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When Hope Gets Gut-Punched: How Do We “Get It Right” After H.R. 1?

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When Hope Gets Gut-Punched: How Do We “Get It Right” After H.R. 1?

Advocacy, Climate Change Op-Eds

Harmony Dixon and Grace Gilmore discuss What If We Get It Right? on Youtube.

This July, Bedford 2030’s book club dove into What If We Get It Right? by Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson—a bold and brilliant book that flips the script on climate despair. Instead of fixating on doom and gloom, it dares to ask: What could our world look like if we got busy solving the climate crisis and used the opportunity to create a better world? A world not just survivable—but more just, more connected, more joyful.

We’ve affectionately dubbed the book as “hopecore.” And for good reason. At its heart is a compelling vision for how we could tackle climate change while upgrading our homes, jobs, cities, and communities. Much of this hope, especially in the book’s middle section, is rooted in the promise of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)—a sweeping piece of legislation that made it easier (and more affordable) for Americans to electrify their lives: heat pumps, solar panels, EVs, energy-efficient appliances, you name it. It felt like progress. Tangible, real-deal, in-our-lifetime progress.

And then came H.R. 1.

In the Wake of H.R. 1

The so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” slashed climate investments and clean energy incentives across the board, unravelling much of what the IRA made possible. If the IRA was a runway toward a net-zero future, H.R. 1 dug potholes in it.

Reading Johnson’s book with this news as backdrop… honestly? It felt like a eulogy.

So we turned to Dr. Johnson’s podcast (also titled What If We Get It Right?) to see how she was responding in real time. In a new episode, “Debriefing the unconscionably brutal budget bill 🤬,” she doesn’t sugarcoat it. She lays it out plainly: this legislation will increase pollution, climate disasters, and economic inequities. It weakens support for clean energy and throws up roadblocks to decarbonization. For many Americans, this will mean higher utility bills, fewer job opportunities in growing green industries, and reduced resilience in the face of increasingly extreme weather.

But here’s the twist: even as she calls it “the most cruel, repugnant piece of legislation we’ve ever passed,” Dr. Johnson doesn’t call for despair.

Instead, she urges us to harness our rage and heartbreak, turning it into action.

“Luckily, feeling hopeful, feeling optimistic, is not a prerequisite for still doing our parts to make the world a little bit better…”

Seven Steps to Move Forward

  1. Speak the truth. Share what this bill does and don’t forget which politicians voted for it. Talk about it with friends, neighbors, and family. Transparency is a form of resistance.
  2. Get engaged with policy at every level. From local school boards to national energy standards, decision-makers shape what’s possible. Pay attention. Participate. Run for office. In the book, the experts say one of the least sexy, but most impactful things you can do for climate is show up to meetings, like public utility meetings. (If you’re super mad about utility bill price hikes*, show up to the NY Public Service Commission hearings and speak your piece! Demand transparency. It matters.)
  3. Stay connected to your community. Support mutual aid efforts. Show up for your neighbors. Climate resilience is built in relationships.
  4. Celebrate the wins. Not everything was lost. Some protections for public lands held firm thanks to public pressure. State and local governments continue to pass bold, future-forward climate policies.
  5. Don’t give up. The political landscape changes, but our commitment doesn’t have to. Stay in the fight.
  6. Get a solar assessment now. The 30% Federal solar credit will end in December 2025 because of HR 1. There are so many amazing reasons to get solar, learn more here.
  7. Get an EV before September. The $7500 credit on purchasing a new EV will expire at the end of September. Use our EV2030 tool to see how your car measures up to an EV, and see how much you’ll save when you electrify your ride.

Fuel for the Future

And—this part is important—climate action isn’t just about national policy. While HR 1 set us back, there’s still so much we can do: weatherize our homes, shift our transit habits, support local composting, back stronger building codes, and fight for better infrastructure where we live.

Because while it’s tempting to throw up our hands, we know this truth deep down:
Hope is not naïve. Hope is strategic. Hope is fuel.

So yes, reading What If We Get It Right? right now feels bittersweet. But also timely. Grounding. Energizing. It reminds us that imagining a better future isn’t frivolous—it’s essential. Especially when the headlines feel bleak.

And Bedford 2030 will be here to champion facts, elevate solutions, and invite everyone to take part in building a climate-resilient, community-powered, radically hopeful future.

Let’s get it right.

 

*ConEdison has proposed increasing electricity and gas rates in New York by 11.3% and 10.5% respectively, starting 01/01/2026.