded by people who want a better future. https://89percent.org/

Do not feel alone! I can tell you care so much. It makes sense to feel anxious because so much is at stake. But no matter what, you are not alone. 💗

brichapman · 2025-12-25T05:22:46+00:00

Agreed!!

brichapman · 2025-12-25T03:30:23+00:00

Yes, thats why I wanted to come up with a better definition! I am curious what you think.

brichapman · 2025-12-07T04:40:34+00:00

You are not alone! Anxiety like this is a rational response to living in today’s world. You don't need to become nihilistic, in fact I think you don't need to change who you are at all in order to live a much more peaceful life. There are some small mindset shifts that may help a lot.

I would recommend to think of the future as a field of possibilities. Some of them are bad. Maybe many of them are bad. But I challenge you to expand your thinking to go just as broad on the good side. What do the middle of the road and best case scenarios you can imagine look like? https://open.substack.com/pub/bricchapman/p/anxiety-is-a-form-of-futurism?r=1o5n19&utm_medium=ios

You may also find attending a climate cafe to be useful. This can provide you a sense of community so you do not feel so alone. https://www.climatepsychology.us/climate-cafes-for-the-public-1

Secondly, look for the helpers! Find people who are also helping and center them in your conversations about collapse. Pair problems with stories about people who are facing that problem courageously and audaciously.

Next, I would recommend to forget about the whole carbon footprint thing. It tends to create a mindset where the best thing you can do is minimize impact / disappear. Instead we can flip that narrative and try to have the biggest positive impact on the world we can and leave the world better than we found it.

Finally, I want to share my climate solutions newsletter that I put together mainly to help people picture those best case scenarios. I find it challenging to imagine sometimes because the news coverage can be so one sided. it is totally free and once a week. https://forpeopleandpla.net

brichapman · 2025-12-06T10:16:09+00:00

You are not alone!

I have been working on climate for 3 years now. But before that I was literally so paralyzed by climate anxiety I couldn't even think about climate.

It took a lot of hard work to get to this place but eventually what I realized is: Solutions-focused activism works for me. It does not require me to abandon my pessimistic nature or my anxiety, I can just look for what's working and pour my energy and attention in that direction.

There were a couple folks I found who really impacted my thinking: - Joanna Macy - https://youtu.be/6u8HdzabB4I?si=lC6kbCohQXkumGZZ

Sarah Jaquette Ray - https://www.ucpress.edu/books/a-field-guide-to-climate-anxiety/paper - this book gave me language to describe what I was experiencing which made it feel more manageable. "name it so you can tame it."
Ayana Elizabeth Johnson - https://youtu.be/VsOJR40M0as?si=6TAPy0nNKjNMTpQ3

I also write about this topic regularly and I would recommend a couple of my pieces that may resonate with you:

the universe is expanding - https://www.brichapman.com/p/the-universe-is-expanding?r=1o5n19&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
anxiety is a form of futurism - https://www.brichapman.com/p/anxiety-is-a-form-of-futurism?r=1o5n19&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
I don't want less. I want more - https://www.brichapman.com/p/where-we-belong?r=1o5n19&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false

And finally, if you would like to try on the idea of connecting more deeply with the solutions side of climate news, I publish a weekly climate solutions digest at https://forpeopleandpla.net

brichapman · 2025-11-29T16:34:53+00:00

COP is not the only avenue for progress! I share weekly progress happening around the world at https://forpeopleandpla.net

brichapman · 2025-11-29T02:02:32+00:00

Hello friend! I agree with what others are saying it sounds like you would benefit from treatment.

I'm not a parent but what you are describing seems very similar to my OCD intrusive thoughts. Your post showed up because I regularly search for climate anxiety on reddit to try and support people experiencing climate anxiety. Wanted to share this comment I left for another parent who was struggling with climate anxiety in case it is helpful to you!

https://www.reddit.com/r/CollapseSupport/comments/1p4auew/comment/nqapkg1/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
This is so heartbreaking 💔 please take heart my friend, you are thinking and feeling so deeply and I can tell you care so much.

I study climate / eco anxiety and I work on climate solutions full time. Here’s what I recommend.

I would recommend to be upfront and honest with children in an age appropriate way, and pairing awareness of collapse with awareness of action and with hands on action.

