The Personal Trade-Offs of Climate Change
“There are no solutions, only trade-offs.” This quote, a favorite of mine, is credited to the economist Thomas Sowell. I think it perfectly speaks to the principle that, in this finite world, every decision we make is a compromise. Another of my favorite quotes is, "There are macro problems but only micro solutions." I'm not sure if this can be credited to anyone, but it too references the complexities of human behavior.
When combined, theses quotes become all the more powerful in their pragmatic applicability — "There are no solutions to global problems, only personal trade-offs." One would be hard pressed to find an issue where this doesn’t apply.
Climate change is an easy example because of its global (macro) nature. This ultimately complex issue is nearly impossible to solve from a high level. Why? Because the incentives for change on an individual level just aren't there. Alternative fuels are expensive, especially when hassle and reliability are taken into account, as are electric cars. Public transportation only makes sense for those that live in large cities with reliable options.
So what are the real trade-offs people are being asked to make? Essentially it boils down to everyone moving to cities, becoming a vegan, growing their own vegetables, and not having children. Do those sound like trade-offs the average person is willing to make? Probably not. Especially if they lack a religious connection to the environmentalist movement.
Better compromises might include purchasing used cars and shopping at Walmart. The majority of the environmental cost of cars is born during manufacturing, so even a new Nissan Leaf won't lower your carbon footprint better than a used Civic for which the costs are already sunk. Also, the very business model of big-box stores dictates that their supply-chains be highly tuned and efficient; shedding waste for the benefit of both the consumer and the environment. These dont’ sound very glamorous though, do they?
Sadly, even if any one individual went completely off the grid, offering up every modern convenience to the gods of global warming, their sacrifice would be completely meaningless. It wouldn't make one bit of difference to the planet's warming temperatures. There'd barely be a difference seen if entire countries made these kinds of changes; so can we really expect individuals to make these costly compromises?
Am I implying that people shouldn't care about the environment? No. I'm saying that people don't make decisions as nations, they make them as individuals, at the margin. Until policy makers understand this there won't be any solutions to these types of global problems because individuals won't be willing to bear the costs of trade-offs that don't makes sense to their personal circumstances.
