The political fight against climate change

Why activism and awareness are our greatest tools — and what you can do to help

In the face of rising temperatures and shrinking ice caps, it’s increasingly difficult to deny that the world is moving quickly towards catastrophe. The popular understanding of the climate crisis in recent years has morphed from a vague, peripheral worry about plastic islands and miserable polar bears to an urgent and immediate call to action. 

But what really is that action? What should workers, citizens and, of course, students be doing about this impending emergency? 

We’ve all seen Instagram stories and posters stapled to telephone poles that entreat passersby or “scrollers-through” to carry reusable bags, use metal straws, or, more controversially, go vegan. After all, no matter how small, an individual who makes an active effort to avoid single-use plastic or cattle products is making some difference to help save the planet. Isn’t it everyone’s responsibility to do what they can to counter the growing global catastrophe of weather extremes, natural disasters, and rising sea levels? Can’t everyone’s small contributions add up to a massive global change? 

Well, yes… and no. 

Individuals can make small changes, and those changes are by no means insignificant. But recycling correctly and carrying a canvas bag is not going to save the world—not even close. 

You might have heard that 71 percent of global emissions are produced by a mere hundred corporations. This statistic, though widely quoted, is somewhat misrepresented; it includes both direct fossil fuel burning and emissions from fossil fuels that these corporations sell. So, yes, if no one drove cars or bought prepackaged food, a fair proportion of that 71 percent would disappear—but that isn’t realistic, and a huge portion of responsibility still remains with the executives and investors who are out for short-term profit. After all, these companies aren’t just responsible for physically spitting out tons of pollution, but also for the sale of unsustainable products and for worrying marketing campaigns that push the blame of climate change onto consumers.  

I’m sure you’ve encountered advertising for eco-friendly water bottles or reusable straws but buying these “green” products isn’t really going to fix the problem. Every plastic water bottle means more plastic and more pollution, even if it’s not as bad as the slightly less sustainable choice, and the corporations who sell them are mostly out to make more money from an increasingly environmentally conscious consumer base. If they really did care about the long-term implications of climate change over their own profits, these corporations could make an enormous impact by taking a proactive approach toward sustainability education, proper waste management, and reduction of energy consumption in their facilities. 

With this in mind, ask yourself: does it really seem fair to tell another person — not a CEO, not a politician, but just a normal person—that they are to blame for climate change by shopping or eating wrong? Shaming people for their personal habits may be worse than useless; it plays directly into the corporate campaigns to deflect responsibility as far away from themselves as possible. It’s much harder to feel motivated to act when there’s a finger wagging in your face, accusing you of wrongdoing because of your personal diet and plastic bag habits.  

Once again, doing your part isn’t inconsequential, especially if you’re part of a movement; there’s absolutely nothing wrong with encouraging other people to make certain changes in the interest of sustainability. But a problem arises when people and groups try to push certain lifestyles onto unreceptive targets. Cutting out beef and buying organic food is one example of a sustainable but often inconvenient or undesirable change. Financial difficulty, dietary requirements, and inaccessibility aside, the fact remains that some people don’t want to modify their eating habits, and that’s absolutely fine.  

Once again: the consumers are not the problem. Every person does contribute to climate change, but if everyone in the world turned their lights off, carried reusable bags, and wasted less water, a mere hundred corporations would still directly produce huge amounts of pollution, and sustainable alternatives to essential products like cars and clothes would still be inaccessible to the average consumer. The majority of the fault for climate change is simply not with us, and alienating potential allies is the worst mistake we can make when we need a united voter base to stand against political and corporate neglect. 

The climate crisis is, after all, a political problem. When leaders aren’t considering ways of making green lifestyles financially possible, when politicians treat climate change as a controversy rather than an accepted fact, when governments excuse and subsidize corporations instead of compelling them to adhere to environmental standards — that’s when we should know that we’re in trouble that goes far beyond normal people eating beef and driving to work. Small, individual actions, though important, are not enough to adequately counter climate change.  

So, the question comes at last: what else can we do? 

Democratic government is the expression of the public will, and we’ve seen time and time again that the people of Canada can sway governments even outside of our elections. Students, workers, voters, citizens—normal, everyday people— have the power to directly and indirectly pressure politicians who neglect their own responsibilities. If you’re going to commit your time and energy to working against climate change, don’t limit that effort to designing anti-plastic straw campaigns or posting about veganism, and certainly don’t turn your anger at the mounting disaster toward other everyday people. 

Participate in rallies and protests. Spread awareness. Talk, and then keep talking. Email your MP, send letters to party leaders, or volunteer for political campaigns and environmental organizations. Do your research and vote responsibly this October and in future elections (if you haven’t already, register to vote here).  

We need a government that will address and counter corporate exemptions from carbon taxes, poor waste regulation, and the over-subsidization of oil and gas companies. If we want to live in a world where rising temperatures don’t threaten the safety and stability of communities worldwide, our only option is immediate political action. 

Not all hope is lost; not even close. When our governments and companies aren’t doing enough, it can only fall to us— the people— to make a change.