I think about this issue a lot. Is it a waste of time to focus on cutting my carbon footprint? I mean, if global annual carbon dioxide emissions are 40 billion tons, what does it matter if I cut my personal emissions by one measly little ton?  Wouldn’t it be more effective to focus on getting government to take big, economy-wide actions?  

I’m pretty sure the answer here is “Yes, and….” We need to do both.  No question, governments and industry have to be pushed to take action. But we also have work to do in our personal lives. Let me tell you why.

I see two arguments for personal action.  The first is really just basic fairness.  The way I see it, if the entire world needs to reduce its carbon emissions by half by 2030, then we each need to cut our carbon emissions by half by 2030, or at least those of us in affluent countries who have very high carbon footprints. We are, after all, part of the world.  It would be wrong to free ride and rely on someone else to make up our share.  

The second argument is brilliantly laid out by By Leor Hackel and Gregg Sparkman over at Slate.com.  Taking personal action provides social proof  that climate change is a true crisis and that reducing your carbon footprint is what people who take it seriously do.

… people taking action in their personal lives is actually one of the best ways to get to a society that implements the policy-level change that is truly needed. Research on social behavior suggests lifestyle change can build momentum for systemic change. Humans are social animals, and we use social cues to recognize emergencies. People don’t spring into action just because they see smoke; they spring into action because they see others rushing in with water. The same principle applies to personal actions on climate change.

With each step, you communicate an emergency that needs all hands on deck. Individual action—across supermarkets, skies, roads, homes, workplaces, and ballot boxes—sounds an alarm that might just wake us from our collective slumber and build a foundation for the necessary political change. 

So by reducing your own carbon footprint, and advertising your actions to your friends and neighbors, you’re not just taking on your fair share of the global challenge.  You’re starting a social movement that will drive industry and government action, and maybe just save the world.