I do believe the biggest impact would come from regulating large companies and billionaires, but it’s not one or the other.
Vote.
Voting is broken in US IMHO…
Corporations lobby and drive policies…
We the people clearly don’t matter to the US of A … We’re just huminerals to them ; especially the “middle class”…
This is the biggest one. Activism on the side would be good too, but that might not be simple depending on how far you go with it (a simple lawn sign does count!).
It’s for the simple reason that most people will not deliberately sacrifice to decrease carbon footprint themselves, and need it to be legislated.
I don’t think it’s fair to put the blame on individuals not reducing their carbon footprints. It’s big industries that are fucking the climate. (Oil being likely the biggest one.) And the solution isn’t to incentivise individuals to bicycle more. It’s to regulate industry to stop taking oil out of the ground.
The idea that the individual citizen is the problem and and the solution to climate change and other environmental issues is propaganda invented by industry to get the focus off of them. “We oil companies aren’t the problem. You need to drive less.” “We plastic manufacturers didn’t put tons of plastic in the oceans. You need to recycle more.”
“Voting with your dollars” is similarly a con.
The reason you vote (with your… you know… votes) is so that the administration that isn’t going to gut the EPA gets the next term. And maybe they’ll enforce regulations on special interests that actually make a positive difference in emissions.
Yeah, but don’t forget industry exists to sell things to consumers. I wouldn’t put the onus on an individual person, that is a scam, but everybody collectively I sure would.
The way to make everyone collectively do something is through legislation.
The reason you vote (with your… you know… votes) is so that the administration that isn’t going to gut the EPA gets the next term. And maybe they’ll enforce regulations on special interests that actually make a positive difference in emissions.
Friendly reminder that we’re not all Americans here.
Eat less or no meat probably. Enough people drive down meat demand would eventually lead to cattle reduction and less land for grazing.
You: “you’ll take cheese and 2% cow milk from my cold dead hands.”
Nature: “hold my beer.”
I mean, this is the problem. We all will be cold and dead soon if we don’t fix this.
This. Since I gained access: I only buy local, hormone free, open pastured, humanly treated meat. It’s expensive as hell so I can only afford to eat smaller portions. It costs what it should cost.
Eat your nearest billionaire.
This is your only option. Managing your carbon footprint sounds like a great idea in concept, but the entire concept was created and promoted by oil companies to distract us from where the real damage comes from. Worrying about your own impact is noble but if you’re doing it to save the world you’re on the wrong track.
Agreed. What people don’t realize is that if they were to actually follow those recommendations, then oil companies wouldn’t be responsible for as much pollution. We can say it’s the corporations that are doing it, but it’s all of us that are keeping these corporations in business and buying the products that pollute. If we all took personal responsibility, the corporations 'level of output would decline. This is ALL about personal responsibility and it is infuriating to watch people say “well it’s the corporations” all the time.
Wear a condom.
There is nothing you can do to reduce your carbon footprint that comes even close to having no or fewer children.
You can get rid of your car, stop eating meat, recycle as much as you can and so on, but the impact of that together is a fraction of the reduction you can achieve by simply not creampieing your gf/wife.
You’ll also save a ton of money and you don’t have to deal with any annoying kids so it’s a win/win all around.
Anytime you have a chance to vote, take it, and vote for whatever option will be most likely to reduce the overall emissions. In most cases, this will probably mean voting for programs/parties etc that oppose conservatism.
In the US, neither party is serious about stopping climate change. They are both controlled by big oil, big car, etc.
I agree the the democrats are not nearly serious enough about stopping climate change, but the republican party is actively hindering efforts and definitely worse for the plant in the long run.
Neither party being serious does not mean one isn’t way worse than the other
You still need to hold the Dems feet to the fire. Just handing them your vote as the least worst option just means you’ll never be offered any good options. Make them work for it.