The marginal impact of our individual decisions is very small. The marginal impact of policy changes is very significant. Changing light bulbs, etc. doesn’t take a whole lot of our time and effort, so it is not either-or.

However, in many cases making personal changes does achieve the psychological effect of having done something, in many cases allowing a would-be climate activist to get back to business-as-usual.

The shame is when one’s energy goes in to convincing other individuals to consume more responsibly instead of working to change elections and policy. This problem is too urgent to take our sights off of big changes in the chambers of Congress and corporate boardrooms.

Let’s make sure the climate movement does not aim too low and hit.

For those committed to ending the climate crisis and building a sustainable, just, and prosperous future, simply not being part of the problem is not enough. It’s a necessary, but not sufficient step. Alex’s point (I believe) is that we’ve got to do more to achieve the societal and institutional changes needed to solve the climate crisis quickly enough, and that takes more than just changing some lightbulbs or buying green power.

So yes, it’s not either-or, it’s both-and!

“We recognize that this transition [to a sustainable, just, and prosperous energy future] will require change at both the individual and societal levels, and are committed to working towards both.

…

We call on all generations to join with us in helping to launch the institutional changes that we are already beginning to make as individuals, communities, and campuses.”

Or from a speech I delivered recently:

After describing a vision of a sustainable, just, and prosperous future…

“We can make this future a reality, if we act today to begin a rapid and equitable transition to clean, renewable and local energy sources. This is our urgent opportunity, one that we have the ingenuity, hope and determination to seize.

Many of us have begun to rise to the climate challenge and begin this transition to a sustainable energy future – in our cities, our communities of faith, on or campuses and in our homes.

That is why, today, we come here to call on our elected officials to join with us to be leaders in the fight for a brighter tomorrow. Today we call on [our elected officials] to help us launch the institutional and policy changes that we have already begun to make, as individuals and communities.” [emphasis added]

The point is that we need change on all levels – individual, community, society, institutional, policy, etc. – and that anyone who thinks they’ve “done their part” and “washes their hands” of the problem after simply changing a few lightbulbs and working on just one of those levels is selling themselves – and our planet – short.