A lot of people are really scared and angry because of the results of the newest climate change reports â as they should be. But Iâm already seeing a lot of posts and news reports like âHEREâS WHAT YOU CAN DO TO FIGHT GLOBAL WARMINGâ and bizarrely enough, the answers are never like âweed out climate change deniers from your government, impose strict new rules for the corporations that are  creating most of the emissions, pour government resources into alternate forms of fuel, etc.â Itâs always like âcarpool to work!â
Look. Of course you should be working to reduce waste in your own life. But letâs not fucking pretend that consumers are the ones who made this mess. You know what another recent study found? Just 100 companies are responsible for 71% of global emissions. If the rest of us stopped ALL WASTE and fucking ascended to a higher plane of existence that no longer requires consumption of any kind, the world would still be absolutely fucked if those 100 companies keep on as they do.
I hate this personal responsibility model when it comes to conservation. By ignoring the actual source of the problem and focusing on individuals instead, guess who gets targeted? The absolute most vulnerable individuals on the planet. When people advocate personal responsibility, somehow theyâre never talking about billionaires and their private jets. Theyâre creating straw bans that will make life more dangerous for people with disabilities. Theyâre shaming women for using disposable menstrual products. Theyâre criticizing the poor and destitute for using âwastefulâ products because theyâre all they can afford. Theyâre making vaguely eugenic statements about getting people in âthird world countriesâ to stop ~breeding~ so much. Itâs monstrous.
Stop shaming consumers for the sins of corporations and their powerful investors. Stop placing the blame at the feet of the people who already have the hardest time getting through life. Do something, and by âdo somethingâ I mean buy a reusable coffee cup on the way to fucking vote. Go to a protest. Call a representative. Demand accountability from the people who got us into this mess.
