The Big Lie About Your Carbon Footprint
One of the most dangerous and fatal lies in human history, no one talks about.
Reduce your carbon footprint. We have all heard that and for our world’s sake, I hope most of you know what the carbon footprint is. But what if I tell you that saving the world by reducing your carbon footprint is complete nonsense?
What is the carbon footprint?
The term first came up around the 1980s and describes the total amount of greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide and methane that are generated by our actions. Our actions include our whole lifestyle, which means transportation, shopping habits, all things we buy, how we heat our homes, how the energy we use is produced, what we eat, and so on — the list is endless. It basically sums up all our life decisions.
THE LIE
Fact is that the concept of collective reduction of every individual’s emissions was an unrealistic concept from the very beginning.
Why is it unrealistic?
Not everyone has the possibility of changing something in their life, even if they wanted to because they understand the importance of doing so. Moreover, it was very clear that not everybody will care about their emissions because they don’t understand or simply deny the importance.
But the biggest problem was that the individual just can’t control the most relevant parts of their carbon footprint. We as individuals rely on the system provided for our life. That includes the energy sector, which was and still is driven by fossil fuels and we barely have influence in that.
Furthermore, to reduce individual motor car traffic we need the infrastructure to do so. Funding public transport and making it affordable as well as building cycling tracks and charging stations for electric cars, is the responsibility of the governments.
But also our whole commerce sector is a carbon bomb. We buy products that have to be shipped all around the world just because it is the easiest and cheapest way to get stuff. Of course, we have the option to shop locally produced high-quality products with almost no carbon footprint at all. But in this expensive and fast-paced system we are forced to live in, we simply don’t have time or money to do that. Even if we buy products produced in our own country or state, if these companies aren’t restricted and controlled by the authorities, they will continue to pollute our climate even more, so where’s the point in buying their products?
Who is responsible?
Why was this concept brought up, if there never was a predictable success?
The answer is, as always MONEY. I believe, that fossil fuel companies feared about their profits in consideration of a rising environmental activism scene. That was when the responsibility was put on the shoulders of the normal people. We can save the planet if everybody changes a few small things in their lives. But as I already explained that was an unrealistic dream. It worked for those companies and their allays in our governments, they made billions of dollars while the only thing we achieved was at least limited awareness of environmental pollution and climate change, in society.
It is a fact that fossil fuel companies knew about climate change and their responsibility for it, long before everyone else. There are literally lawsuits running against ExxonMobile about that matter.
The solution
The only positive outcome of the carbon footprint campaign is the awareness gained for the protection of our planet — THAT’S THE SOLUTION!!!
There are now many who care about our planet and future life on it. That is our advantage. Go to the streets and demand change. Sign petitions. Write to our world leaders and company CEOs and put pressure on them. Talk about climate change and the urgency of action, now.
Now companies and governments can’t hide behind lies and denying, because this time science with all its newfound knowledge is on our side and science speaks a clear language.
Act for change and put pressure on those in charge.
Final thoughts
Reducing your carbon footprint is indeed a good thing, don’t get me wrong on that. In most cases, it will make your life cheaper, for example by leaving the car in the garage more often. But most importantly it will make your life healthier. Using less plastic, buying locally-produced food, or going by bike instead of car will have a huge positive impact on your health.
The time we have lost by following a lie, wasn’t for nothing. We are more and stronger than ever. There is no more hiding. We can still save our planet. We have the knowledge, we have the people and we have the power.
“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” — Mahatma Gandhi
