What can I do to fight climate change?

Climate change feels like an overwhelming issue for most of us. Though it could have potentially devastating future consequences, and we are likely feeling some of its effects now, it can be hard to know exactly what we can do to fight it. What actions can we take to make an impact?

Start by changing your consumption and usage habits as much as you can. Changing our daily habits helps to an extent. You can take reusable bags with you when you go shopping, turn off electricity when you don’t need it, drink from reusable water bottles and take public transportation. All of these can have some personal benefits as well. I’ve started using an eco-bag recently, and I honestly prefer it to dealing with endless disposable plastic bags. At the very least, it makes taking out the trash on plastics day a little easier.

That said, you shouldn’t worry about being perfect regarding these things. Individual actions are important, but the real issues we face are systemic. While we can avoid disposables on a personal level, it still doesn’t change society-wide wasteful practices. Even if I took my eco-bag with me everywhere I go, I’m still surrounded by stores that give away plastic bags freely.

So the real solutions involve working together on a bigger scale. Support leaders and policies that effect larger change. I’m from the U.S., and many cities and towns in my home state of Massachusetts, including the capital Boston, have enacted regulations or outright bans on plastic bags in recent years. Other countries, such as France, have more extensive bans.

I’ve been using plastics and other reusable items as my main example, but this obviously applies to other facets of climate change as well. One hundred companies worldwide are responsible for over 70% of carbon emissions. That is not the sort of issue that individual action alone can tackle. Policies that support green energy and help reduce society’s dependence on fossil fuels are far more effective.

Finally, educating yourself and building wider awareness—through discussions with people in your life and community, as well as online—can inspire others to do what they can. It is possible to take action, but it requires working together for a better future.