OTTAWA – A large majority of Canadians are worried about climate change and believe it is the reason for an increase in extreme weather, a new national poll suggests. But the Leger poll says onl...
How many of those 7 out of 10 are eating a plant based diet? Avoid using motor vehicles? Avoid flying and cruises? Buy secondhand goods whenever possible? Use clean energy?
We can all be “worried”, but inaction at an individual level isn’t helping the problem. Blaming corporations who pollute is only shifting blame, but we are all responsible for what’s been happening, and what will happen, to our climate.
Corporations have been shifting blame on to regular people for years, the whole carbon footprint concept was basically invented to shame individuals.
While individual action is important, the biggest individual action we can take is really for societal and legislative changes.
For example, in order to avoid motor vehicles, and flying, the government needs to invest money into viable alternatives. We need better bike, active transport, and transit systems. In order to eat more veggies and reduce agriculture emissions we need the govt to subsidize and incentivize those alternatives to the consumers. Cause poverty certainly gets in the way of dropping things like Dairy especially. Second hand goods, without enforcement of the right to repair means that you’re gambling on whether or not you’re going to be able to find someone or parts to fix your used thing in the event something breaks.
I could go on, but the gist of it is access to a lot of the things you’re asking for requires government change. Some folks are lucky or diehard enough to find the means to make these changes themselves, but the everyday person needs help.
I will also say, this isn’t a doomerist view on things. The government at all levels has been using the money from the Carbon tax to fund things like the Greener Homes Grant, Bike and eBike rebates, and EV rebates, and adoption is high! Look at all the houses switching to heat pumps in the last few years since these rebates have come into play!
I don’t disagree with many of your points, but waiting will also not accomplish anything.
Everyone is waiting for someone else to do something, but as individuals, our daily choices are easy to adapt.
Our choices influence the very things you listed: Want more cycling infrastructure? Get on your bike and create demand. Want to buy things that you can repair? Support companies who share that goal (shoutout to Framework Laptops and Fairphone). When green-forward rebates exist, use them!
And yes, legislative change needs to happen so that the industries we are supporting are at least better than what they are now. Good luck convincing people to stop voting conservative.
You say that like many of us haven’t already been doing those things.
Some of us might be doing these things, but the vast majority aren’t.
Heck, the most significant thing we can do as individuals is to adopt a plant-based diet, yet less than 1% of us do.
The “big players”, assuming you are talking about industry, are only motivated by one thing: money. We, as individuals, can choose where to spend our money and influence how they do business.
Do we need to strengthen regulations? Of course. Should we force companies to cut their carbon emissions? Yes.
But at the end of the day, these companies will only do what makes them more money, including skirting these rules. Even at the risk of a small fine, which is always less than the revenue generated by skirting the rules, these companies will always seek profit over doing what’s right.
Heck, the most significant thing we can do as individuals is to adopt a plant-based diet, yet less than 1% of us do.
True, and I’d like to take this opportunity to remind people that if everyone ate 10% less meat it would be similar to getting 10% of people to stop eating meat. So you don’t have to become vegan, but doing meat free Monday is already quite something. Reducing meat consumption will also save you money! Being ovo-lacto-vegetarian is way cheaper than being a meat eater and (and probably cheaper than being a fully fledged vegan).
It has been 5 years since I’ve reduced my consumption of red meat and poultry to 1 portion a month. I still eat seafood (which I try to get oceanwise) and eggs (free run), milk is mostly from oats but I still use dairy for lattes and dessert recipes. It has been waaaaay easier and cheaper than I though it would.
I absolutely agree. Nobody has to be perfect when it comes to doing their part, as long as it’s in a forward-moving direction, progress can still be made. 👍
That’s the same argument as arguing as Canada doesn’t have to do anything about climate change because China and India can fix it on their own with their bigger population. We have to make some changes on the individual level to be good role models and to pressure those same corporations
Yes, some companies are just awful, but we are supporting them with our lifestyle. Our choices affect their bottom line, and often force them to do better (or worse) depending on how we spend our money.
Yeah, the method for those 8.1 bil to organize together to affect meaningful change exists already — it’s called countries passing laws to stop corporations.
