Buying hybrids and solar panels persuades other people to buy them. That dynamic can help stop climate change. The environmental impact of seemingly insignificant voluntary actions is far greater than most people realize, for two related reasons. First, they have the power to shift how the people around us behave. Second, and more important, they change who we are, making us much more likely to support the large-scale policies needed for progress. Conscious consumption alone certainly can’t stop the warming threat, but it’s an essential step on our path forward.
By Robert Frank. Washington Post. February 20, 2020.
