Book Review: What If We Get It Right?: Visions of Climate Futures by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson
In this essay, interview, and art collection, Johnson shows us what it means to flip the script on the impending climate crisis and fall in love with the future we wish to create.
This book had been on my TBR for a very. very long time. It came out in 2024, and I had almost picked it up so many times throughout the years. The release of the paperback version this past April finally forced me to read it, and I found myself incredibly happy to have dipped my toes back into the formal environmental movement through this book.
Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, marine biologist, policy expert, and conservation strategist, guides readers through our modern climate problems and their myriad of solutions by interviewing friends who, like her, see the future as something to get excited about- a far cry from what is usually said about the world of tomorrow. With data and science to back her up, Johnson and her colleagues investigate the viability of friends forming cooperative farms, how to break into the ocean farming business, and the next big blockbuster hit, an eco-focused rom com. She brings along attorneys, architects, indigenous activists, and more as she demonstrates again and again that policy and cultural shifts here and now are worth it for the beautiful future of balance and justice that we as a society not only should picture, but should demand as our right. We deserve it!
This book was hopeful and eye-opening, if a little dated. That is a crazy thing to say about a book only two years old, but a lot has changed in that time. I was incredibly inspired by all the scientific and activism-related leaps we have achieved since the book was first published, and a bit heartbroken by the political and policy changes in that time that will hold us back for the near-term. Nevertheless, this was a very holistic and realistic look at the challenges across various aspects of life under capitalism and with the looming threat of climate change while still expressing excitement and positivity when looking at the years to come. I consider it a must-read, both as a scientist but also as just a random human being on the planet these days.
Considering connecting vocational skills with local needs, I keep coming back to the difference between knowing about an idea and putting it into practice. A local practical problem can give a skills lesson a clear purpose. I would keep that thought nearby when looking for ideas about Linia vocational learning. The part I would like to explore further is what happens when the idea meets a real situation with its own limitations. How do you choose a project that is useful without becoming too large for the class?
The subject of building inclusive classroom participation feels more interesting when there is room for a reader to stop and ask their own questions. A task becomes more accessible when instructions and ways of responding are clear. For me, that is a useful way into the broader subject of inclusive classroom participation. I would probably come back to this question after trying to work through one concrete example rather than deciding immediately. How can pupils participate meaningfully without all producing the same kind of answer?
I find introducing hospitality through practical learning easier to think about when there is a concrete question to start from. A simple service scenario can show how preparation and communication work together. Seen this way, hospitality education basics becomes a topic to explore rather than something to sum up too quickly. I do not have a settled view yet, but this seems like a good place to slow down and look more closely. What helps learners understand the visitor's experience as well as the task they are performing?
I can see why supporting learning and care in Wachock would invite discussion, since different people will bring different experiences to the same question. A predictable environment can make it easier for a learner to focus on a new task. It gives me a more concrete starting point for thinking about Wachock student support. The part I would like to explore further is what happens when the idea meets a real situation with its own limitations. What information helps families understand the support available in an educational setting?
I find learning through local projects in Wysokie easier to think about when there is a concrete question to start from. A project built around a nearby place can give students a reason to observe it more closely. For me, that is a useful way into the broader subject of Wysokie local learning. I am more curious about the process than a polished result, because the steps in between are usually where questions appear. What would you ask learners to notice before they begin researching further?