Former Postdoctoral Associate and The Pandemic Divide contributor Melissa Scott recently published an op-ed in INDY Week reflecting on Hurricane Helene and its ties to the climate crisis.
In the piece, Dr. Scott shares her experience staying in her family’s cabin in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains where she and her young son witnessed the devastation of Hurricane Helene firsthand. From this lived experience, Scott makes the case for embracing “climate positivity”, rooted not in despair, but in hope and action. She argues that while climate disasters reveal the magnitude of the crisis, solutions must inspire resilience, collective responsibility, and systemic change. By reframing the narrative, Scott calls for a shift from fear-driven paralysis to proactive, community-centered engagement.
Read the full piece here: Op-Ed: Climate Positivity—It’s What We Need