I’m old enough to remember what life was like before the establishment of the EPA in 1970 and the passage of The Clean Air and Clean Water Acts a few years later. Smog and toxic waste sites were a public health threat. Pollution from industrial emissions and vehicle exhaust was common. Rivers and lakes were filled with untreated waste causing some to catch fire.

While environmental hazards remain, policies and public awareness went a long way to fixing the problem. Now we face another crisis: floods, droughts and intense storms caused by climate change and climate change denial. Instead of reducing CO2 emissions, the Trump administration is in the process of dismantling environmental regulations, undermining renewable energy programs and investing in fossil fuels.

Climate scientist Kate Marvel is our guest on The Connection this week and says it’s only human to feel angry and afraid when faced with unchecked global warming. She says there are also reasons to feel hopeful about the future. Her new book is Human Nature: Nine Ways to Feel About the Changing Planet.