The thoughts play on repeat in my head: “It’s the billionaires and world leaders who need to step up and make a difference, not me. I’m just one person, there is nothing I can do to fix this myself. Our heated climate is past the point of no-return, we’re all doomed to die in famine, fire, or flood and there is nothing I can do to stop this. I’m not an environmentalist; so-called ‘climate action’ is out of my scope of expertise.” If you’ve ever heard these thoughts in your own head, keep reading, because this article is for you.
You are not alone. I, too, have become jaded and numb to talks about climate change and climate action. I’ve been under the impression that these issues are not my problem to fix; they are for richer, smarter, and more powerful people to solve, because they are the ones responsible for all this carbon dioxide in the atmosphere in the first place.
The world’s leaders, mega-corporations, and wealth-holders must take action to address the larger systemic issues that keep standing in the way of monumental change. We however, are not doomed to wait at their mercy, hoping that they will fulfil whatever promises they made at whichever climate summit they attended.
When you consider that it is just a handful of companies that are responsible for more than 70 per cent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, it is easy to feel a sense of helplessness. It is these same companies that want you to bear the shame of the crimes they are committing against our planet. They hawk even more “sustainable” products at you to buy so that you may relieve some of this guilt while increasing their profits at the same time. Canada has the second highest cumulative carbon emissions per capita. However, most of these carbon emissions come from the extraction and refining of fossil fuels for export, and not necessarily from personal consumption.
The cause of climate change is vast and multifaceted, and so must be the solution. I’m here to teach that your individual actions do matter. Individual actions that may seem too tiny to even scratch the surface have a ripple effect into the collective society that will cause transformative change.
So, what on earth can we do that will actually make a difference?
Recognize that your “small” actions make a huge difference. Your small actions build on each other. Actions such as: recycling, planting a native tree in your backyard, carpooling, and shopping locally, while they may seem small, can make a huge difference, especially in the health of your local community.
Remain hopeful of our future and let go of eco-shame and guilt. Work from a place of positivity and hopefulness when you are enacting those small actions in your life. Hope begets hope, and shame begets shame; which one are you choosing to radiate into your community? Look for ways to inspire others and point out the good you are seeing in the world.
Voting in federal, provincial, and especially municipal elections is one of the most important things you can do. As more politicians realize that they are losing votes because of their failure to react swiftly to climate change, the political landscape will change. You can still impact the local government outside of the voting booth by sharing your opinion about local issues on the platforms of Let’s Talk Abbotsford, Engage Chilliwack, and Engage Mission.
Join an organization that aligns with your values and can amplify your voice. When you partner with an organization that already has the resources, funding, and expertise to enact climate-based projects in your community, that takes the burden off you as an individual and allows you to bring your own energy and skills to a project.
Share what you’re doing and what you’re learning far and wide. No one knows everything, which is why it’s so important to keep sharing knowledge, resources, and information with each other about how we can live more sustainably in a system designed to hold us back from doing so. Share your newfound knowledge on social media, by telling whoever will listen, or even by writing about it in this here newspaper.
If you take just one thing away from this article, let it be this: anyone and everyone can get involved in this movement. The environmental movement has gatekept who is allowed in the exclusive “carbon-neutral” club for too long. It doesn’t matter what your occupation, field of study, or level of income is, everyone can do something for the planet, and we are much stronger if we put aside our differences and do it together.
Andrea Sadowski is the Project Coordinator of Step to It, a community engagement program dedicated to working with you on the environmental issues that matter most to you. If this article inspired you to start engaging more with the climate movement, but you’re lost where you can start, connect with her at @steptoitfraservalley on Instagram to learn more!
Andrea Sadowski is working towards her BA in Global Development Studies, with a minor in anthropology and Mennonite studies. When she's not sitting in front of her computer, Andrea enjoys climbing mountains, sleeping outside, cooking delicious plant-based food, talking to animals, and dismantling the patriarchy.