ANYONE WHO HAS LISTENED TO A WEATHER REPORT lately, read the headlines, seen the dire warnings on social media or even just stepped outside knows the news on climate change is bad, often apocalyptic-level bad. Sustainability scientist Alaina Wood knows that too—and she also knows such messaging can make people feel hopeless and demoralized, so much so that they’re discouraged from taking action to help save the planet. So, Wood is on a mission to change the narrative, debunking “climate nihilism and misinformation” and inspiring hope with positive news about environmental wins, one viral TikTok video at a time.
Under the moniker #TheGarbageQueen, Wood takes a no-frills approach, typically talking straight to the camera, peppering her viewers—some 365,000 of them and growing—with details of promising new studies and advances in…