Perhaps understandably, those many of us who have sprung to the climate change barricades in recent years are being slow to adjust our core message to the world in light of what we know to be our new shared reality.

To one degree or another, global heating is here to stay, and likely to intensify during the generations to come. We know we are not good at facing our own death, so why would we be any better at facing the fact that we have tied ourselves into rapid warming of our planet and, thanks to our prior denial, there is now no way we can unravel it?

This article, originally published in the Daily Maverick, addresses the anxiety surrounding climate change and its potential catastrophic impacts. The author shares a personal response to a family member’s question about dealing with climate anxiety, emphasizing the importance of facing reality and embracing uncertainty. The piece reflects on humanity’s resilience during crises, using Cape Town’s near-catastrophic drought as an example of how people can adapt and find innovative solutions when faced with dire circumstances.