Climate pessimism is a very real and understandable feeling which leaves people feeling hopeless and frustrated about the state of the climate crisis. However, instead of wallowing in feelings of disenfranchisement, there are several individual actions that can be taken to reduce an individual’s negative effect on the environment.The evidence of the speed and seriousness of climate change is without doubt. The last ten years have been the hottest on record, with 2023 being the warmest. The level of CO2 in the atmosphere has increased by 150% since pre-industrial levels, according to NASA. One way to measure the impact of an individual or entity’s actions is through a carbon footprint. A carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases produced by said individual or entity. The United States has a large carbon footprint, creating 11% of the world’s carbon emissions in 2022 and has historically emitted more emissions than any other country. Carbon footprint is highly linked to wealth and inequality, with the richest in the world contributing the most to climate change. Between 1990 and 2015, the richest 10% of the world accounted for more than half of the world’s emissions, and the top 1% pumped out 15% of the world’s emissions. Individual actions and small changes to lifestyles can be made that will reduce a person’s carbon footprint. However, not all adjustments are equally effective and with so many options, it can be confusing choosing which lifestyle changes will be the most beneficial to the environment. According to a study in Science, the three most impactful and most recommended actions to reduce carbon footprint were having less children, taking less flights, especially long-haul, and living car-free. In a developed country, having just one fewer child saves a whopping 58.6T of emissions. Deciding not to take a transatlantic flight per year saves 1.6T of emissions and living car free saves 2.4T. Other impactful changes are eating a plant based diet and powering your home on green energy as well as investing in making your home more energy efficient through smart meters and insulation. While there is healthy debate surrounding the power of individual actions as opposed to sweeping government or corporate change, individuals do hold power to reduce their emissions, especially those from wealthy countries which contribute disproportionately to the problem. Taking changes to reduce individual carbon footprints can negate climate pessimism, and help people feel better about doing their part to solve the problem.
Climate pessimism is a very real and understandable feeling which leaves people feeling hopeless and frustrated about the state of the climate crisis. However, instead of wallowing in feelings of disenfranchisement, there are several individual actions that can be taken to reduce an individual’s negative effect on the environment.
The evidence of the speed and seriousness of climate change is without doubt. The last ten years have been the hottest on record, with 2023 being the warmest. The level of CO2 in the atmosphere has increased by 150% since pre-industrial levels, according to NASA.
Advertisement
One way to measure the impact of an individual or entity’s actions is through a carbon footprint. A carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases produced by said individual or entity. The United States has a large carbon footprint, creating 11% of the world’s carbon emissions in 2022 and has historically emitted more emissions than any other country. Carbon footprint is highly linked to wealth and inequality, with the richest in the world contributing the most to climate change. Between 1990 and 2015, the richest 10% of the world accounted for more than half of the world’s emissions, and the top 1% pumped out 15% of the world’s emissions.
Individual actions and small changes to lifestyles can be made that will reduce a person’s carbon footprint. However, not all adjustments are equally effective and with so many options, it can be confusing choosing which lifestyle changes will be the most beneficial to the environment.
According to a study in Science, the three most impactful and most recommended actions to reduce carbon footprint were having less children, taking less flights, especially long-haul, and living car-free. In a developed country, having just one fewer child saves a whopping 58.6T of emissions. Deciding not to take a transatlantic flight per year saves 1.6T of emissions and living car free saves 2.4T. Other impactful changes are eating a plant based diet and powering your home on green energy as well as investing in making your home more energy efficient through smart meters and insulation.
While there is healthy debate surrounding the power of individual actions as opposed to sweeping government or corporate change, individuals do hold power to reduce their emissions, especially those from wealthy countries which contribute disproportionately to the problem. Taking changes to reduce individual carbon footprints can negate climate pessimism, and help people feel better about doing their part to solve the problem.
