Start Obsessing About Climate Change Because What You Do Greatly Matters

Even if it doesn’t seem like that, your behavior contributes to the bigger picture.

It’s the job of governments and companies to create livable alternatives amidst climate change. You can’t do a lot, but you can be a drop in the ocean.

We can’t stop global warming. We’re past that point. Our planet will burn down right in front of our eyes, creating a lot of suffering.

Unfortunately, I’m not pessimistic; I’m realistic. More people will die of heatwaves (because yes, they already do), extreme weather will unexpectedly destroy homes and lives (it’s already happening), our food will be damaged. We’re screwed.

We’ll have to survive with the consequences.

The thing is, your carbon footprint is negligible. Globally humans emit around 43,000,000,000 tons of CO2 each year into the atmosphere. The yearly footprint of an average American is 16 tons. With tiny behavior changes, you might reduce your carbon footprint by a few tons only.

It’s less than a tiny drop in the ocean. What you alone do changes absolutely nothing. And we haven’t even talked about methane and other greenhouse gases yet.

Then why bother?

Imagine most people decide to reduce their carbon footprints. If we managed to do that, the impact would be visible. We could even halve CO2 emissions. At the same time, we’d reach something far greater. We could get into a sustainability loop.

The equation is straightforward: voters support climate action with their votes and behavior, governments get frightened they’ll lose their supporters and pour money into sustainable projects. Start-ups see an opportunity there and create sustainable solutions. Existing organizations react and try to adjust.

Consumers support sustainable companies who market sustainable products and services. People like you stop putting their money in goods with a high carbon footprint, and thus, unsustainable businesses start to decline. With time, sustainability will be the only profitable option.

We don’t have time.

The earlier we start to accelerate these processes, the smoother and less deadly the transition will be. (For the privileged ones. Low-income individuals and people from developing countries will significantly suffer anyways.)

Here’s what you can do to help.

Decarbonize your transportation

Transportation accounts for 29% of greenhouse gas emissions.

If you’re the only one riding a bike in the subway, nothing much will change. As your carbon footprint is negligible, it shouldn’t matter if you opt to ride a bike, use public transport, or give up flying multiple times a year.

Yet if your neighbor, a few friends, or your entire neighborhood, city, and country join you, significant shifts would happen.

We’d have greener cities and clearer air.

This drives the demand for dedicated cycling lanes and better public transport. At a point, the pressure will be too high, and governments will need to invest in the infrastructure or risk losing their power. Suddenly, your sustainable choice moves mountains.

True, it would be easier for governments to initiate the process first. The needs of consumers will be better met.

The same goes for short-distance flying. It will suck initially, especially if you’re located in Europe, because it would mean playing double for long train or bus rides. In the long run, though, we can get cheaper and faster trains that don’t harm the environment as much.

Modify your meat consumption

Agriculture is responsible for 10% of greenhouse gas emissions.

During my teenage years, I was practically the only flexitarian (it’s a semi-vegetarian diet, I only eat meat once in a while) in my hometown. Every time I ate out, waiters were wondering why anyone would prefer a hamburger without meat.

Fast forward ten years and most restaurants offer not only vegetarian but also vegan options. I couldn’t change that alone, but our power was enough to drive innovation in my conservative neighborhood, thanks to the help of my fellow vegetarians.

If you’re the only one quitting beef, that won’t convince restaurant chains to put meat-free options on the table. It wouldn’t be profitable. They’d even lose money and waste resources. However, if many citizens would suddenly demand vegetarian burgers, the mindset of the restaurant owners would change. Regardless of how they think about sustainability.

The good news is, you don’t even have to cut out meat entirely. You could start with eating meat only 3 times a week, supplementing milk with plant-based variants, or choosing hybrid meat options 50% made of plants, 50% made of animals.

Develop a minimalist mindset

Producing goods add 23% to the bigger picture.

No wonder minimalism is a rising trend since production is a great contributor to climate change. Industries alone emit around 1,46 billion tons of greenhouse gases from construction and manufacturing every year, without considering transportation, electricity, and heat emissions.

The solution? Buy less, purchase durable goods, and repair what’s broken. We need to do that collectively.

It’s hard because companies encourage us to buy more to feed the capitalist beast. They say that’s what we need to be happy.

Fortunately, studies show buying more won’t make us happier because our expectations rise along with our income. To put it simply, the more we have, the more we crave. I guarantee you can be happy without overconsuming.

If you buy products, you contribute to climate change. Purchase more consciously.

Conclusion

While your carbon footprint is negligible, our collective power matters. If enough individuals changed their behavior, we could significantly cut greenhouse gas emissions, and people in power would also react.

Don’t trust anyone who says what you do doesn’t matter. It adds to the bigger picture. And we can’t give up on the bigger picture: the future of our livelihoods are at stake.

Be that tiny drop in the ocean because it’s long ago not about the survival of nature. The planet will recover on its own after it got rid of us. It’s about the survival of our grandchildren and children.

If we proceed with careless consumption and greenhouse gas emission long enough, it’s about our own survival.

To add your contribution to the fight against the destruction of our ecosystem,

• Decarbonize your transportation
• Modify your meat consumption
• Develop a minimalist mindset

Together, we can do this.

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