I’ll admit that I am definitely a dreamer and that my perspective on the changes needed to solve the climate crises is not only radical but also a lot of wishful thinking — although I’d argue that no real “solution” to the climate and humanitarian crises we face can be anything less than revolutionary.
To start, it is important to point out that I personally find value in framing the conversation about human equity rather than about the environment — life will go on whether or not we change, but the changes that we make can reduce human suffering, and that is why I feel called to the field of sustainability. In its most basic sense, the crises we face come down to conscientious consumption. Values like frugality, moderation, and charity must replace the “culture of more” that is prevalent today, particularly in the developed world. While those values should be praised, their opposites, such as excess, should become socially unacceptable. That being said, and I don’t mean to be hypocritical, but much of the conversation is about what we consume and how much we consume while it instead should be about why we consume — no amount of technologically-induced efficiency increases can make our current consumption habits sustainable (although they will play an important role!), especially when we consider how much of the world’s population has yet to “get their share.” Consideration of the why of consumption would make us look inward rather than outward, and to understand that consumption in many cases is not a response to having too few things but instead to having a lack of meaning and fulfillment, or in other cases as a “convenience” that in reality comes at the expense of a much greater inconvenience to somebody else.
I’m not sure that there is a way to regulate or invent our way into solving the climate crises. A lasting solution can only result from education, conversation, and people acting as an example, all of which may coalesce into a larger movement. A lot of people understand the consequences of climate change — although these consequences are a bit abstract and many in the first world are insulated from them — but most people underestimate their role in solving the crises. The moment of change is not going to be one sweeping solution, but instead the culmination of millions or billions of people taking action. My goals are twofold — to help people understand that no action is inconsequential, and that the actions required to right our relationship with the world are not “sacrifices” as they are often seen to be. Pivoting to a plant based diet, walking more, buying local and second hand, and many other behavioral changes can lead to greater personal fulfillment and a higher quality of life, while at the same time allowing somebody across the world that truly is in need to get their share.