I am 100% on board with the idea that meaningful climate impact has to take place on a national and commercial scale, not an individual scale. I'm also aware that national and commercial interests propagandize people to act on an individual scale.
But I think it's gone a bit too far when the response to examining any detail of consumer climate impact is immediately shut down.
This stuff is interesting to think about and talk about even if it's not the whole answer
Individuals do have a responsibility in this problem. Have you done anything /else/ but protest at an individual framing of the problem? Written to your lawmakers, protested, direct action?
Moreover, your experience with climate change and mitigation and energy as an individual is highly dependent on your level of privilege and the number of degrees north of the equator you are, and the fact of the matter is that a world post-climate-mitigations is going to affect your individual way of life.
@drewdevault General apathy amongst the population remains a problem that's not easily solved. It's not easy to motivate people to do anything that's not in their immediate interest. It's not only selfishness either. For instance, our country's got more immediate problems. Democracy is collapsing, the economy is in shambles and wealth inequality is far greater than it used to be under Socialism. The sad truth is, a single person can only care so much.
@drewdevault It strikes me that the propaganda blaming it on individuals seem to be banking on a western mindset of "it can't be both!". In this way much of the opposition to it falls straight into their laps...
@drewdevault I also feel that individual actions are meaningful in the sense of making people more likely to be truly outraged when their personal sacrifices are put in context of the excesses of Big Corps and the billionaire class.
In other words I see individual action more as a step on the way towards demanding political change, than as effective in its own right.
@alcinnz yeah, I think we are all vehemently agreeing here; basically: there is value in individual action, as much as it does not offer the full solution.
@drewdevault Just seems like there's better battles to pick. Driving less and being more conservative with AC/heating would have a more meaningful impact. Not to mention gaming's entertainment value.
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