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It amazes and saddens me how many people are willing to let some of the richest multinationals in the world off the hook when it comes to carbon emissions and blame themselves + other individuals instead. "We're the consumers" say the drug addicts, "so it must be our fault."
Guilt can be a powerful motivator of societal change, yes ... when those who feel that guilt have the power to effect change at the scale that would mitigate that guilt. When it comes to carbon emissions, tho, the fact is that we as individuals DON'T.
That is why, as @MichaelEMann explains so clearly and lucidly here, we need system-wide change. https://time.com/5669071/lifestyle-changes-climate-change/
As @MaryHeglar says "When people confess their green sins as if I were an eco-nun I want to tell them they're carrying the guilt of the oil&gas industry. It's too much for any one person to shoulder. And it paves the road to apathy which can seal our doom" https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/2019/5/28/18629833/climate-change-2019-green-new-deal
As @leahstokes and @DrKWilkinson of @ProjectDrawdown explain in their new podcast, "Blaming “all of us” leaves people feeling hopeless and confused. Simply changing your behavior isn't enough. We need to change the system. Here's how to do it." https://a-matter-of-degrees.simplecast.com/episodes/give-up-your-climate-guilt-Qukdv5PD
And as I say, the 3 most important things ANYONE can do about climate change are:
1. Talk about why it matters + what we can do to fix it
2. Use your voice to advocate for change at every level, from your school/business/org/city to country
3. And VOTE https://www.ted.com/talks/katharine_hayhoe_the_most_important_thing_you_can_do_to_fight_climate_change_talk_about_it
1. Talk about why it matters + what we can do to fix it
2. Use your voice to advocate for change at every level, from your school/business/org/city to country
3. And VOTE https://www.ted.com/talks/katharine_hayhoe_the_most_important_thing_you_can_do_to_fight_climate_change_talk_about_it
Of course I reduce my personal carbon footprint, as does nearly every other climate scientist I know, b/c it's the right thing to do. But we also know that it's not the most impt thing we can do. We need to change the system so these choices are standard to *everyone, everywhere*
