One of the questions I get asked the most is whether small things like eating less meat, using a bamboo toothbrush or composting your veg scraps make any real difference in the grand scheme of things. This is a really difficult question to answer, so I thought I’d talk about both sides of the argument. On one hand, small actions cannot make huge differences because big companies and governments are the ones who have to change. But, small actions can help to drive big changes, and there will need to be a societal shift driven by influence if we are going to avoid the worst of climate change. So, do small actions make a difference?
The biggest argument for individual actions not making a difference is that climate change is a huge problem, which requires huge solutions. For example, we know that if we want to stop global warming, we have to keep fossil fuels in the ground. This will only happen if there is a global change in fuel consumption and there are alternative methods found. My individual action of choosing to walk once instead of driving cannot singlehandedly solve this. We also know that solving climate change will cost a lot of money, which will also have to be handled by governments or companies. It will take an estimated $300 billion to halt emissions, which could be contributed by billionaires, governments and companies, but will almost certainly not come from the general public. So, why recycle all your veg peelings when a billionaire could halt climate change?
There is also the argument that the idea of making individual changes was created by large companies to divert attention from their actions and towards individuals. For example, the carbon footprint was pushed forward by companies like BP and Coca-Cola, creating the idea that the consumer is to blame for plastic pollution, greenhouse gases and all the other climate related problems. Therefore, emphasising individual actions encourages this false narrative, which may damage overall climate efforts. It can also be extremely frustrating to know that you are doing all you can, but governments and companies are telling you how much you need to change whilst doing either nothing or the bare minimum themselves.
However, there is a lot of evidence that making individual changes can influence others. Social influence is extremely powerful and has been since human society began. Think of fashion as an example. Skinny jeans were in when I was in school, but recently they’ve become unpopular and wider legged jeans have moved into fashion. This change means that more people wear wider legged jeans. Perhaps this is because they prefer them, or they are more available in shops. Or, it is because everyone else is doing it, and they want to fit in? This could have a similar impact in terms of being climate conscious. For example, trends may drive demand which drive supply. Just look at how the market for vegan food has expanded in the past couple of years. 10 years ago, meatless options were nowhere near as good, and there weren’t as many. Because there is more demand, supply has to follow. Logically, this could be applied to other things. Influence may also depend on who the influencer is. For example, if a celebrity stops flying for environmental reasons and publicises this, it is likely to have a larger impact that someone with less of a following.
Overall, I like to think that really we need both. It’s important to push for the bigger changes by voting and lobbying governments and companies to make changes, because ultimately these are the decisions that have the biggest influences. However, that doesn’t mean that making conscious decisions to be sustainable in smaller ways isn’t worth it. Choosing not to fly, eating less meat and consuming more consciously are all really good things to do, particularly if they influence others around you to do the same. But, don’t beat yourself up if you can’t do all those things, or you’re not perfect at it. So, small actions do make a difference, but big actions make a big difference. Therefore, we need to do both.
Thanks for reading! If you have any suggestions for future posts, or want to start a conversation about this one, be sure to leave a comment!
Waste Makes Waste 