We’ve all heard it, perhaps even said it ourselves; ‘what difference is my car/boiler/country emissions going to make versus [insert country or industry of choice]’.
On the face of it, it's a reasonable statement; China belts out 11.47* billion tonnes whilst our average petrol cars emit 3.9* tonnes per year. (Although I was quite surprised at that amount to be honest). (*estimates I've found online)
However….
As the title of this piece would suggest this isn't a story of the imagined fat cat, cigar smoking executive at an airline deliberately polluting the planet for profit… no ... it's about the fact that small numbers add up (think Malcom Gladwell's book Tipping point) when there’s 8 billion of us with a small number of our own.
We’ve all sat in that traffic jam… ‘where is all this traffic coming from?’, ‘why are they all going my way?’ What we fail to realise is that everyone else is saying the same about you, and me!
The same goes with virtually all areas regarding the environment; it's what I term the ‘its not me, it's them’ syndrome, where no one takes responsibility.
For instance:
Home heating & cooling. Most people are unwilling to invest in green technology as the capital payback isn't there in the time period they own that house. This is combined with the perceived minimal impact of their green energy solution versus the global situation, which is a valid point, but if we all thought that way, we would never make progress.
The same goes for transportation. Sure, buying a hybrid or electric car may not completely offset the emissions of a traditional gasoline car, but every small step helps.
It's not just about individual actions. Governments and industries also have a role to play in reducing emissions and addressing climate change. They have the power to implement policies and regulations that encourage the use of clean energy and discourage the use of fossil fuels.
So the next time you're stuck in a traffic jam, or feeling overwhelmed by the enormity of the climate crisis, remember that every small action can make a difference. Don't let the invisible creep of emissions win – be the solution, or at least a part of it.
Collective impact is significant.
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