by Ella Syverson
The world is warming, and to truly address the looming crisis we will have to step beyond replacing plastic straws with metal ones and posting pretty pictures of nature on Earth Day. For years, we’ve been thinking about fighting the climate crisis the wrong way. In order to significantly reduce warming, we need immediate, radical, and systemic action to curb greenhouse gas emissions. This action can’t be merely small individual lifestyle changes, it must be revolutionary political change that will bring an end to the fossil fuel industry and other polluting corporations that are truly at fault for the climate crisis. In fact, in many ways capitalism is to blame for this attitude towards climate action. It is in the best interest of major polluters that we as individual citizens hold ourselves accountable for lessening our own carbon footprint and living more sustainably, rather than recognizing and acting against our true adversaries. We need to reject this narrative, and shift from individual to collective thinking.
The climate crisis isn’t the fault of individuals, though our choices as citizens and consumers can be significant. We all know that in order to fight climate change we should carpool more and take shorter showers, but too often we forget that carpooling is not a replacement for sustainable mass transit, and the vast majority of our country’s water use is agricultural and industrial, not personal. We are in the situation we are today because of a lack of environmental regulations, markets that allow fossil fuel companies tremendous power to pursue profit over human health, and governments that are too dysfunctional, short sighted, and self-serving to look out for our future well-being: in short, capitalism. We have, for too long, thought the solution to the climate crisis would be to simply use less energy in our homes and personal lives, as well as making other consumer choices that reduce waste, pollution, and carbon emissions. In reality, the solution is to require all energy production to be sustainable, renewable, just, and net zero by putting energy production in public hands, or at least by holding energy producers accountable with severe financial and legal consequences. These are actions taken by governments, not individuals, so our job as citizens is to push local, national, and global politics in this direction to the best of our ability.
There are many ways to be a part of this movement, and you have to find the kind of action that works for you. This might might mean showing up to the table at community meetings or local government, writing or making art that calls for revolutionary change, lobbying, joining and/or donating to climate action organizations, or donating and/or campaigning for politicians. It could also mean organizing and/or participating in protests, petitions, strikes, boycotts, letter and phone campaigns, educational content or events, get out the vote efforts, and direct actions. I believe that it is each of our responsibilities to work for justice to the extent of our capacity, while recognizing that some people are privileged to have more capacity than others, especially in terms of socioeconomic status, and therefore it’s critical to be forgiving and compassionate with all individuals who share this vision of a better world.
This is one way in which the capitalist pressure to focus on individual lifestyle and consumer choices and ignore the looming threat of the fossil fuel industry has perpetuated inequality. “Going green” is expensive, and isn’t an option for most working class people. For example, local, organic, and vegan food costs more, and solar panels and electric cars are completely unaffordable for most. Unless you’re very wealthy, it isn’t possible to live a zero-carbon, zero-waste lifestyle. Perpetuating the narrative that we can “save the planet” by making changes in our individual lives is classist and unproductive in that it shifts blame from the systemic to the individual.
That said, to live a lifestyle that is less harmful to the planet is a valuable and worthwhile part of the movement, if only to demonstrate a vision of the world we’re working towards. It is true that mass movements as consumers can push markets towards more sustainable products (more likely, greenwashed products) and our individual efforts to reduce carbon footprints can have a collective effect that is significant. If we are able we should continue to compost, install solar panels, reduce airplane and car travel, etc., as long as we don’t fall into the trap of believing that our ability or inability to live sustainably in a personal capacity is the core factor affecting the climate crisis. Additionally, sustainable living shows us that a better way is possible and can be a source of hope or an entry point into the environmental movement for many. For me personally, it also helps me maintain my relationship with the natural world. For example, I’m vegetarian and have a garden in my yard at home. When I cook dinner for my family using the radishes I grew myself, and without meat products that I know are harming the environment, it fills me with the joy that comes from any reciprocal relationship. It would be more difficult to continue the work of environmental justice on a broader scale without these feelings of gratitude, joy, and connection. When I choose to plant a garden or walk instead of drive, these actions help me feel that I am living my values and have a connection with the Earth that sustains my work. While taking these individual actions however, I continue to use the language of systemic change and advocate for revolution.
Equal to the work of national and global revolution is community building and systemic changes within communities. For example, building a local solar field, community garden, or composting program, or making local legislation that protects water quality or bans plastic bags. These efforts are rewarding, effective, scalable, and likely successful, unlike larger scale campaigns. In instances when politics and policy change are failing, community organizing is often a good solution that bridges the gap between the individual and the systemic. The key in any of these strategies is to focus on collective, not individual action.
When, like me, you are often working from a place of privilege, it is also our responsibility to learn from and follow the leadership of frontline and indigenous communities, and to center the voices of youth and people (particularly women and gender nonconforming folks) of color. It is only in this way that we can ensure a just revolution. The climate crisis has a disproportionate impact on poor communities and communities of color, who therefore also have crucial wisdom and experience from fighting this fight for generations. By pushing for change that does not also call for justice for these communities we only exacerbate existing systems of oppression. Some practical ways to center your environmental efforts in justice are by supporting youth and POC led organizations, building relationships in the communities we work in, following diverse thinkers and movements, being thoughtful about when to lead and when to follow, ensuring seats at the table for youth, POC, and women, and having solidarity with frontline and indigenous communities by educating ourselves and supporting their movements in action, not just words.
This is my theory of change, the way I understand our world, the threats we face, and the most effective and just ways to address them. It is not a complete understanding. I am still, and will forever be, learning and engaging in dialogue with others about how best to build a sustainable world. “Saving the planet” means more than making eco-friendly lifestyle and consumer choices. It means fighting for immediate and drastic systemic change from our governments. At this point in time, the change necessary to prevent and address extreme environmental degradation is nothing short of revolutionary. We must become revolutionaries and push for this change in whatever way we can, place blame not on individuals, but on the fossil fuel industry and other polluting corporations that are allowed to thrive by our governments, and fight not just for environmental protection, but for environmental justice. We must take radical, collective, and immediate action.
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