During our periods of self reflection related to this course, I find myself facing a recurrent thought. The majority of US citizens acknowledge that climate change is happening but is anyone actually willing to do anything about it?
Protestors march for climate change in D.C.
I have heard so many individuals cry out against climate change, making claims of how we as a society need to initiate change lest our planet suffer. But where is the actual change being produced? A large portion of these cries for change seem to be directed at big businesses, who produce 21% of national carbon emissions (EPA). While this is a huge sector in need of improvement, it is not the only inefficient sector. Transportation and Electricity sectors are both larger contributors to emissions than Industry and these are sectors that can be largely influenced on an individual level.
Sector Percentages for National Carbon Emissions
I near-exclusively take public transportation, I live with 7 other people, and I prioritize locally grown products for consumption. Now I’m not saying that this is the end-all-be-all goal for reducing carbon emissions but I was actually very happy to see the projection that if everyone lived similarly to me, we would only need 1.1 earths. Considering there are still a great number of areas I felt needed improvement, this was actually uplifting. However then I started thinking about how many times I’ve hated my living situation and how frequently my friends tell me that they “couldn’t live like that,” and I quickly became disheartened.
Ever since the end of World War II we have been a country that is known for living in excess. We value the luxurious life and many diligently work to achieve this American ideal. So what is the likelihood that people would be willing to forgo the affluent lifestyle in order to maximize sustainability? Not good in my opinion.
Donald, Melania, and Barron Trump in their New York Penthouse in 2010.