Climate Change Activists Are Lying to You
I am a climate change activist. I go to protests and make signs on recycled cardboard. I attend meetings with local climate change activists groups, wherever local is for me at any given moment. I annoy my friends by dragging them to environmentally friendly restaurants and I’m a nightmare to go shopping with (Say No To Over Consumerism). My wardrobe is full of old clothes or things I’ve bought second-hand and I’m constantly on the hunt for a new bamboo toothbrush. I even gave up meat, not because I believe that killing animals for sustenance is wrong but because our current agriculture practices are cruel and damage the environment.
Most of all I just don’t want to be a hypocrite. Lead by example and all that.
People like me will urge you to take responsibility for your actions. We’ll tell you to quit buying single-use plastic bottles and invest in a renewable one. And not without reason, globally people go through 200 billion plastic bottles each year, most of which are not recycled. We’ll offer you alternatives to fast fashion brands and encourage you to try Meatless Mondays. Send you links of oh-so-tempting vegetarian recipes or recommend to you our favourite zero waste products.
Climate activists are all about personable action, we hold ourselves and those in our circles accountable for the impact we have on the planet. The notion that one person can make a serious difference by simply making small changes in their lives is constantly perpetuated in environmentalist groups.
It’s true that society as a whole has a part to play in solving the climate crisis. What drove us to this point in the first place was mass over consumerism, unsustainable practices, and industrialization. And it’s only by sitting up and taking action can we save our planet.
But climate change activists are lying to you.
Not intentionally maybe, we are only trying to get people involved in a cause. Trying to get people to care. But we are definitely misleading and perhaps overly optimistic when preaching about the benefits of choosing personal habits that are healthier for the environment.
Personal action definitely has a place in environmental activism. When employed by many it reduces the pressure on planetary resources and makes us feel like we are contributing to the cause. But it should not take the central stage when fighting to save our planet. If we want to make swift changes we should be channelling our focus elsewhere. We should turn our scrutiny onto massive companies and the world’s richest 10% because that is where the main culprits of climate change hide.
Climate change disproportionately affects the lower and middle class, but it’s the world’s richest 10% that produce half of the global carbon emissions, while the poorest 3.5. billion account for just one-tenth. The only people who stand to benefit from sticking to the status quo and a weak Paris Agreement are a group of billionaires who compiled their riches from the fossil fuel industry. The lifestyle of the rich is one of the biggest threats to our environment. If we really want to save the planet we need to stop pointing fingers at developing countries and the struggling lower class and start holding the wealthy accountable for their emissions.
Companies also benefit from championing the personal accountability narrative. It shifts the attention from their impact on the environment and conceals the real roots of the problem. Just 100 hundred companies are responsible for 71% of all global emissions, most of them operating in the fossil fuel realm. Think about it, just 100 businesses and investors are to blame for the severity of the current situation. It’s incredible that such a small number can have such a huge effect. And yet despite their massive influence, they go unchecked and are allowed to operate on a “business as usual” model in the midst of a global crisis.
As an activist who’s all about personal action, I can tell you that the single best thing you can do for the planet is going to vote. All of those little personal actions will amount to nothing if we don’t hold those responsible for the climate crisis accountable for their emissions. And the way to do that is to go and vote.
Go vote for candidates that protect your best interests, for candidates that support progressive tax systems and are passionate about imposing carbon taxes. Get educated, ask politicians about their environmental policies and demand specifics regarding how they are going to execute them. Use your voice to change the face of politics and the climate change situation will change as well. And remember to take the bus when you’re going to the poll station.
