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I'm starting to wonder if telling people what they can personally change in their lives is actually counterproductive. The gains to be had there are not that gr

I'm starting to wonder if telling people what they can personally change in their lives is actually counterproductive. The gains to be had there are not that great. Sure it's good to minimize energy use as you outline. But where does it leave you in terms of tonnes of CO2/year? AFAIK the Paris accord goals (inadequate as they are) imply a target of around 1500 kg of CO2 per capita yearly. Homeless people achieve that in the west. You won't get near those levels, hower much you try to reduce your personal consumption. We're not going to individual-responsibility our way out of this, and I wonder if getting people to try will just give them a false sense of accomplishment.

cagenut 8y ago
you're not wrong but careful not to fall into the internet's favorite form of broken depressive reasoning: splitting the way you get mass action is by getting a mass of individuals to act. there is technically no other way. thats why I left the 'individual' stuff to the very end and made sure to explain how its not really about your footprint as much as its pulling your oar in the overall solution.
ilove_banh_mi 8y ago
I think recycling is also a misleading and false virtue, at least for most people I've encountered in the US. I've watched the thought-process: I'm recycling pizza boxes and tens of Amazon boxes every week, therefore I'm doing my part, therefore the environment will do well, and I don't need to do anything else or more.