What Each Of Us Does Makes A Difference

If what we do as individuals doesn't matter, how does this happen?

A common reason for inaction against a world gone wrong is that individual actions won't make any difference. We demand that governments do something, then go home to continue our high consumption lifestyles. 

"What I do won't make a difference anyway."

But that is untrue. It is an abrogation of responsibility for one's decisions.

The best example I can think of is plastic waste. It is building up, and scientists say that it will enter the fossil record. 

Future archaeologists will learn about the Plasticonian Destruction layer that will be prominently seen in stratigraphic cross sections on digs across the planet. 

"Modern humans thought that the Earth would one day be paved over, but it was quietly smothered in plastic while everyone was looking out for steamrollers."

How did all that plastic build up? One person, one decision at a time. It happened by individual actions repeated many times over entire populations. 

What we do has a great effect on everything. Especially when there are so many of us sharing this planet. 

Every decision matters. What each of us does makes a difference, beneficial or not. No one is exempt. We have to decide what kind of effect we want to have on Earth.

We can not let governments or corporations off the hook because they have their parts to play, but we can also not say that individual actions don't affect anything.

We created this mess one decision at a time, and we can fix it one decision at a time. We have the power.