The Question Everyone Asks Themselves

Why do we want people to be convinced? It might seem a bit preachy sometimes, all this urging and "we have to..." phrases being thrown about whenever we talk about climate change. One person can't make a difference.

Can they?

To answer the question: every person counts. The world revolves around CIA. No, not the guys who can't even kill dictators for nuts. What we mean is Collective Individual Action. Governments need a mandate from the people in order to function. Otherwise, people would be unwilling to follow their laws. Corporations have to know what consumers want, or else their products remain unsold on shelves.

The phrase may seem like an oxymoron: who can act as a collective, while maintaining their individuality? Democracies and markets can. The opinions of such a diverse group of people average out to move the world. It may not be obvious, but the "invisible hand" works quite efficiently.

To those who have lost faith in their national governments, remember that the reason why they seem to ignore the will of the people is because of the presence of lobby groups. Gun rights, big oil and tobacco, you name it, they've got it.

Instead of throwing their hands up in despair, many non-governmental organisations have been formed to lobby politicians. As voters and fund-raisers, their concerns are key to the success of election campaigns. They force candidates to declare their stand on environmental issues rather than ignoring them (Malaysian political parties, here's looking at you). Embrace the power of democracy. Otherwise, you're letting THEM win in default when you've quit the good fight.

Even if you find politics distasteful, remember that out of the top 100 economies in the world (based on GDP), 51 are corporations. You know, the guys who care whether or not you buy their stuff. Your consumer choices matter as a whole.

There's a good reason why we keep hearing about corporate social responsibility and companies advertising their carbon footprint. It's because more and more consumers are making it clear that their choices are based on how much impact we have on our Earth. Face it, being a green consumer isn't weird if you look at it through a global perspective. In fact, you're joining the crowd!

At the end of the day, it's not hard to make a difference. Get a couple of friends and family who feel the same to act together. Question your local politicians on their environmental policies and make them spell it out in specifics. Obama can do it, why can't they? Ask your local supermarkets for certain items that make their carbon footprints clear and only buy from companies that are known for their efforts to fight climate change.

It's an old saying that together we stand, divided we fall. It's still true, but now it's all of humanity at stake.