How could this possibly make any difference?

This is an age-old way to give yourself a "pass" when thinking about climate change. The problems are so deeply rooted and challenging, it can often seem useless to even try.

But I like to think of it this way: If I do something, anything, then the "ripple effect" might hit others. And within those ripples, there might even be a powerful voice being born, like Greta Thunberg, or huge corporations deciding to make changes. I try to talk about it as often as I can (to the annoyance of some friends and family!). But this is the way to make change. Yes, we need significant and structural reform to our carbon footprint, but even simply being conscious of your own part in the problem will also make a difference.

If you think about the fact that reusing a single plastic bag or one plastic water bottle, even just once, that simple act alone will reduce your usage of that product by 50%. Now start adding in one by one, and you'll soon find that your single-use plastic consumption will naturally start to fade.

We live in a real world, with modern needs and wants. But thinking about what you need will help you to put consumerism in perspective.

If we all start simply making tiny changes, and being more conscious of "throwing something away", our collective ripple effects can create a tsunami!