101. Hope Dies Last - Stubborn Optimism From Around The World
What if the most powerful tool we have in facing climate collapse… is refusing to give up?
In this episode, I talk with Alan Weisman, journalist and bestselling author of The World Without Us, about his new book Hope Dies Last. We explore stories of stubborn climate optimism from around the world, breakthroughs in energy and food, and why the future is still worth fighting for—even when the odds seem impossible.
This isn’t about toxic positivity — it’s real, grounded optimism. And it just might change how you think about hope.
Because while hope may not last forever, today is not that day. There is still so much beauty to protect, and being human on this Earth is a gift we still have the chance to reclaim.
“Hope is not a guarantee, but not having hope is a self-fulfilling prophecy.”
Key Takeaways:
We’re in a Bottleneck Century
Alan frames our current era as a “do-or-die” moment for humanity, driven by overpopulation, climate disruption, and mass extinction.Stubborn Optimism Is Global
Across 12 countries, Alan found scientists, refugees, engineers, and elders who refuse to give up — even in the face of overwhelming odds.Technology Is Both a Problem & Solution
New developments in fusion energy and carbon-based food production offer hope – but only if we stay humble and open to change.Narratives Matter
Letting go of fatalism and shifting toward empowered action is essential, especially for younger generations.The Small Scale Drives the Big Picture
From solar-powered refugee huts to marshland restoration in Iraq, real change often begins locally, against all odds.Hope Is a Practice, Not a Feeling
True optimism lives at the intersection of awareness, acceptance, and action. It's not naivety, it's necessary to drive change.
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“Nature will bounce back. The question is: will it be a world we can still live in?”
About Our Guest
Alan H. Weisman is an award-winning American environmental journalist, author, and professor. He’s best known for The World Without Us, a #1 New York Times bestseller and finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, and for Countdown: Our Last, Best Hope for a Future on Earth?, which won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize.
His latest book, Hope Dies Last (April 2025), takes readers across the globe to meet resilient visionaries tackling climate collapse with creativity and clear-headed optimism.
Weisman has reported from more than 60 countries and all seven continents. A seasoned contributor to publications like The Atlantic, Harper’s, The New York Times Magazine, and NPR, he also co-founded Homelands Productions and served as Laureate Professor of International Journalism at the University of Arizona.
