Who Really is Responsible for Climate Change?

In the rapidly worsening state of the health of our communities and of humanity, it is often complex and hard to effectively address climate change. The government is failing to address this emergency, and climate change continues to perpetuate against us. While it may be easy to deny the problem at hand, or ignore the imminent doom of human existence, it is quintessential to educate ourselves and be aware of the major problem at hand. Oceans are rising, sea caps are melting, rainforests are on fire, natural disasters plague communities, the air and water are polluted, and if we fail to fix this, there will be no future for us. The Amazon Rainforest, which is responsible for 20% of our oxygen, and is home to thousands of species of plants and animals, as well as indigenous communities that are being violated upon, is on fire. Flint still does not have clean water. Communities of low-income people, and people of color, like Flint, are disproportionately impacted by the climate crisis. Not to mention that climate activism tends to lack intersectionality, and environmental racism is rising with climate change. We must reverse the consequences of it before it is too late-- not just for the turtles or polar bears that will go extinct, but for the people that are suffering right now because of climate change. Individual action in the fight against climate change is nuanced, as I’m sure many of us care about the environment but do not know how to approach this massive issue. Personally, I still struggle with this, as climate change is daunting. It is complicated, but I believe that we must look at the bigger picture rather than focusing on individual actions. Thus, I urge you to do more than adopt a vegan diet, use metal straws, and recycle more, because, while there is no doubt these help the environment, it is simply not enough. The impact of climate change is immense, and unfortunately, these lifestyle changes do not suffice to reverse the consequences of the mistakes that previous generations made, and they also fail to address environmental racism. I think there is too much emphasis on environmental activism in small actions like I mentioned above-- metal straws, biking, recycling, veganism, etc, as the perfect solution for climate change. While I wholeheartedly agree that humans produce a ridiculous amount of trash and that the meat industry is extremely unethical, the real problem does not lie with the common people on the ground with the climate crisis, it lies with the corrupt corporations inflicting this damage on Earth. People tend to shift the blame on using too much plastic, or not being conscientious, on each other, however, I believe the real blame should be pinned on these corporations.The truth is, these major corporations and their corporate greed are at the root of climate change, and we must hold them accountable. Corporations profit from the struggles of the people, and as the environment deteriorates-- these corporations are only getting richer. Not enough people call them out for it either, because we are too focused on shaming people for using plastic, or straws, or not being vegetarian. It is more important to instill wide-spread governmental reform because individual action is not as impactful as the corporations behind the carbon emissions, and destruction of the environment. It has been proven that only 100 corporations are responsible for over a whopping 71% of global emissions since 1988. Climate change is a global crisis, thus it requires global attention widespread reform that must be implemented by legislation, and the government. Now, this doesn’t mean that we are helpless in the fight against climate change. The government is the civic servant of us, and it is their duty to serve, represent, and protect the people. This is precisely why we have to continue to pressure the government, continue to demonstrate at youth climate strikes, and continue to demand immediate action and change from our legislators and representatives. Corporations and failing governments need to be held accountable for their wrongdoings. We need to address the marginalized communities being affected by climate change, and give a spotlight to the indigenous, black, and brown environmental activists who have been fighting for years but do not get media attention. The time is now, and we will fight for climate justice. Don’t forget that we have a voice, because this is our future that we are fighting for. The previous generations caused mass destruction, and it’s left to us to combat this global emergency. So, resist, protest, write to your senators, vote, educate, spread awareness, empower, and remember that doing something is always better than doing nothing.