{"id":22942,"date":"2019-07-02T05:02:13","date_gmt":"2019-07-02T03:02:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/?p=22942"},"modified":"2019-11-06T09:47:12","modified_gmt":"2019-11-06T08:47:12","slug":"what-to-do-climate-change-personal-choice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/story\/22942\/what-to-do-climate-change-personal-choice\/","title":{"rendered":"The crunch question on climate: How can I help?"},"content":{"rendered":"

No wonder we\u2019re confused.<\/span><\/p>\n

Working in climate and environment, you hear this question a lot.<\/span> On one hand, environmental groups — including Greenpeace — will tell you that every action you take can make a difference. Every action counts! On the other, editorials and experts will tell you that it doesn\u2019t matter what you do in your everyday life, because the problem can\u2019t be solved by individual action. They may claim that its\u00a0 a cop out and lets corporations off the hook, because the problem lies with <\/span>the broken but deeply entrenched system<\/span><\/a> we\u2019re caught in. After all, <\/span>70% of emissions are created by 100 fossil fuel producers<\/span><\/a>, right?<\/span><\/p>\n

As this Vox piece laid out so well,<\/span><\/a> as a climate campaigner, my friends also used to proudly tell me how much they recycle, or about their efforts to eat less meat or buy green products whenever they could afford them. It always broke my heart to tell them: sure\u2026 but to have a real impact you need to refuse and reduce first, join a climate strike, or become a politically active citizen who demands the mayor in your city launches an ambitious mobility plan or the government in your country starts holding corporations accountable.<\/span><\/p>\n

After one of my lectures, which were typically technical and lengthy, their facial expressions had usually changed dramatically. Their body language said it all; and then, silence. Or worse — the defensive response<\/span>: <\/span><\/i>I do what I can. You know?<\/b> Or the powerless version: <\/span>Even if I do that, others probably don\u2019t, so what difference does it make? <\/b>Or the most defeated and most painful one to hear: <\/span>Well, who cares? We are all screwed anyway, right?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

I wanted my friends and family to keep speaking to me, so I started to explore new ways to have conversations with them about climate change and the environmental crisis while being mindful with their emotions (and mine!). Because, the truth is,<\/span> we need both individual and collective action.<\/b> And we need them now!<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Fridays

Students in Bangkok strike and demonstrate to support the School strike for climate movement, also known as Fridays for Future, Youth for Climate and Youth Strike 4 Climate.<\/p><\/div>\n

Yes, s<\/span>ome have argued that small positive changes in our lifestyles can <\/span>be a distraction,<\/span><\/a> and even hold back the drive for and uptake of ambitious policies, as we deprioritise a collective check on corporate and political power. <\/span>But I believe it isn\u2019t a matter of either, or. It\u2019s both — AND<\/b>. <\/span>Individual and collective actions go hand-in-hand. They are intimately interlinked.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Recycle. <\/b>Yes, <\/span>and <\/span><\/i>refuse, reduce and ask big brands to change their business and distribution models.\u00a0 <\/span>Bike to work.<\/b> Yes, <\/span>and<\/span><\/i> work with your neighbours to get your mayor to declare climate emergency and create a plan to increase bike lines and public transport in your city. <\/span>Change your light bulbs.<\/b> Yes, <\/span>and<\/span><\/i> advocate with your community for the uptake of renewable energy to transform the energy system in your region. <\/span>Eat less meat. <\/b>Yes, <\/span>and<\/span><\/i> work with your kids\u2019 school to include vegetarian meals in their menus or introduce how to grow their own food in their curriculums. <\/span>Plant trees.<\/b> Yes,<\/span> and <\/span><\/i>demand your government to protect our forests and adopt bold climate policies.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s true that to tackle the ecological and climate crisis straight on, systemic change is a must; a matter of survival.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We do need to shift societal mindsets from \u2018only the free market and extractive models can spark happiness by creating economic growth\u2019 and \u2018having more stuff makes me happy,\u2019 to \u2018the economy must work within the environmental limits of the planet\u2019 and \u2018self-worth is linked to our relationships and experiences, not buying more stuff.\u2019\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We do need <\/span>collective action<\/b> to drive the system change we want to see.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But we can push those shifts forward by encouraging positive stories, co-creating solutions that shape the new normal, and working towards an environment with role models and reward systems that mirror these behaviours as socially desirable.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For this systemic change to happen, <\/span>we need society to acknowledge the magnitude of these shifts and we need to start somewhere. And that somewhere can start with each of us.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Arctic

Lucy Lawless and Joanna Sustento amongst others in RHIB holding hand banners reading “Keep the Arctic oil free” and “People vs Arctic Oil”.<\/p><\/div>\n

No, i<\/span>ndividual actions won\u2019t have an immediate impact on world problems. Using a tote bag or buying fruit that isn\u2019t repacked in foam isn\u2019t going to stop the production of single-use plastic at the scale required. But it could make a difference to your local city or community as a first step, because <\/span>personal positive actions have the potential to empower people<\/span><\/a>, build agency, encourage them to be a role model that inspires others and make them feel they are part of the solution.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Small signals can spark hope and search for others to build communities that take action. When the community takes action, it becomes more resilient, therefore more independent and sufficient.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Rosa Parks or Greta Thunberg were and are both ordinary people who did and are still doing extraordinary things\u2026 and as a consequence, they changed (and still are changing) the world, creating a new normal that was unthinkable before they took that first brave step.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Not every single-handed action you take will result in a civil rights movement <\/span>or stop an oil rig in its tracks.<\/span><\/a> But it might change someone\u2019s mind around a dinner table, or at a board table, or wherever it is you choose to take your courageous step. Courage means different things to different people, because it happens at the edge of our own personal comfort zone. Each individuals courage is different — but equally valid and equally bold.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

Celebrating International Day of Forests in Jakarta<\/p><\/div>\n

Personal actions are a courageous and valuable starting point, let\u2019s not shame people for doing what they can, or make people feel guilty for not doing enough.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But equally let\u2019s make sure we don\u2019t stop there. From student to CEO, let\u2019s make sure those entry points enable as many people as possible to join a meaningful collective journey where the scale of our acts is proportionate to the scale of our responsibilities and our possibilities.<\/span><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s be optimistic, courageous and honest with ourselves. Let\u2019s acknowledge the urgent need to change our current socio economic system. And yes, that includes the way we think, behave and live, which means we need the small and the big actions, and anything and everything in-between.<\/span><\/p>\n

Paula Tejon Carbajal is a Global Campaign Strategist for Greenpeace International <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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