Connecting the Dots: Climate Action Requires Political Change
We know the planet is heating up. The evidence is everywhere in the wildfires, in the rising heat index, and, yes, even in the intensity of hurricanes due to warming oceans. While our individual actions are very important‒please do all you can to decrease global heating‒the dire consequences of the problem require that our society act on the largest scale possible. The present batch of politicians are not doing this. Instead, they are making decisions that are making the problem for all on earth a whole lot worse. Many are beholden to individuals and corporations whose sources of money depend on continuing to do what we are doing right now, most especially the fossil fuel industry. We need to vote out of office those who choose to help individuals over our entire society. The consequences of not taking action are too great.
A new study¹ shows that most Americans don’t connect acting on climate change to politics. Instead, they see individual actions as the best way to tackle climate change. This idea can be traced back to the concept of a carbon footprint, an idea originally introduced by the fossil fuel industry as an underhanded way to shift the blame from fossil fuels to individuals. The same dynamic is in play when it comes to plastics and recycling.
Yes, recycling matters. Yes, your personal choices—eating less meat, driving electric, weather-proofing your home—make a difference. But we need both individual and political action. You and I can’t approve offshore wind projects, set emissions standards, or fund public transit. Those sweeping changes require political decisions—and they matter even more because of their scale and impact.
This is why it is so important to VOTE and hold your legislators accountable for their actions. If they do something that hurts the environment, call them out on it. Literally, call their office. You will most likely get a staffer or voicemail. Leave a message, leave your contact info, and most importantly, let them know you are a constituent. They log all the phone calls. Then do even more, ask your family and friends to call as well. If your legislator does something positive, you can let them know that as well.
I do want to clarify something. Sadly, in America, whether or not you believe that the climate crisis is real is partisan². But it’s the solutions to the climate crisis where people lose the connection to the power of political actions.
Let’s dig into what exactly the study says so that you can be most effective when talking to people (or even better, giving a presentation) about climate change. The good news is that it shows that Americans are thinking about climate change more often than other issues in the news. However, when asked what are the most effective actions to address climate change, they list recycling and lifestyle changes as the most important. In fact, Americans placed the least blame on state and federal policies for climate change.
Americans do care about climate change, but they are misguided about where real leverage lies. Because voters focus on personal and corporate responsibility, they don’t pressure politicians to act. That lets leaders stay quiet or inactive—exactly what the fossil fuel industry wants.
The takeaway? Tap into Americans’ concern about climate change, but expand it. Show that the most powerful climate action is political. It starts at the ballot box and continues every time you demand action from those in power. So make sure you and those around you vote for the planet.
