What If We Get It Right? Visions of Climate Futures

A call to action to step away from climate hopelessness and toward a joyful future, offering real answers for the crucial question: What would the future look like if we charged ahead with all the solutions to actually address the climate crisis?

Marine biologist Ayana Johnson knows that things look bleak. Reports on climate change and the environmental impact of modern life show a planet in crisis, seemingly in a freefall toward an unlivable future. In her research on coral reefs, Johnson has seen firsthand the rapid deterioration and outright destruction of our most precious resources. And yet, she still believes in a way forward, where we hold ourselves accountable, yes, but we still operate with innovation and hope.

In What If We Get It Right?, Johnson gives readers a vision of the new climate future we can create through community and creative problem-solving. She begins by explaining current climate projections and their potential repercussions, offering helpful terminology to discuss what is at stake. Johnson then explores the interconnectedness humans share with nature, from the food we eat to the habitats we live in. She highlights some of the progress we've made in sustainability, while acknowledging that electric cars and solar panels won't be enough. To truly effect change, Johnson argues, we need to go deeper than data, into the motivations that inspire us to act and the culture we need to cultivate both locally and globally.

What If We Get It Right? is Johnson's rousing call to action for us to step out of the shadow of hopelessness and into the light of a climate future that allows all people to thrive. Grounded in data, research, and interviews, enlivened with poetry and art throughout, Johnson's insights are informative but still accessible and inspiring, lifted by their true lodestar: imwagination. With grace and humanity, Johnson asks readers to envision climate success and discover the joy of shaping the unknown, together.

Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson is a marine biologist, policy expert, and writer. She is co-founder of Urban Ocean Lab, a think tank for the future of coastal cities. She co-edited the bestselling climate anthology All We Can Save and co-founded The All We Can Save Project. Recently, Johnson co-authored the Blue New Deal, a roadmap for including the ocean in climate policy. Previously, she was executive director of the Waitt Institute and developed policy at the EPA and NOAA. She was on the Time 100 Next List, was named one of Elle’s 27 Women Leading on Climate, and Outside magazine called her “the most influential marine biologist of our time.”