The Climate Conundrum
Published October 27, 2023 | 2 minute read
We were born on a dying planet. This reality shapes everything—our investment decisions, our relationships, our daily choices. Here’s how I’ve learned to cope with this weight.
Three Steps for Climate Reality
Hold Time and Space to Cope
Acknowledge that humans didn’t evolve to handle the current environmental crisis. It’s okay to not be okay about climate change. The scope and urgency of environmental degradation can be overwhelming, and pretending otherwise serves no one.
Our nervous systems weren’t designed for processing global-scale, generational threats. Give yourself permission to feel grief, anger, or helplessness about climate reality.
Figure Out Who You Trust
Spend time understanding climate information, either:
- Independently through scientific literature and primary sources
- Through organizations committed to a “just transition”
The information landscape around climate is complex and often politically charged. Finding trusted sources—whether scientific institutions, advocacy organizations, or independent researchers—is crucial for making informed decisions.
Learn How to Ask for Help
Challenge the notion of always being prepared and self-sufficient. Complex problems get solved through community engagement, not individual heroism.
Climate action requires collaboration across disciplines, industries, and communities. The rugged individualism that characterizes much of American culture won’t solve systemic environmental challenges.
Personal Growth and Presence
This work has taught me about being radically present for others. Understanding the practical implications of environmental challenges changes how we show up in relationships and professional contexts.
When you acknowledge climate reality, you become more intentional about:
- How you spend your time
- Which projects deserve your energy
- What kind of future you’re working toward
- How you support others processing the same realities
Investment Implications
My core job is to be aware of these realities and ensure investment portfolios reflect the most comprehensive understanding of what to do about them.
This means:
- Excluding companies that worsen environmental problems
- Including businesses that address climate challenges
- Acknowledging uncertainty about which solutions will work
- Maintaining long-term perspective despite short-term market volatility
Moving Forward
Climate reality doesn’t require paralysis or despair. It requires honest assessment of where we are and practical action toward where we need to go.
Investment management becomes an expression of values when it acknowledges these environmental constraints and opportunities. Every portfolio decision either supports or undermines the systems we need for a livable future.
The climate conundrum isn’t something we solve individually—it’s something we address collectively through the accumulated choices we make in our professional and personal lives.
Climate consciousness isn’t about perfect solutions—it’s about honest engagement with the reality we’ve inherited and the future we’re creating.