A message of hope, often provided by impassioned allies, almost always rescues us from the depths of despair. This has happened countless times in my professional life as an environmental manager, advocate, teacher and writer.

It happened again a week ago. Slammed by an unenthusiastic and, ultimately, apathetic response to the environmental and climate crises before us during our long election season, I was discouraged beyond words.

The topics were barely mentioned during any of the campaigns and when they were, the anti-environment points were usually inaccurate, if not completely untrue. Some national news outlets and syndicated columnists contradicted the scientific facts we tried to explain in Earth Matters.

It seemed as if our column had become an exercise in futility.

In a strange (and welcome) coincidence, I attended the annual gathering of the Laurel Highlands Conservation Landscape. Organizers from the Pennsylvania Environmental Council shared success stories from partners, exploring the connections between their projects and interconnected strategic priorities.

Those priorities — land and resource conservation, widespread outdoor recreation, resulting positive visitor experiences, and the building of sustainable communities — seemed like a winning strategy for the region no matter your political leanings.

It could build a better place to live, which would also be more resilient to the pressures of climate change. It would attract visitors, encourage young people to stay close to home and build home-grown businesses.

Beyond an inspiring group of presenters from nonprofits and government in the region, Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources joined us for a closing talk.

Dunn believes the work being done in the Laurel Highlands is a model for the future. “The window to conservation is recreation,” Dunn said.

She believes Pennsylvania’s natural beauty can be the common denominator that could also help heal our divisions. “Our mission is more important than ever,” she concluded.

Convinced Earth Matters was a futile effort after a campaign and a region that all but ignored the environment, I was prepared to give up. But the conference brought inspiration.

But my up-and-down week was apparently destined to end on one more dreadfully discouraging note. National columnist Stephen Moore’s most recent column was filled with mean-spirited, unsubstantiated inaccuracies and lies about climate change and who is concerned about its impacts. (Recent survey work by Yale refutes the falsehoods in his rant.)

I’m not one to give up on a worthwhile goal and I won’t give up on this one overall. But I’m also not inclined to waste time or energy on strategies which have evidently become ineffective.

As this is my final column after 15 rewarding years, I make this parting request. If you share these frustrations (and I believe many do), you should let it be known. We should collectively let our friends, elected officials and news media know that truth, the environment and concern for the less fortunate most impacted by the damage we inflict are crucially important.

The environment is connected to a bundle of our struggles. If it remains a political football, ignored or plagued by lies and misinformation, we and our children will be worrying about far more than the cost of eggs.

John Frederick has authored Earth Matters in the Mirror for more than 15 years. He welcomes readers’ thoughts about how we might turn this tide and can be reached by e-mail at johnfrederick@atlanticbb.net.