I disagree with the “blame all the individuals”, but those O&G companies are destroying the planet because they have customers. Somebody buys the gasoline, the fertilizer that becomes cattle-feed, the airline-tickets that consume the fuel.
At the same time billions of people live paycheck to paycheck and they can’t afford to vote for the future with their wallets, because they have to vote for their survival right now. Demand pressure is essential but we can’t rely on just that.
Edit.: Not saying that you’re implying otherwise, I just think it’s important to add that any demand drop will be mild at best in the short term, negligible at worst, and we need to go fast so policy is necessary.
Right. I’m not prescribing how the supply should look. Whether it’s a mass deregulation and turning the entire green belt into a trailer park and importing a crapload of mobile homes, or whether we go top-down and start building Khrushchyovkas, or we invent a complicated system of co-ops, or we nationalize every hotel in Canada, whatever strategy that we take: we need a crapload more rental housing, and at least some of it will need to specifically target the most vulnerable because it’s going to take time to properly drive down rents system-wide and there are people for whom this is an emergency.
Covid and the vaccine was a microcosm for societal behavior. A small percent of the population just won’t give a fuck. The majority will do a thing based on self preservation. A small percent will do a thing for the collective interest.
The tough thing about climate change is there isn’t an immediate and tangible threat. There’s no virus in your face. It’s a long slow erosion of the living planet. In that sense it’s very difficult to convince people to act out of self preservation. There’s no queuing for an inoculation and you’re done. You saved the world too. Give yourself a pat on the back. The species as a whole has to modify its behavior with out immediate personal gain. That’s a tough proposition.
Especially for us. The part of the world that exports its pollution from both ends. Manufacturing exists out of sight out of mind. Disposal exists out of sight out of mind. We’re the global NIMBYs.
Being worried does nothing at all.
How many of those 7 out of 10 are eating a plant based diet? Avoid using motor vehicles? Avoid flying and cruises? Buy secondhand goods whenever possible? Use clean energy?
We can all be “worried”, but inaction at an individual level isn’t helping the problem. Blaming corporations who pollute is only shifting blame, but we are all responsible for what’s been happening, and what will happen, to our climate.
Corporations have been shifting blame on to regular people for years, the whole carbon footprint concept was basically invented to shame individuals.
While individual action is important, the biggest individual action we can take is really for societal and legislative changes.
For example, in order to avoid motor vehicles, and flying, the government needs to invest money into viable alternatives. We need better bike, active transport, and transit systems. In order to eat more veggies and reduce agriculture emissions we need the govt to subsidize and incentivize those alternatives to the consumers. Cause poverty certainly gets in the way of dropping things like Dairy especially. Second hand goods, without enforcement of the right to repair means that you’re gambling on whether or not you’re going to be able to find someone or parts to fix your used thing in the event something breaks.
I could go on, but the gist of it is access to a lot of the things you’re asking for requires government change. Some folks are lucky or diehard enough to find the means to make these changes themselves, but the everyday person needs help.
I will also say, this isn’t a doomerist view on things. The government at all levels has been using the money from the Carbon tax to fund things like the Greener Homes Grant, Bike and eBike rebates, and EV rebates, and adoption is high! Look at all the houses switching to heat pumps in the last few years since these rebates have come into play!
I don’t disagree with many of your points, but waiting will also not accomplish anything.
Everyone is waiting for someone else to do something, but as individuals, our daily choices are easy to adapt.
Our choices influence the very things you listed: Want more cycling infrastructure? Get on your bike and create demand. Want to buy things that you can repair? Support companies who share that goal (shoutout to Framework Laptops and Fairphone). When green-forward rebates exist, use them!
And yes, legislative change needs to happen so that the industries we are supporting are at least better than what they are now. Good luck convincing people to stop voting conservative.
You say that like many of us haven’t already been doing those things.
Sure, individual actions can contribute, but to really move the needle, we need the big players to step up.
Some of us might be doing these things, but the vast majority aren’t.
Heck, the most significant thing we can do as individuals is to adopt a plant-based diet, yet less than 1% of us do.
The “big players”, assuming you are talking about industry, are only motivated by one thing: money. We, as individuals, can choose where to spend our money and influence how they do business.
