Pete Brown shared a post on his blog Exploding Comma, “Individual choices may not change the world, but they still matter” and I’d sent a fairly long reply, longer than his original post (😂), so I’m sharing it here as a proper post. A topic I’ve written about before and will again, I’m sure.
I can’t help but think that these folks who speak against or otherwise demean personal action don’t get basic concepts of math, collective effort and ethics. It’s not about the efforts of one person, it’s about understanding that we all add up to a collective whole. In the US, a nation with one of the worst records on climate, there are 330 million people most of whom make no effort. If the majority of those people made a real effort there would be measurable results.
What we do day-to-day matters. Our life choices matter. The flip side is that some say only systemic changes matter. That only government regulations and programs can drive change. I get, 100%, that those are important. But in the face of those actions being delayed and too little, it falls upon us to make the best choices today, voluntarily without being forced by an outside entity.
It’s convenient to put off action and claiming that we can do nothing. But imagine the emissions reduction if millions of people stopped taking flights for vacations every year. If millions stopped heating/cooling their homes to the maximum level of comfort. If millions stopped consumption of goods that were not needed. If millions switched to a vegetarian diet. If millions reduced driving to the bare minimum. We are in control of our daily lives and many of our choices are continuing the problem. No one forces us to make these choices. Our lives don’t end if we change our diet, cut our consumption, stop taking flights for vacation. WE are responsible.
Most seem not to grasp the magnitude of the problem. That this is the survival of humans and/or civilization that is on the line. As just one example, if we truly grasped what was at stake I think we’d see more of a shift in social media from the trivial pursuits that currently dominate to people discussing climate solutions and choices.
But the solution to our problem is a completely different life. The truth is that people don’t want to give up the way of life they know. The people of the Global North don’t want to give up comfort, consumption and the easy life based on fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are the foundation of modern capitalist societies. The continued future of human civilization requires that we make a difficult transition to a very different life.