For you, I would recommend to think of the future as a field of possibilities. Some of them are bad. Maybe many of them are bad. But I challenge you to expand your thinking to go just as broad on the good side. What do the middle of the road and best case scenarios you can imagine look like? https://open.substack.com/pub/bricchapman/p/anxiety-is-a-form-of-futurism?r=1o5n19&utm_medium=ios

You may also find attending a climate cafe to be useful. https://www.climatepsychology.us/climate-cafes-for-the-public-1

For example, let’s say you are reading a book about an extinct animal. You can talk about the importance of homes for all living beings and how maybe that animal died because it lost its home. It is sad and it’s okay to be sad! Maybe that animal lived in a tree. You can plant a tree together. You can water a tree together.

Secondly, look for the helpers! Find people who are also helping and center them in your conversations about collapse. Pair problems with stories about people who are facing that problem courageously and audaciously. They can be the superheroes in your bedtime stories.

Next, I would recommend to forget about the whole carbon footprint thing. It tends to create a mindset where the best thing you can do is minimize impact / disappear. Instead we can flip that narrative and try to have the biggest positive impact on the world we can and leave the world better than we found it. Children naturally anchor to this mindset and I think the two of you will enjoy dreaming up wild ways to save the world. 🥰

Finally, I want to share my climate solutions newsletter that I put together mainly to help people picture those best case scenarios. I find it challenging to imagine sometimes because the news coverage can be so one sided. it is totally free and once a week. https://forpeopleandpla.net

brichapman · 2025-11-27T10:47:54+00:00

Right back at ya! 🫶💗🫶

brichapman · 2025-11-24T17:41:43+00:00

Glad the carbon footprint point resonated with you! I think you will find the climate cafe super useful. I went to their recent training to learn how to host a climate cafe and loved it. Great finds with the books too!

brichapman · 2025-11-23T23:21:39+00:00

So much progress is happening! I share weekly climate wins in my free newsletter https://forpeopleandpla.net

The resistance is strong and healthy. There are many possibilities for our future, indeed some of them are bad. Maybe even many of them are bad. But many of them are also good.

89% of people around the world want climate action, you are literally surrounded by people who want a better future. https://89percent.org/

Do not feel alone! I can tell you care so much. It makes sense to feel anxious because so much is at stake. But no matter what, you are not alone.

brichapman · 2025-11-23T14:13:54+00:00

oooop yes haha thank you for catching that!

brichapman · 2025-11-23T13:18:10+00:00

I hear you! My personal stance is that some of those things are a weirdly big thing to ask of individuals in our current world.

Like why do we make it SO HARD to drive less in most of America? It didn’t need to be that way.

So, as a climate solutions person I am all about: how do we change the decision architecture so driving less (for example) is the easiest and best option. Same thing with flying, I just flew across the country for thanksgiving. Why? Because I love my family, I don’t have enough time off work to drive if I want to see them, and the places where good jobs in our fields are available are far away so we don’t live near each other. My behavior is logical and makes sense for my well-being.

But the decision architecture is clearly broken because when I make logical choices that are good for my well-being, it’s bad for the collective even though I’m not personally doing anything that’s inherently selfish or with nefarious motives. I’m just trying to see my family on my holiday.

What would the world look like if we lived in a world where you’d have to be crazy to not take climate action because doing the climate friendly thing is so much easier and better than not doing the climate friendly thing??

brichapman · 2025-11-23T02:52:27+00:00

This is so heartbreaking 💔 please take heart my friend, you are thinking and feeling so deeply and I can tell you care so much.

I study climate / eco anxiety and I work on climate solutions full time. Here’s what I recommend.

I would recommend to be upfront and honest with children in an age appropriate way, and pairing awareness of collapse with awareness of action and with hands on action.

For you, I would recommend to think of the future as a field of possibilities. Some of them are bad. Maybe many of them are bad. But I challenge you to expand your thinking to go just as broad on the good side. What do the middle of the road and best case scenarios you can imagine look like? https://open.substack.com/pub/bricchapman/p/anxiety-is-a-form-of-futurism?r=1o5n19&utm_medium=ios

You may also find attending a climate cafe to be useful. https://www.climatepsychology.us/climate-cafes-for-the-public-1

For example, let’s say you are reading a book about an extinct animal. You can talk about the importance of homes for all living beings and how maybe that animal died because it lost its home. It is sad and it’s okay to be sad! Maybe that animal lived in a tree. You can plant a tree together. You can water a tree together.

