Ayana Elizabeth Johnson vs. the Apocalypse

Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson knows you’ve heard the bad news. Frequent stories of rising temperatures, shifting water levels, and extreme weather events tell a familiar, gloomy tale of a climate in crisis. Reports of missed targets and stalled negotiations can make failure to meet this challenge appear a foregone conclusion.

For Johnson, wallowing in climate pessimism means a surrender to the worst outcomes, “giving up on life on earth.” A marine biologist with vast experience on policy initiatives in the Caribbean Sea region, Johnson had seen creative climate problem-solving at work. Venturing into the literary world, she sought to write a book that enabled readers to imagine a better climate future.

The result, What If We Get It Right?, functions as an “anti-apocalyptic mixtape,” says Johnson. For the book, she conducted conversations and assembled contributions from over 30 notable figures across architecture, agriculture, finance, entertainment, and other fields. Together, this range of voices tell stories of climate entrepreneurship and draw pictures of what positive outcomes could look like.

One of these voices is Kelly Sims Gallagher, Dean of the Fletcher School, who contributed to the book and hosted Johnson at a campus event on October 24, 2024. After introductory remarks from Dean Dana Cunningham of Tisch College, Johnson held a conversation with Gallagher, took student questions, and conducted an interactive brainstorming exercise with the assembled audience. She also spoke to Fletcher for a brief interview, which has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

The Fletcher School: You’ve blended science, policy, and advocacy throughout your career. How do you see interdisciplinary approaches contributing to solving global environmental challenges?

Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson: Interdisciplinary approaches are essential. This is something I’ve validated throughout my career, where being a generalist has been key. From my undergraduate studies to my PhD and now with my work at Urban Ocean Lab and my new book, I’ve always embraced the interdisciplinary. The challenges we face—climate change, ocean conservation, urban resilience—require solutions that bring together data, design, policy, and strategy. No one discipline can tackle these issues alone. The book is probably the best illustration of this, featuring interviews with farmers, scientists, and activists. It’s an all-hands-on-deck situation, where even industries like Hollywood have a role to play. We have a wide array of tools, but it’s about how we implement them collaboratively.

How do you approach the intersection of climate action and social justice?

At its core, climate action is about caring for people. When we think about solutions, we need to ask: how will this affect people, especially the most vulnerable? Historically, people of color and low-income communities have been excluded from these conversations, even though they’ve been the ones sounding the alarm for decades. For me, it’s not just about what solutions we implement—it’s about ensuring those solutions are equitable. 

What was the driving force behind the development of this book, and why now?

So much of the conversation around climate change focuses on the negative—the fires, droughts, food insecurity—which are very real, but we don’t hear enough about the solutions we already have. Whether it’s renewable energy, regenerative agriculture, or community-led conservation, the tools exist. The question is: how quickly and justly can we implement them? That’s what I wanted to emphasize in this book. The title, What If We Get It Right?, reflects the idea that if we shift the conversation to solutions, we can inspire action. It’s about showing people that it’s worth the effort and offering ways they can contribute to the solutions.

Learn about Ayana Johnson's Urban Ocean Lab here and her book What If We Get It Right? here.