Do we need to strengthen regulations? Of course. Should we force companies to cut their carbon emissions? Yes.
But at the end of the day, these companies will only do what makes them more money, including skirting these rules. Even at the risk of a small fine, which is always less than the revenue generated by skirting the rules, these companies will always seek profit over doing what’s right.
True, and I’d like to take this opportunity to remind people that if everyone ate 10% less meat it would be similar to getting 10% of people to stop eating meat. So you don’t have to become vegan, but doing meat free Monday is already quite something. Reducing meat consumption will also save you money! Being ovo-lacto-vegetarian is way cheaper than being a meat eater and (and probably cheaper than being a fully fledged vegan).
It has been 5 years since I’ve reduced my consumption of red meat and poultry to 1 portion a month. I still eat seafood (which I try to get oceanwise) and eggs (free run), milk is mostly from oats but I still use dairy for lattes and dessert recipes. It has been waaaaay easier and cheaper than I though it would.
I applaud your effort! Even if the environment isn’t a priority, the money saved by going with plant-based alternatives can really add up.
Oh I don’t want to be mistaken, I agree people shouldn’t wait around if they are able, it’s just that there are a lot of barriers in the way.
I kinda have the mind set of if you’re able to make the change yourself now do it, and if not complain and demand accessibility for it until you can.
I absolutely agree. Nobody has to be perfect when it comes to doing their part, as long as it’s in a forward-moving direction, progress can still be made. 👍
Action at the individual level does a great fuck-all when O&G companies are raping our planet for shareholder value at an accelerated rate.
That’s the same argument as arguing as Canada doesn’t have to do anything about climate change because China and India can fix it on their own with their bigger population. We have to make some changes on the individual level to be good role models and to pressure those same corporations
Individual x 8.1 billion = significant change.
Yes, some companies are just awful, but we are supporting them with our lifestyle. Our choices affect their bottom line, and often force them to do better (or worse) depending on how we spend our money.
Yeah, the method for those 8.1 bil to organize together to affect meaningful change exists already — it’s called countries passing laws to stop corporations.
Stop them from doing what? Providing goods and services to 8.1 billion people?
I refuse to believe that you’re this stupid.
lol
a collectivist environmentalist, a practical environmentalist, and someone clueless about pollution and extractivism walk into a bar…
An onlooker shouts, “How did they not see it?”
Tell us, how does raping the planet create shareholder value?
I disagree with the “blame all the individuals”, but those O&G companies are destroying the planet because they have customers. Somebody buys the gasoline, the fertilizer that becomes cattle-feed, the airline-tickets that consume the fuel.
If demand dropped, so would their profits.
At the same time billions of people live paycheck to paycheck and they can’t afford to vote for the future with their wallets, because they have to vote for their survival right now. Demand pressure is essential but we can’t rely on just that.
Edit.: Not saying that you’re implying otherwise, I just think it’s important to add that any demand drop will be mild at best in the short term, negligible at worst, and we need to go fast so policy is necessary.
Right. I’m not prescribing how the supply should look. Whether it’s a mass deregulation and turning the entire green belt into a trailer park and importing a crapload of mobile homes, or whether we go top-down and start building Khrushchyovkas, or we invent a complicated system of co-ops, or we nationalize every hotel in Canada, whatever strategy that we take: we need a crapload more rental housing, and at least some of it will need to specifically target the most vulnerable because it’s going to take time to properly drive down rents system-wide and there are people for whom this is an emergency.
Covid and the vaccine was a microcosm for societal behavior. A small percent of the population just won’t give a fuck. The majority will do a thing based on self preservation. A small percent will do a thing for the collective interest.
The tough thing about climate change is there isn’t an immediate and tangible threat. There’s no virus in your face. It’s a long slow erosion of the living planet. In that sense it’s very difficult to convince people to act out of self preservation. There’s no queuing for an inoculation and you’re done. You saved the world too. Give yourself a pat on the back. The species as a whole has to modify its behavior with out immediate personal gain. That’s a tough proposition.
Especially for us. The part of the world that exports its pollution from both ends. Manufacturing exists out of sight out of mind. Disposal exists out of sight out of mind. We’re the global NIMBYs.