It's increasingly common for left-activists and progressives to focus on the behavior of big corporations and corporate-government partnerships in making sense of things like climate change denial and divisions withing global warming politics.
A big part of this narrative is the idea that framing environmental issues as ones of "individual responsibility" and "individual sacrifice" has been promoted by individuals and institutions that are working hard to make sure there is no meaningful change.
I believe this narrative is generally correct, but I have some uncertainties about the way this formulation sometimes gets used, and would love to hear others' thoughts.
@dynamic Can of worms... How many people who recycle also buy disposable items? Do people who live in big cities and preach "walkable" ever contemplate the massive transportation infrastructure that is required to get goods into the large city?
Personal environmental responsibility can set an example, but it can't drive mass change very quickly. You can see the same dynamic in other social areas. The broader message is get yours while you can; wealth=celebrity is a huge driver.
A second question is, assuming that reduction of wealth accumulation and wealth inequality is the necessary next step, how does *that* tie in with lifestyle preferences today?
Within rich countries, you can reduce inequality while still maintaining a modern lifestyle for everyone. Globally, it's less clear what the typical way of life would look like, other than that it would probably be better than in the slums and encampments near extraction-intensive areas and probably less cushy than what upper middle class members of the Global North have come to expect.
I desperately hope that we can move forward without the support of the billionaire class, who seem to be absolutely hopeless, but I don't see how we can plausibly move forward without at least the support of democratic majorities in the wealthier countries. Seems like it would also be necessary to gain the support of residents of less wealthy countries who aspire to the lifestyles of the Global North.
So, given all of the above, it seems to me that even if the focus is on wealth accumulation and inequality, ultimately it's still going to be necessary to convince people to change their lifestyle expectations. This might not be quite the same thing as "personal responsibility" but I do think it's related.
@lwriemen
If people with power don't make the changes, the people won't need to fight it at all, and I don't think there's a plausible mechanism for getting those in power to do the right thing, if not by leveraging the power of the people.