During a recent interview, a reporter asked why the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaigners express so much optimism about our ability to win, even as devastating superstorms, tsunamis, and fires spurred by climate change have claimed millions of victims. When it comes to climate change, we can’t afford to let ourselves be overcome by despair—there is just too much at stake. Besides, you don’t have to look far to find inspiring stories of regular people doing heroic things that add up to real progress against climate disruption.