The College Fix

Environmental activist says ‘be a little less of an individual’ to save the planet

To protect the planet this Earth Day, scholars recommended Americans make a conscious effort to cut back on eating meat, traveling, and having children in interviews with the New York Times.

“Take a moment to reflect on what a good life within planetary limits look like,” University of Leeds environmental scientist Diana Ivanova told the newspaper. “What does ‘enoughness’ look and feel like?”

The first reason the newspaper highlighted came from University of British Columbia Professor William Rees in response to the question, “What’s the best thing I can do for the planet?”

Rees believes one of the best ways to combat “climate change” is for adults to have fewer children, according to the NY Times:

First, it’s important to understand that climate change is a symptom of a larger issue: ecological overshoot, or the fact that humans are consuming resources faster than they can regenerate and producing more waste and pollution than nature can absorb, said William Rees, a human and ecological economist and professor emeritus at the University of British Columbia. The most effective solutions, then, address not just greenhouse gas emissions but overall consumption and pollution.

One of the most effective ways to avoid consumption in the first place, Dr. Rees said, is to have a smaller family. But that might not be a realistic option for many people, for all kinds of personal, cultural and other reasons.

As The New York Times’s ethics columnist has pointed out, it might also be realistic to think that children who are raised with a sense of responsibility could — in personal and collective ways — be part of the solution, ensuring human survival on a livable planet by promoting adaptation, resilience and mitigation.

Other “climate change” scientists recommended eating less meat or going vegetarian, traveling less, and choosing smaller homes to live in.

Doing so can reduce “your future ecological footprint,” Canadian climate change scholar Seth Wynes said.

“On all these different metrics, eating a plant-based diet broadly improves sustainability,” the University of Waterloo scientist said.

Some scientists even have proposed a tax on meat to discourage consumption in an effort to stop climate change, The College Fix previously reported.

Ultimately, to protect the Earth, people should think about how to be “a little less of an individual,” one climate change activist told the NY Times:

If you have the means, switching to solar energy or a heat pump is also “a huge gift to the planet, and, over time, a huge win to your own pocketbook and independence” said Bill McKibben, founder of Third Act, a climate and democracy action group for people over 60. …

Voting matters, obviously. And participating in movements “large enough to change things” is essential, Mr. McKibben said. “Really, the most important thing an individual can do is be a little less of an individual and join together with others.”

However, other scientists have warned that fears about climate change are largely overblown.

MORE: Scientist says he left out ‘full truth’ to get climate change paper published

IMAGE CAPTION AND CREDIT: Climate change activists hold signs during a protest. 1000words/Shutterstock

Like The College Fix on Facebook / Follow us on Twitter