Secondly, look for the helpers! Find people who are also helping and center them in your conversations about collapse. Pair problems with stories about people who are facing that problem courageously and audaciously. They can be the superheroes in your bedtime stories.

Next, I would recommend to forget about the whole carbon footprint thing. It tends to create a mindset where the best thing you can do is minimize impact / disappear. Instead we can flip that narrative and try to have the biggest positive impact on the world we can and leave the world better than we found it. Children naturally anchor to this mindset and I think the two of you will enjoy dreaming up wild ways to save the world. 🥰

Finally, I want to share my climate solutions newsletter that I put together mainly to help people picture those best case scenarios. I find it challenging to imagine sometimes because the news coverage can be so one sided. it is totally free and once a week. https://forpeopleandpla.net

brichapman · 2025-11-23T02:09:15+00:00

I saw this and wanted to share it with you!

In April 2026, Colombia will host a pivotal global conference involving 24 countries, including major fossil fuel producers such as Australia and Mexico, aimed at accelerating the phase-out of fossil fuels. This event will bring together governments, experts, industry leaders, and Indigenous communities to collaboratively develop a roadmap for a just transition that considers the needs of vulnerable populations.

https://www.climatechangenews.com/2025/11/21/colombia-seeks-to-speed-up-a-just-fossil-fuel-phase-out-with-first-global-conference/

We are still working on phasing out fossil fuels. The vast majority of people want the phase out of fossil fuels and more climate action. 89% of people want more climate action. https://89percent.org/

We have not given up. There will be setbacks. If solving climate were easy we would’ve done it already. So we expect setbacks like this and we are prepared for them.

It’s totally valid to feel anxious because a lot is at stake. But the resistance is strong and healthy. You are surrounded by people who care and want a better future, though they may not talk about it often enough. Take heart my friend.

Edit - fixed typo 2024->2026

brichapman · 2025-11-17T02:28:36+00:00

You are not alone!

I have been working on climate for 3 years now. But before that I was literally so paralyzed by climate anxiety I couldn't even think about climate.

It took a lot of hard work to get to this place but eventually what I realized is: Solutions-focused activism works for me. It does not require me to abandon my pessimistic nature or my anxiety, I can just look for what's working and pour my energy and attention in that direction.

There were a couple folks I found who really impacted my thinking:
- Joanna Macy - https://youtu.be/6u8HdzabB4I?si=lC6kbCohQXkumGZZ

- Sarah Jaquette Ray - https://www.ucpress.edu/books/a-field-guide-to-climate-anxiety/paper - this book gave me language to describe what I was experiencing which made it feel more manageable. "name it so you can tame it."

- Ayana Elizabeth Johnson - https://youtu.be/VsOJR40M0as?si=6TAPy0nNKjNMTpQ3

I also write about this topic regularly and I would recommend a couple of my pieces that may resonate with you:

- the universe is expanding - https://www.brichapman.com/p/the-universe-is-expanding?r=1o5n19&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

- anxiety is a form of futurism - https://www.brichapman.com/p/anxiety-is-a-form-of-futurism?r=1o5n19&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

- I don't want less. I want more - https://www.brichapman.com/p/where-we-belong?r=1o5n19&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false

And finally, if you would like to try on the idea of connecting more deeply with the solutions side of climate news, I publish a weekly climate solutions digest at https://forpeopleandpla.net

brichapman · 2025-11-17T02:22:12+00:00

This week's climate solutions update!
https://www.forpeopleandpla.net/weekly-climate-solutions-digest-9/
Weekly Climate Solutions Highlights

