I have seen many people acknowledge the fact that climate change exists, but did not seem to believe that trying to change their own lives would matter. They believed that climate change was inevitable and we would require social upheaval in order to bring order to a disordered world. However, I believe that if people could stop using things that unnecessarily pollute the environment, simple things like using a reusable water bottle. For instance, if we just start using reusable water bottles, this kind of plastic based pollution would down a lot. A family of four switching to reusable bottles would save 27 gallons of oil a year. Just one person switching to a reusable water bottle keeps 2,580 balloons of CO2 out of the air per year. Just by using reusable water bottles, which is even cheaper and more convenient than buying bottled water, you can see that it is possible to make a difference. Maybe you won't stop climate change as a whole, but you will make a real  difference. Some aspects of pollution and climate change are easily remedied, and we must make a stand and make that change as individuals.

I agree Michael! My family and I have recently all switched to using reusable water bottles as a whole and I use mine every day! It is far more efficient, in my opinion, anyways. I can easily refill it at school without having to pay which is very nice. We also do not have to buy bottles for our house anymore.
It also saves plenty of plastic! Our trash and recycling amounts have definitely lowered in this year, which is much better for the environment.

Thanks Chloe! I think that you serve as an example of the success of simple changes in terms of the environment. I think that if we were do the same as you we can make some serious changes to combat climate change.

Hi Michael, I thought your point was very interesting. I have talked to many people who claim that they do not need to change their habits for the better because their individual actions will not have any real impact on the environment. However, everything we do makes a difference, and like you showed in your water bottle example, our choices really add up to make an impact.
Check out this quote from Edward Everett Hale, an American author in the nineteenth century: "I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do."
This quote has really inspired me to change my daily habits and remind me that my efforts are not in vain. Every seemingly trivial thing we do to help the environment is significant, and we cannot let our fear of being unimportant get in the way of trying to make a difference.

Thanks Sabine! That quote is really inspiring. It is really important to know that even our most simple actions have can have a big impact. The act of simply using reusable water bottles is so simple, yet we can save so much of the world around us. Additionally, people like you who want to make a change in simple ways will spread the knowledge, and eventually we can get the social upheaval we need to stop climate change once and for all.

This helped me realize how much we really pollute and make a change to global warming.  This made me realize that you could change one small thing and get a larger result.

Thanks Micheal for helping me realize the importance of recycling. Most people disregard the fact that plastic bottle factories are extremely polluting and cause global warming.

I really like your response. You gathered all your information in such a mature manner and you realized what you needed to change. I'm glad you see a lot of things you didn't think were even raising your carbon footprint and you're changing them.