Why is climate change so daunting to most of us? There are countless reasons with extreme weather events, extinction, and ecological destruction all among them. But at its core, climate change is paralyzing because it makes each of us feel so utterly powerless. It pits us against two of the most intractable forces we know: the unpredictability of nature and our own resistance to change.
Without the action of governments, corporations and other entities that can affect wide-spread, systemic change, trying to do anything on the individual level can feel about as effective as spitting at a hurricane. In the face of that hopelessness, it’s easy to go numb as a defense mechanism — tuning out the reality of the crisis in order to get through daily life.
It’s true that we need to implement high level change but that doesn’t mean grassroots efforts should be abandoned. However, not all of us can commit to joining environmental marches, climate strikes or undertaking green home renovations.
But we can all commit to green habits in our daily lives, that will remind us of the cause we support and allow us to fight the good fight everyday. If we all do the little things, it might trigger a societal shift that will push government and corporate level transformations. Small changes can make a big difference.
