Should We Expect Those “Up There” To Solve The Climate Crisis?
Will They? And More Importantly: CAN They?
In discussions around climate change and environmental protection, more and more people seem to hold the following stance:
“As individuals, we can’t really make a difference. Instead of scrutinizing our own consumption choices, criticism should focus on those with real power (politicians) and on the real polluters (large corporations).”
There is some merit to this argument. But on closer inspection, it is dangerously misleading. In this article, I will explain why.
Before I continue, please allow me a few lines of shameless self promotion. My name is Pala Najana. I’m a peace activist and environmentalist thinking out of the box to help save the planet. My next articles are already waiting in the pipeline, with some pretty big news coming up soon! To stay tuned, be sure to subscribe: https://medium.com/@pala_najana/subscribe
The world needs us, private individuals, to act now!
We cannot leave environmental protection and climate action to politicians and corporations — for five reasons:
1) CORPORATIONS EXIST BECAUSE OF US
Yes, large corporations produce incomparably more emissions and environmental damage than individual private households. What is often overlooked, however, is that they do not exist in a vacuum. Corporations only exist because thousands of people use their services or buy their products.
At the end of a supply chain, you typically find the end consumer.
Of course, it is important to hold companies accountable, to highlight their missteps, and to urge them to continuously improve (no doubt, there is usually a lot of space for improvement!)
But it makes no sense to absolve individuals of all responsibility and point the finger only to the private sector because any given company — and all its environmental footprint — would not exist without consumption choices made by individuals.
2) TO SURVIVE ON THIS PLANET, YOU AND I NEED TO CUT CONSUMPTION
Today’s level of consumption — especially in wealthier countries— is not sustainable. In other words: not compatible with the continuity of human life on this planet.
To illustrate this, let’s have a quick look at the following diagram. It shows how the total energy consumption of humanity has risen over the course of the last two centuries — and which energy sources were (and are) used to cover the increasing demand.
You will quickly realize that all renewables combined play such a minor role in comparison to coal, oil, and gas that they are barely visible on the diagram.
Extending the capacities of wind and solar energy, hydropower, etc. of course makes sense and is extremely important. But the point I want to drive home is that the energy transition alone will not save us.
To save the world as we know it from total destruction and extinction, we need to massively reduce the consumption of fossil fuels — virtually to zero. Science agrees on this.
And as the diagram impressively shows, renewable energies will not have anywhere near the capacity to support our current level of consumption in the foreseeable future.
What does this mean?
It means that a radical reduction in our consumption at all levels is the only way for us as a species to survive on this planet.
A radical reduction in our consumption at all levels is the only way for us as a species to survive on this planet.
And clearly, reducing consumption is a task that we cannot simply pass on to politicians or large corporations. We all need to do our part. Especially those of us living in industrialized countries need to learn that, not only for sustainability but also when it comes to life satisfaction, less is often more!
3) IT’S NOT MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE: Corporations, politicians and private individuals can — and must — all act simultaneously
Yes, to preserve a liveable future, it is incredibly important that powerful players from the political and corporate world do their part and show responsibility. And we should urge them to do so. With great power comes great responsibility.
At the same time, it is crucial to understand that the steps that different actors take towards sustainability are not mutually exclusive.
Believe it or not: You can demand that companies and politicians do their part AND try to live a fair and sustainable life yourself —both at the same time!
You can demand that companies and politicians do their part AND try to live a fair and sustainable life yourself — both at the same time!
Not only is this urgently needed, but everything else would also be rather hypocritical.
Climate change is an existential threat of unprecedented proportions. If we want to prevail, it needs to be hit on all fronts simultaneously.
4) POLITICIANS AND CORPORATIONS USUALLY HAVE A VERY LIMITED SCOPE OF ACTION
Yes, ruling political parties and large corporations are powerful actors that can significantly shape society. However, even if often invisible from the outside, they also face unique challenges and strong structural limitations.
For instance, the CEOs of huge stock corporations couldn’t simply decide to donate their company’s proceeds to nature preservation projects. They would be immediately fired by the board of directors, which is elected by the company’s shareholders to protect their (financial) interests.
Similarly, politicians — even the most powerful among them — are very limited in their scope of action. To ensure that they succeed in the next election, they typically have to make compromises and betray their own values.
The type of bold and innovative steps that are needed to save this planet have become exceedingly rare in modern politics. Even the most visionary political proposals often end up as an extremely watered down version of what was initially intended.
This is not because all politicians are assholes, but because this is — structurally — how politics works.
And I’m not saying that this is bad per se. The safeguards that limit the power of CEOs and politicians are very important to protect democracy, ensure accountability and avoid abuse of power.
But they also mean that politicians and corporations can’t single-handedly save the planet. It may sound strange but it’s true: they need our help!
Politicians and corporations can’t single-handedly save the planet. It may sound strange but it’s true: they need our help!
We as private individuals face our own challenges and limitations, but usually have — in various ways— much more freedom and flexibility than politicians and corporations.
5) YOU’RE NOT ALONE
Considering the magnitude of global crises and a world population nearing eight billion, it is very understandable for individuals to feel insignificant and powerless.
In fact, if you feel that you don’t have enough positive impact on your own, you are absolutely right! Through altering consumption choices, you alone won’t be able to change the world.
But the good news is: you are not alone!
More and more people realize how perilous the situation is that our species has maneuvered itself into — and that there is an urgent need for action.
And as Eduardo Galeano famously said:
“Many small people, in small places, doing small things can change the world.”
Feeling powerless and insignificant should never be a reason to stop our efforts. Instead, it means that we shouldn’t only focus on our ecological footprint but also our handprint.
In other words: We need to get active, and assist others in leading a more sustainable life. To multiply our positive impact, there are two things that we all can — and should — do:
- We can spread relevant knowledge and try to be a positive role model. We often underestimate not only the impact we can have through our own consumption choices but also how much we can influence and inspire people around us through our actions.
- We can join forces! By establishing, participating in, and supporting groups and organizations involved in climate activism and environmental protection, we strengthen entities that are much larger and more powerful than just a sum of individuals. Not only can it be incredibly fulfilling and rewarding to work together with other people on topics that you’re all passionate about, but collective action is also the most effective way to influence policy, generate social change, and motivate shifts in consumption behavior on a large scale.
Conclusion
Political parties and corporations won’t solve our climate and environmental problems — because they can’t! We should hold them accountable as much as possible, but also need to recognize their limitations.
No stakeholder group can save the world single-handedly. With their individual strengths and limitations, all stakeholders need to complement each other in this global struggle. And we, the private individuals, will play a crucial role.
With their individual strengths and limitations, all stakeholders need to complement each other in this global struggle. And we, the private individuals, will play a crucial role.
We need to vote at the polls and with our wallets. But that alone won’t suffice. If we want our species to survive and thrive on this planet, we need to get active now!
While offering valid criticism towards others can be important, the real power lies in directing our attention to the aspects of life we can directly influence ourselves.
As individuals, we possess much more power than we often realize — especially when we creatively explore our possibilities, strategically leverage our strengths and freedoms, follow our passions, and connect with others.
Pointing the finger to those “up there” raises false hopes, and is a convenient way to shirk responsibility. Once debunked, it doesn’t serve as a good excuse for inaction anymore.
If you still decide to remain inactive, the only explanation left is ignorance. We can choose this path, but it will destroy us.
Let me end with a timeless and very fitting quote from Emma Goldman:
“The most violent element in society is ignorance.”
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