AN INDIVIDUAL PERSON’S CONTRIBUTION TO CLIMATE CHANGE
May 14, 2025
Most often, we blame large corporations for pollution and climate change, and governments for not doing enough in taking action against those corporations. In other words, we as individuals, view ourselves as powerless sufferers of the doings of behemoth organizations.
But, taking a look at our everyday ways of life, our UNASSUMED habits,
and even our casual beliefs that developed through social attitudes rather than being based on facts, we can discover a very different reality: the fact that
we, individuals and families, actually hold considerable power in shaping our future by shaping the climate of the Earth.
COMMON BELIEFS ABOUT ACCOUNTABILITY FOR CLIMATE CHANGE:
ONLY PART OF THE TRUTH
Of course, large corporations and manufacturers generate undoubtedly more pollution than any individual could possibly do so. But, the question that naturally derives from this truth is rarely asked: For whom do those corporations produce their goods?
The knee‑jerk reaction might include such seemingly obvious answers, such as ‘the shareholders,’ or ‘company executives,’ or other high‑level beneficiaries. But, ultimately, the consumption of goods always entails individuals.
No matter whether we are talking about enormous shipping boats, about manufacturing facilities burning fossil fuel, or the industrial‑scale grazing of livestock, the ultimate beneficiaries of those activities are the individual consumers: you, and I, and our families, and friends, and neighbors. Because:
  1. The shipping boats transport the shoes, or clothes, or electronics, or any number or type of goods we buy for our everyday lives
  2. The manufacturing facilities manufacture their goods for our consumption
  3. The large‑scale farming and agricultural activities are done in order to produce the food we buy in our everyday life
  4. Even the buildings, the bridges, and the various types of infrastructure serve us, humans … not themselves. Because, for instance, a bridge could not make use of itself for its own benefit; the only useful purpose of a bridge is that of serving human needs.
Suffice it to say that those corporations could and should use climate‑friendly resources and methods for their production. On the other hand, the only reason they produce their goods is to satisfy our demand for those goods. Without our consumption demand, those corporations would not exist … and, neither would we (or, at least, not at our current way of living).
So, while the largest scale of accountability lies with the corporate industry to mitigate and reduce climate change, an equally important responsibility lies with us (individuals) to be mindful of our demand for consumer goods …
… and, we haven’t even discussed our everyday habits that directly contribute to the worsening climate change.
EVERYDAY HABITS:
THE UNASSUMED ACCOMPLICE TO THE WORSENING CLIMATE CHANGE
One might say something like: “My personal habits are on such minute scale compared to the pollution generated by companies and the whole world, that changing them would not even make a dent in the larger picture of the climate change phenomenon of our day.”
But, think again! There are approximately 8 billion people on Earth (with various means, and various levels of waste). If everybody (or, even just a fraction of the population) commits to less waste and more mindfulness in their everyday consumption, the positive effects would be enormous.
Even if only food waste (and no other wasteful behavior) would be eliminated in the world, the growth of climate change could be stopped, and eventually reversed.
Of course, a hundred percent elimination of food waste is unrealistic, but mindfulness about food waste—along with other types of personal activities and consumption—would add up on such a large scale that this momentum could, in fact, reverse the growth of climate change.
And then, we as individuals will have an even more credible prerogative to demand that the large corporations and governments do their part in the fight against climate change … because we do ours.
Consider how often you engage in any of these everyday activities (all of which are major contributors to climate change):
  1. Throw food away:

    The rotting food generates methane (CH4) (an odorless, colorless, invisible gas that’s about 28-80 times* more potent in its warming effect than carbon-dioxide. In fact, 30% of global warming is driven by methane from human actions, such as wasting food, raising ruminant livestock, and others.

    The good news: decreasing the methane emissions through decreasing the underlying human activities is perhaps the fastest way to slow global warming.
  2. Ask for a pastry box at the store or pastry shop when a plate or small bag would suffice
    ; or take more napkins than needed … then throwing them away.
  3. Go home with several paper bags from your shopping trip
    , each of them containing one or two small pieces of clothing, or shoes, or other items.
  4. Use disposable plates or utensils when reusable ones are available.
    This means: a very short life of paper products ⟵ produced by cutting down trees ⟶ deforestation lowers the carbon sequestration ability of forests (i.e. the ability to remove carbon from the air that’s poisonous to humans) ⟶ causes rise in temperatures ⟶ long-term global warming effect ⟶ increased levels of carbon in the air causes the ocean to become more acidic ⟶ affects fish life, marine life, human food consumption, the balance between humans and nature
  5. Use a plastic bag (instead of a reusable one)
    , then throw it away right after you get home from your shopping.
  6. Buy bottled water (in plastic bottles) when the tap water is just as healthy and accessible:

    Plastic never degenerates—it only decomposes into smaller and smaller pieces (microplastics) ⟶ present in the air we breathe, in the ocean, in the fish we eat; and has even been found in human kidneys, livers, and placentas.
  7. Buy more and more pieces of clothing that you will use maybe once or twice
    , then forget about them.
  8. Buy new electronics when the current one is still in mint condition:

    It took fossil fuels and other resources for the manufacturer to burn while producing that piece of clothing ⟶ ultimately, polluting the air without making a good use of the product ⟶ even the product itself also becoming a pollutant
  9. Drive to a nearby place where you could easily walk:

    Using fossil fuels (gas in the car) ⟶ greenhouse gas effect ⟶ increases global warming.
  10. And, many more …
THE ULTIMATE QUESTIONS:
Which habits can you change? And, will you change them? When?
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We don’t advocate zero household waste.
We advocate being mindful about waste.
What actions will YOU take?
For your present & future
For the children’s future
For the grandchildren’s future, and so on
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