You don’t have to be a net zero hero – how focus on personal climate action can distract from systemic problems

theconversation.com You don’t have to be a net zero hero – how focus on personal climate action can distract from systemic problems

Shifting the blame for the climate crisis onto individuals hides the larger issue. True progress demands systemic accountability from governments and corporations.

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What happens when system problems conflict with your personal action/inaction/"lifestyle"?
Because if you're not prepared for change and instead are dreaming of a high-carbon lifestyle, you are probably going to vote for cryptofascists who promise more growth, the "American Dream" of car dependent suburbia as ~~cheap~~ affordable, cheap huge screens, cheap meat, cheap eggs, cheap cheese, cheap private commuting, cheap road infrastructure, cheap parking, cheap office space, cheap flights, cheap tourism, cheap low efficiency devices, and so on, while you get into conspiracies about 15 minute cities, plant-based diets (plus insect protein), and others.
Indeed, the carbon footprint calculator itself was developed in 2004 by a public relations firm working for BP. The tool encouraged individuals to calculate their personal impact on the environment, focusing on activities like driving, energy use, and diet.
The carbon footprint existed before that calculator tool was created as a practical measure in the scientific literature. You can usually find it as "GHG emissions per capita".
The same goes for the ecological footprint and its calculators. These weren't invented by fossil fuel corporations, they were used by them for PR.
The message from the Fossil PR isn't that you're guilty, it's that they own you because you are dependent on their product.
What I'm saying is that people need to be ready to end the addiction, to go through the withdrawal. That's a kind of bravery that isn't fostered by consumerism with its convenience obsession. Otherwise, people will just vote out anyone who tries to do something about the systemic problems, and vote in the liars who deny climate change and other systemic problems.