Solarpunk

5570 readers

6 users here now

The space to discuss Solarpunk itself and Solarpunk related stuff that doesn't fit elsewhere.

What is Solarpunk?

Join our chat: Movim or XMPP client.

founded 2 years ago

MODERATORS

ex_06

poVoq

SteveKLord

Yes, Actually, Individual Responsibility Is Essential to Solving the Climate Crisis (www.sierraclub.org)

submitted 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) by stabby_cicada to c/solarpunk

96 comments fedilink hide all child comments

A fixation on system change alone opens the door to a kind of cynical self-absolution that divorces personal commitment from political belief. This is its own kind of false consciousness, one that threatens to create a cheapened climate politics incommensurate with this urgent moment.

[...]

Because here’s the thing: When you choose to eat less meat or take the bus instead of driving or have fewer children, you are making a statement that your actions matter, that it’s not too late to avert climate catastrophe, that you have power. To take a measure of personal responsibility for climate change doesn’t have to distract from your political activism—if anything, it amplifies it.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] dillekant 10 points 2 months ago (2 children)

The issue is, the "wisdom" isn't "don't worry about personal emissions", it's "take voting extremely seriously. Become a single issue voter, that issue should be climate"

But there's a psychological thing where people take the discount today and the payment later.

[–] teolan@lemmy.world 7 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Voting isn't going to do shit.

Get involved. Protest. Refuse to work for terrible companies. Convince the people around you to protest and vote.

[–] mojo_raisin@lemmy.world 6 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Voting isn’t going to do shit.

Voting can buy us time and keep us a situation more conducive to making changes outside the electoral system. Protesting under a fascist regime is a good way to get a life sentence, get deported, or put on a blacklist.

[–] grrgyle 6 points 2 months ago

I would amend the quote to say "voting alone isn't going to do shit." IMO without direct action it's just a slower slide into fascism.

Agreeing with both of you basically. I just don't want anyone thinking that voting on its own is sufficient to address the problems we're seeing

[–] socsa@piefed.social 1 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Voting is literally a require to enact meaningful change in the long term. At no point has change in a western society come from a protest movement being given carte blanche to create new laws. The protest movement creates awareness, shifts the Overton window and causes people to elect a government which passes new laws.

[–] dillekant 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Voting isn’t going to do shit.

Convince the people around you to protest and vote.

Which is it?

[–] teolan@lemmy.world 1 points 2 months ago

Voting by itself doesn't do shit. Organizing and convincing people to vote based on an issue does.

[–] stabby_cicada -2 points 2 months ago

Okay, let me write in "Climate for President" and see how that goes.