As a self-proclaimed environmentalist who cares deeply about the planet, I realize that I do not do as much as I can to reduce my carbon footprint. 

For one, I like to eat meat, which means I contribute to the 14 per cent of global carbon emissions coming from the meat and dairy industry. Though I sometimes bike or walk places, for the most part, I drive — a form of transportation that makes up 25 per cent of global carbon emissions. 

Not to mention, I do not hesitate to use a single-use straw when I need it for convenience. 

I’ve come to realize that while I preach one set of actions, I, like many humans, fall short of commitment. I also blame those like Leonardo DiCaprio who denounce the evils of climate change but don’t follow through by living a carbon-intense lifestyle. 

I always tell myself the classic excuse — that I can’t execute large-scale change. That using a plastic straw or driving when I can easily walk is inconsequential compared to the actions of the 7.8 billion carbon emitters on this planet. 

It’s easy to diffuse responsibility, especially when others are also accountable. This can be explained by the bystander effect, a phenomenon where people are less likely to take action to help someone when others are present, especially in large numbers. It was also the excuse used by Nazis during the Holocaust to justify their actions as dependnat onobeying their superiors’ orders. 

Then there is the other classic excuse — we are just a drop in the bucket and can’t do much ourselves. We can always say that others in the world will magically get rid of our microplastics issue, or that science will save us all. 

But if you total up the consumption of coffee cups each year in Canada, it’s an astounding 1.5 billion. And what about plastic bags? These total up to 15 billion bags that Canadians use each year out of convenience. 

What’s important to realize is that climate change is simply not going to go away if we expect others — corporations, capitalists, or governments — to change. 

While climate change gets worse and we wait for others to enact change, they’re expecting the same of us. 

When we do make a difference, it has the potential to be more substantial than we think, because we affect the community around us. Just like how friends influence our lifestyle choices, we can influence others to change their carbon-emission-intensive habits if we make the first move. 

We can either sit in our glass houses, believing that the climate crisis can be solved by those more powerful than us, or we can acknowledge that we all have a role in battling climate change. I believe it is essential for us to preserve the environment we have cherished living in. 

Yes, one person cannot make colossal changes in the global climate crisis. But you can at least do everything in your power to do what is right for the environment. While it’s easy — and necessary — to hold organizations accountable, we also need to recognize that fighting climate change is an individual effort as much as it is a societal one.

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This op-ed was written by a University of Saskatchewan undergraduate student and reflects the views and opinions of the writer. If you would like to write a reply, please email opinions@thesheaf.com. Annie is a first-year undergraduate student, and a Staff Writer at The Sheaf Publishing Society.

Graphic: Jaymie Stachyruk | Graphics Editor