Sometimes friends of mine say they feel guilt they aren't recycling more, or swapping out their lightbulbs for more efficient ones.
But those aren't really very important things to do to lower your emissions.
I think it's important that we all have a basic mental map of what really are the effective consumer choices.
This chart from Kimberly Nicholas and Seth Wynes at Lund University (2017) deserves to be more widely known.
And to add to that - all of these activities are absolutely DWARFED by the impact of you taking political action.
During this climate crisis we shouldn't really be acting as consumers at all, since it is fundamental change that is needed. But if you're going to be a Chidi Anagonye and worry about your ethical impact this chart ☝️is the best guide :)
@Loukas those who are aware of what humanity is about to face, should at least think twice before having a child.
@gojonnes personally I'd put having a family outside of that chart. I understand why the researchers included it for the sake of completeness, but for me it is not a comparable activity.
#1️⃣
@gojonnes @Loukas there's another way to look at this:
If you don't have a kid, that's one fewer future adult raised by a sane parent who recognizes the impacts of climate change.
I worry about what my kids will have to put up with, but the future of our planet and our race is, in the end, more important.
This might feel like a post facto justification, and it may well be, but I'm confident my kids will be forces for good and change.
I want a legacy of activism, not a history of it.
@gojonnes I can see that. Being a parent is hard enough during the best times. It's we harder during times of war and plague and famines.