“Every little bit counts” is perhaps the biggest fallacy we hold as common folk in the fight against climate change. No, I am not saying that you should leave all the lights on in your home or office. I am not saying that leaving your phone charger plugged in when not in use is an eco-friendly move. You just need to understand the size of the dent you make in this fight by fixating on trivial matters. It is not that these are not savings, they are but not ones that are sizable enough to make a change. The amount of emissions you avoid by compulsively unplugging a phone charger over your lifetime can be offset by simple choosing to walk instead of driving to a nearby store once! As David JC MacKay says in his book ‘Sustainable Energy-without the hot air’, “Obsessively switching off the phone-charger is like bailing the Titanic with a teaspoon. Do switch it off, but please be aware how tiny a gesture it is”.

It is a lifestyle choice

The issue of climate change now is not something that a handful of ‘chicken little’ scientists keep reporting ad nauseum. The general public is now aware more than ever and the youth is coming forward to take conscious steps to tackle the problem. These are good signs. But awareness isn’t everything. We are late. We are too late to even take action. ‘Action’ in the sense that it’s not a one step solution. What is required of us in this fight is commitment. There is no single thing you can do to fix global warming. Would have been great if there were, but unfortunately there isn’t. The only way to collectively beat this crisis is to adopt sustainable living as a lifestyle. In this era when social media is king, we are all but slaves to being ‘fashionably green’. To be fashionably green is to post images of your new ‘Bamboo toothbrush’, with the #sustainableliving, whilst driving a gas guzzling monstrosity (This playfully creative metaphor is courtesy of ‘Marshall Eriksen’ from ‘How I Met Your Mother’) to work every day. The same ‘green fashionista’ will fly back and forth between cities for the silliest of reasons, all the while being pleased with the impact, she has made with her Bamboo toothbrush.  

In the article titled ‘We Can't Tackle Climate Change Without You’, by Mary Heglar, she talks about the importance of taking a stand collectively. One person alone cannot make a difference. But as a group, we can. It is more so true that that is the only way. So far, getting people interested in climate change has been difficult because people are not interested in delayed gratification. Nobody wants to do something now so that they can enjoy the fruits of it way in the future, let alone do something such that someone else might bear the fruits in the future. But the truth is that this future is not far off. We are already suffering the consequences of climate change. According to IPCC’s special report ’Global Warming of 1.5 ºC’, Human-induced warming reached approximately 1°C above pre-industrial levels in 2017, increasing at 0.2°C per decade. Man-induced global warming has already triggered several perceivable changes in our eco system. Both land and ocean temperatures have risen, and the frequency of heatwaves has increased. Increasing temperature is forcing species wide migration patterns. The entirety of the ecological system rides on a delicate balance. It is that balance which has been shaken.

How collective action can be taken

Humanity uniting for a cause is not unheard of. When we feel passionate about something, we stand up for it. Environmental action must be given emotional value. For when we have emotions tied to anything, we are willing to give our lives for it. That has been ‘the way’ and it will be. Environmentalists need to find a different tone to paint their pictures. Yelling out “We are all going to die!”, will not get people interested. It is time to educate people and get them emotionally hooked to this cause.

There are a number of things you can do as an individual to take a stance:

• Break the silence!

  Stop staying mum about the ordeal that is about to go down. Talk to your friends, family, colleagues, anyone, and everyone. Getting people talking and building social momentum can have a profound impact.

• Vote!

Use the power of your democratic system to alter policy decisions. As regular citizens, we direct policy making by electing members who promise to do right by us. Make yourself heard and important policy changes will be a part of the agenda. Corruption and vested interests aside, political leaders eventually have to stand by the emotion of the public.

• Eat green

This can hurt the sentiments of many. I like meat as much as the next person but there’s no argument to the catastrophic effects of the meat industry on the planet. You don’t have to go vegan tomorrow, but as a first step you can work on reducing red meat and dairy from your diet. Try to slowly shift towards lower carbon meats or plant-based proteins. If anything, it’s also healthier so that’s just a plus. With the best interest in mind, please be aware that you need to focus on the big picture. Things are not always as they seem, for a locally sourced quail egg may actually be a greener than an Avocado that has flown halfway around the world from Mexico to take part in your breakfast toast ballet. Make informed choices.

• Put your money where your mouth is

I mean this quite literally. Move your stock investments away from fossil fuels. Try to invest a part of your portfolio in companies that take action against climate change

• Adopt clean energy

This means going green at the source and making sure the energy you use produces no emissions to begin with. Depending on your geographic and economic positions you may face unique challenges to this proposition. If you have a villa of your own in an area blessed with sunlight, going fully solar is a feasible option with today’s ever lowest rates for solar panels. Opt for a solar water heater in place of a regular one. You can even go the extra mile and move any other energy use to source from renewable means.

•   Be frugal with your energy use

This is a habit that can have effects multifold. Saving energy correlates to direct savings in expenses. It is much easier to save 1kWh of energy than to produce an additional 1kWh of clean energy. Of course, this means minimizing unnecessary flights and road trips among other energy expenditures. Try to walk short distances. Pool trips if that is an option. Invest in energy saving appliances. And switch off that light bulb!

There is a plethora of things you can do to help reverse climate change. Step one is to quit denial and accept that there’s a problem and that you are a part of it. Get the conversation going. Accept the green lifestyle. Make conscious, informed decisions. Appreciate the significance of collective action and realize that one bamboo toothbrush will not save the planet, but a billion might!