Establishment institutions like universities, corporations and government seem designed to fail at taking meaningful steps to combat climate change.
It is disappointing to see UNC punting its goal of being coal-free by 2020 or the U.S. Supreme Court disregard the Obama administration’s efforts to regulate coal emissions — even if they make sense in context. But institutions are complex, and changing them requires a critical mass of engagement.
Changing your own behavior, on the other hand, can have a tremendous positive impact, allowing agency.
It’s not easy to change behaviors (encouraged by outside institutions) that are destructive to the environment. But if we can’t change our own behaviors, how can we expect to change the practices of those large, complex institutions we are a part of?
This doesn’t mean it’s realistic to upend your life to go carbon-neutral. It doesn’t mean anyone should ever surrender to the force of the status quo on an institutional level.
But there are things you can do. Buy carbon offsets when you fly. If you live in a place where you could get by without a car — do it. Or make fuel efficiency a priority over comfort in your next car purchase. Use a weekend afternoon to ensure your house is well-insulated.
Vote.
Whatever you do — don’t give in to complacency or despair.
