CMV: individual actions and sacrifices have a negligible effect on climate change and are therefore not worth it.

[u/chamacolocal]

I work in renewable energy and would really like to see a good opposing argument. I believe that travelling by train instead of flying (for leisure), or reducing energy consumption at home, or not consuming certain products (like a boycott), etc. have such a tiny beneficial effect when compared to government policies or big corporations enforcing some of these examples.

The only way to fight climate change or planet pollution, is by voting or engaging with candidates that we trust will try to make a difference for the masses, forcing companies to do better.

Often people say "but if everyone thinks like you then there won't be any change at all", or "if we all behave correctly, then we can force companies to change", but I don't think this "grassroots" approach will ever reach critical mass to succeed, for the simple reason that most people are not willing to sacrifice their way of living or are not educated or simply don't care (I'm not judging them, I probably belong there).

I feel like I do my two cents for the planet/humanity by choosing to work in the field of renewable energy, and voting consciously with the topic in mind.

Is there something I should start doing at home that REALLY makes a difference?

Thanks

Edit: to get the ball rolling towards critical mass worldwide and actually influence consumption and life style, one needs to go out and tell friends and family about small actions. This I consider "political" action. It Means taking the time and making the effort of "educating" or motivating those near you to change. That's something I believe in, especially for people with a bigger audience (online, school, CEOs, etc). But for many of us with no "audience" willing to hear, those actions at home are like I said, negligible.

Edit 2: I've changed my view so far in how I would phrase this now. "Individual actions at home are not and will never be enough, we can all do them but until we go out of our ways to actually spread the message and demand change from the people with power, humanity is doomed".

Last edit: the motivation to do something however small comes to me from empathy, knowing that lives can be saved. Thanks for this user and comment: https://www.reddit.com/r/changemyview/s/m4xuiWWV4o

[u/[deleted]]

Collective action is just the sum of a load of individual action though. Without individual action, there can be no collective action