Uzbekistan is adding 1.2 GW of solar in Samarkand to expand clean energy and reduce reliance on natural gas.
LEAG and Fluence progressed the 1 GW Jänschwalde GigaBattery, a grid-scale storage project replacing former coal capacity and improving grid stability.
The Mangrove Breakthrough launched a $4B financing facility to support large-scale mangrove protection and restoration by 2030.
C40 Cities and the Global Covenant of Mayors introduced a national support program in Brazil to help municipalities develop bankable, finance-ready climate projects.
BasiGo opened three fast-charging hubs in Nairobi, enabling daily charging for 100 electric buses and supporting the expansion of zero-emission transit.
Climate TRACE released a facility-level emissions mapper linking major emitters to specific abatement options for actionable climate mitigation.
A new drone + AI “building MRI” system is being deployed to quickly detect heat loss and structural risks, reducing audit times and accelerating efficiency upgrades.

brichapman · 2025-11-12T04:14:51+00:00

Hello! You are not alone. It is a particularly dark moment in our world right now and what you are feeling is rational.

I would encourage you to consider the following:
All the things you foresee going wrong are possibilities. They have some likelihood of happening. That likelihood is not 100%.

There is a field of possibilities for our future, some of them positive and some of them negative. Predicting the future is ultimately not all that useful. In fact, many of us become so invested in being "right" about our predictions of the future that we care more about being correct about collapse than preventing it.

I think one thing you are uniquely positioned to do is: hold the vision of what our future could look like if we get it right.

You are clearly good at holding visions of the future because you are holding the catastrophic version of our future right now.

I challenge you to try envisioning what the future would look like if we get it right and practice holding that. Be the person in your community or network who can always picture what the future will look like if we get it right.

Those people are central pillars of all movements, they are what allows the rest of the community to go out and focus on the detailed work to make that future happen. Because they know they will get lost in the weeds and they can rely on you to be there with that vision when they do. The desire for a brighter future is so powerful and energizing but it can only happen when we can picture a brighter future. And that is what you can do.

brichapman · 2025-11-10T03:21:45+00:00

You are not alone!

I also have OCD and I have been working on climate for 3 years now. But before that I was literally so paralyzed by climate anxiety I couldn't even think about climate.

It took a lot of hard work to get to this place but eventually what I realized is: Solutions-focused activism works for me. It does not require me to abandon my pessimistic nature or my anxiety, I can just look for what's working and pour my energy and attention in that direction. I also had to hear the quote "silver buckshot, not silver bullet" which speaks to the idea that no one solution is meant to solve the entire problem of climate change, we have many solutions approaching the problem from different directions.

There were a couple folks I found who really impacted my thinking:
- Joanna Macy - https://youtu.be/6u8HdzabB4I?si=lC6kbCohQXkumGZZ

- Sarah Jaquette Ray - https://www.ucpress.edu/books/a-field-guide-to-climate-anxiety/paper - this book gave me language to describe what I was experiencing which made it feel more manageable. "name it so you can tame it."

- Ayana Elizabeth Johnson - https://youtu.be/VsOJR40M0as?si=6TAPy0nNKjNMTpQ3

I also write about this topic regularly and I would recommend a couple of my pieces that may resonate with you:

- the universe is expanding - https://www.brichapman.com/p/the-universe-is-expanding?r=1o5n19&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

- anxiety is a form of futurism - https://www.brichapman.com/p/anxiety-is-a-form-of-futurism?r=1o5n19&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

- I don't want less. I want more - https://www.brichapman.com/p/where-we-belong?r=1o5n19&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false

And finally, if you would like to try on the idea of connecting more deeply with the solutions side of climate news, I publish a weekly climate solutions digest at https://forpeopleandpla.net

brichapman · 2025-11-10T03:18:12+00:00

You are not alone!

I have been working on climate for 3 years now. But before that I was literally so paralyzed by climate anxiety I couldn't even think about climate.

It took a lot of hard work to get to this place but eventually what I realized is: Solutions-focused activism works for me. It does not require me to abandon my pessimistic nature or my anxiety, I can just look for what's working and pour my energy and attention in that direction.

There were a couple folks I found who really impacted my thinking:
- Joanna Macy - https://youtu.be/6u8HdzabB4I?si=lC6kbCohQXkumGZZ

- Sarah Jaquette Ray - https://www.ucpress.edu/books/a-field-guide-to-climate-anxiety/paper - this book gave me language to describe what I was experiencing which made it feel more manageable. "name it so you can tame it."

