CLIMATE CHANGE MADE SIMPLE

JULY 16TH, 2021

What to do About Climate Change?

1. Understand the reality.

You've probably heard this statistic before, but in case you haven't: just 100 companies are responsible for the 70% of the world's emissions.

When you search on Google for ways to help combat change, though, all the solutions seem painfully inconsequential: buy better lightbulbs! Take public transport instead of going on the bus! Switch to renewable energy! Buy less takeout! Recycle more!

But what if you live in a city with a poor public transport system? What if you can’t afford to sell your trusty sedan, which may be a gas guzzler, for a shinier, greener, electric car? What if you have health concerns that mean you can’t easily switch to a vegan diet? What if you live in a food desert, where fast food and takeout options are plentiful, but there are no local farmer’s markets or healthy food retailers anywhere?

When you look at the magnitude of problems facing our planet because of global warming, and consider that global warming does not treat all populations equally (climate change affects people in the world’s poorest countries to a much higher degree than the rest of the world, despite the world’s richest countries making up most of the carbon dioxide emissions), it makes you wonder if the direction we’ve been looking at the climate crisis is the right one.

2. Stop thinking of solutions from the perspective of a consumer.

As mentioned before, it’s easy to think that the most effective way to use your power as a citizen in this world is as a consumer. The belief that buying clothes from more ethical retailers, for example, is how we’re going to solve this issue of climate change.

This is the mindset that was encouraged by Republican president Ronald Reagan and his UK counterpart, president Margaret Thatcher. Their governments lowered as many barriers for companies as possible to encourage consumption and production of goods. This comes in the form of tax cuts for corporations so they can produce more product easily, deregulation (getting rid of rules that businesses need to follow), and more free trade deals.

Their philosophy is that happiness and satisfaction for ordinary people comes from letting businesses run as free as possible, which means YOUR power, as an individual, comes from your power as a CONSUMER. The reality is, in the words of Our Changing Climate, “we’ve been changing light bulbs for decades and the problem is getting worse.” This brings us to the next, and most important, point.

3. Individual action is not going to lead to systemic change. We must get comfortable with this fact.

We don’t want to downplay the importance of making lifestyle changes that benefit the environment. Walk when you can. Cut down on meat a couple times a week if it’s feasible for you. But, as Mary Annaise Heglar of Vox states, we must understand that environmentalism is not an individual choice. When the majority of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions are released by a handful of companies, supported by the world’s biggest and most powerful governments, making it seem like the average person is responsible for changing the course of global warming is VICTIM BLAMING.

Cutting down on straws for the sea turtles is well and good, for example, until we learn that oil and gas companies like Shell and Chevron spent upwards of $150 million dollars to control and block climate related legislation in the government.

4. So what can we do?

Back to the original question: how do we stop climate change, as people trying to survive in a system that rewards corruption and environmental destruction? Start seeing yourself as a citizen who is part of a collective, rather than an individual consumer. It can be as simple as:

• Using your voice to push for governmental candidates with strong climate action proposals
• Attending protests to get the attention of government officials and business owner (let them know you're not backing down without a fight)
• Rather than using your dollars to further an economy that doesn't serve you, use your consumer power to boycott brands that are harming the environment
• Use social media to push for climate action, start hashtags, join letter writing campaigns
• Spend time in nature (a form of activism in itself!)
• Donate to mutual aid organizations
• Volunteer in your community
• Read up on the Green New Deal, or its equivalent in your country, and push for government action so that it can be passed

“We need to broaden our definition of personal action beyond what we buy or use.” - Mary Annaise Heglar, Vox News

Make individual choices, but don’t stop there. We must act together if we want to enact timely and lasting change.

Another week means another series of headlines detailing more heartbreaking stories relating to the climate crisis (a mother bear taking her cubs to the river to cool down, raging wildfires across US and Canada, and huge floods in Germany). It's not uncommon at times like this to turn to Google and search for things like "What to do about climate change" and "How can I help reverse global warming." It's easy to feel powerless when it seems like the world is crashing and burning around you, but we're here to tell you: it doesn't have to be that way. This isn't going to be another blog post instructing you on how to eliminate your carbon footprint through replacing driving to work with busing, or telling you about our favourite eco-friendly reusable cotton pads, though these things are important to think about as well. We'll be looking at what power you have as a global citizen outside your role as a consumer.