What are the obligations of individuals regarding climate change? It is a debating question. First we need to estimate how much more carbon dioxide (a rule of thumb measure of greenhouse gas) the earth is able to tolerate. This is also somewhat wage. The limit is 2 centigrade rise in average global temperature, which many scientists believe passing this threshold has catastrophic climate effects for the world. Many climate scientists think that mankind cannot pump more than 1 trillion tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere by 2070, if the earth is to stay below the 2 degree threshold.
If we divide this one trillion budget to the years between now and then and the number of people on the planet, the annual budget for every person is 2 tonnes or so. Currently everyone in the United states produces on average 15 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year. The global average is 4.7 tonnes per year. The 2 tonnes per year is only met by poor nations.
Although, we still hope that in the coming year the rise in clean energy and diminishing the consumption of coal and oil would decrease the amount of emissions.
But an important question is what is the responsibility of individuals regarding climate change? This is also a matter of debate. After all, One long-haul flight in a year leaves you no “carbon budget” for heating, eating, driving—or even turning back home!
Some people start changing their diet as an attempt to diminish their carbon footprint. Anyway meat produces much more emission compared to veg foods. Chicken is the most efficiently produced meat and yet we have to feed them 9 calories of food to get back one calorie of chicken meat. The others try to wear warm clothes in the minter and turn the boiler as low as possible, or stop traveling internationally.
However, any individual action would reduce only a very very tiny amount of emissions. That is why, some people believe that the individuals bear no responsibility, in their personal lifestyle. Their main duty is to pressurize the policy makers and governments to promote and regulate a path toward zero emissions.
Photo credit: Daily Excelsior