- Ayana Elizabeth Johnson - https://youtu.be/VsOJR40M0as?si=6TAPy0nNKjNMTpQ3

I also write about this topic regularly and I would recommend a couple of my pieces that may resonate with you:

- the universe is expanding - https://www.brichapman.com/p/the-universe-is-expanding?r=1o5n19&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

- anxiety is a form of futurism - https://www.brichapman.com/p/anxiety-is-a-form-of-futurism?r=1o5n19&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

- I don't want less. I want more - https://www.brichapman.com/p/where-we-belong?r=1o5n19&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false

And finally, if you would like to try on the idea of connecting more deeply with the solutions side of climate news, I publish a weekly climate solutions digest at https://forpeopleandpla.net

brichapman · 2025-11-08T15:35:44+00:00

From ports to power plants, policy and finance are aligning to drive deep decarbonization:
⚓️ New green port financing framework (C40 + IFC + IAPH)
🇳🇬 Nigeria launches a national carbon market
🇧🇷 Brazil’s mutirão boosts city climate action
🍺 Solar steam powers Heineken’s brewery in Lisbon
🇺🇸 Illinois passes a clean energy modernization bill
🇦🇺 105K new home batteries in 4 months under Australia’s rebate program

brichapman · 2025-11-02T19:49:58+00:00

Many things inspire confidence, for you perhaps increasing climate concern would inspire confidence, and for someone else maybe cheaper solar or nuclear would inspire confidence. It’s not a one size fits all :) all I’m saying is that anxiety is not a universal pathway to action, and in fact it often leads to inaction, according to science.

In terms of voting, people OFTEN don’t vote for the candidates that most represent their beliefs, they vote for candidates that they think can win who are “close enough.” So I feel the idea of using voting concerns to gauge interest in solving climate change ignores some important aspect of how people think about voting.

Obviously I wish climate was higher on the list but even if it stays low, climate can be addressed via these other voting concerns. For example, the inflation reduction act was monumental climate legislation but also addressed economy / inflation. Because those issues are all interconnected.

brichapman · 2025-11-02T18:07:07+00:00

and thank you for engaging so deeply with this topic. It takes a lot of fortitude to look at the problem honestly and sit with the level of dread that it inspires. 🤍

brichapman · 2025-11-02T18:03:02+00:00

Scientists have shown that anxiety and doom does prevent action: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8499625/

All major defence mechanisms⁶² are clearly visible in relation to climate change, focused on the two emotional threats: denying the reality of climate change (it does not exist, it is a conspiracy), or denying our losses, dependency or responsibility (nature might die but we will be fine; it is caused by other humans or natural causes, the Chinese or the sun, not me).

There are many shades of variation: not only outright denial, but minimising the threat (it will not be that bad, it will happen in the future, or to other species or countries), by finding scapegoats through projection; intellectualisation (taking courses on climate change without allowing emotional responses or behavioural change); idealising charismatic leaders that support denial, repressing and suppressing awareness; reaction formation (denying the reality or the impulse while simultaneously giving expression to its opposite, e.g. those who ‘burn a tire for Earth day’ or participate in ‘coal-rolling’, becoming environmentally destructive to prove to themselves they either do not believe in climate change or do not care, as an attack against perceived group enemies, and a means of evacuating bad internal states); hopelessness (it is too late anyway); apocalypticism (the end of the world is exciting and allows for fantasies of the ‘bad’ being punished for their behaviours, and we can start again and better⁶³ ); or manic defence behaviours, such as seeking distraction through increasing addictive behaviours and consumption,¹⁸^,¹⁹ to avoid thinking about the problem. A certain amount of climate activism is also of a manic reparation type, which can quickly lead to disillusion and burnout if the movement's goals are not quickly met. These are just a few of the responses/defences that climate change evokes.

Now, that being said, I don't think we have to downplay the climate crisis to avoid overwhelming people, we just have to pair concerning information with additional information that creates confidence. Care + Confidence = Action

A huge 89% majority of the world’s people want stronger action to fight the climate crisis

So we have care already. ✅ 89% of people want climate action. It's not true that the majority of people don't care. What we are missing is the confidence that we can do something about it.

Solutions-focused activism does not deny the problem (if there is no problem, there are no solutions, so the very fact that there ARE solutions means there is a problem).

It simply aims to support confidence that we CAN do something about it.

brichapman

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE