this post was submitted on 25 Jun 2026
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Comradeship // Freechat

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Due to the heatwave in the EU I've been experiencing a lot of climate change denial as well as a phenomenon that I can't quite describe. It's this pervassive idea that using a glass/paper straw or driving an electric vehicle somehow absolves you from doing more to care about the environment, but I honestly can't fault people since it feels like that is all someone can do.

As an individual, what can I do to combat climate change or is the issue so systemic that I am powerless?

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[–] opiumfree@lemmygrad.ml 26 points 6 days ago
[–] CriticalResist8@lemmygrad.ml 16 points 5 days ago (1 children)

oh, consumers are doing more than enough. we sacrifice ourselves - including those with health conditions - meanwhile BP commits another oil spill from the comfort of their air conditioned offices.

We're not going to fix the world with well wishes. There's a reason the only countries that are within climate targets and still develop are socialist countries (Cuba and China, and maybe others). Europe decides to block cheap Chinese solar panels, and has been doing so since the 2000s, because they have to "protect" local companies. Local companies artificially pump up prices, nobody can afford solar panels so nobody installs them (we don't get enough sun in most places to make the investment profitable for 10 to 15 years), and the problem persists. Then they turn around and ask us to 'stop preheating the oven when you put a pizza in it' to help manage their abysmal, dead-end nonexistent 'energy policy'.

If we had allowed Chinese panels 20 years ago every house in Europe today would be solar-powered.

Meanwhile the US Army commits another toxic chemical spill in an island they illegally occupy and just says "oopsie! guess y'all will pick up the tab"

I'm not a fucking chump, no one is. I know you are not either. I would never shame or belittle someone for doing what is necessary to protect their health in this climate. Individual reduction just means the big, actual polluters can pollute more because we, the people, offset it with their shitty carbon credits. The guy who coined carbon credits later 'regretted' them - after all the damage was done, of course. He never stopped to think about it beforehand.

Agitate, organize, revolutionize. That's what you can do as an individual. Mutual aid too as the climate gets more and more extreme.

But we're not going to fix capitalism by repairing our old electronics and mending our clothes. This is a behavior that emerges when the economy is in crisis, not the climate.

[–] rostselmasch@lemmygrad.ml 1 points 3 days ago

Europe decides to block cheap Chinese solar panels, and has been doing so since the 2000s, because they have to "protect" local companies.

Make it like Germany. Systematically destroy the local solar industry, be shocked after a while about cheap solar panels from China. But Chinese solar panels are not trustworthy, because China will remotely deactivate every component made in China (Maybe also your electric toothbrush idk), should the start reclaiming Taiwan lol

[–] starkillerfish@lemmygrad.ml 17 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Join a communist org / plant trees in your yard / street.

[–] cfgaussian@lemmygrad.ml 10 points 6 days ago

This.

There is no individual solution to climate change but as individuals we can organize and contribute in whatever small way we can to the defeat of capitalism.

Socialism is the only system capable of addressing climate change.

And planting trees doesn't hurt either. At a minimum you will contribute to keeping your neighborhood cooler with enough tree coverage.

[–] Soot@hexbear.net 12 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

As an individual, the only way you'll EVER make a difference is communal action.

If every single individual who even considered reducing their carbon footprint reduced it to 0 tomorrow, I'm not convinced it'd matter - the other half of the population would happily double theirs, prosper, use this advantage to lord over everyone else, and overall the problem would get worse (much like happens already). Individual action has effectively never achieved a large-scale change and never will.

So YES, you can make a difference. By finding or founding an org that's committed to making a difference.

[–] amemorablename@lemmygrad.ml 8 points 5 days ago

Starts with seize and ends with production I think. Seize up when you see a car coming and wait for it to pass before you cross the road, then go work for a theatre production. Something like that. I might be a little off...

[–] ClassIsOver@hexbear.net 10 points 6 days ago

Some things do not need to be said on the internet.

Some things do not need to be said on the internet.

[–] demeritum@lemmygrad.ml 5 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

Paper straws for the poors, private jets for the rich.

[–] Ithorian@hexbear.net 4 points 6 days ago (1 children)
[–] Cletus@lemmygrad.ml 1 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Poor movie BTW. I mean its a American movie after all. Strangely good video on it I stumbled upon awhile ago. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bi7Jsx6tzOo&pp=0gcJCUECo7VqN5tD

TLDR Cops are portrayed as incompetent, working with an informant is of no concern, the directions they show would probably kill you, and there is no rational given for said actions besides emotional ones. Unlike the book where it is explained logically.

[–] TankieReplyBot@lemmygrad.ml 1 points 5 days ago

I found a YouTube link in your comment. Here are links to the same video on alternative frontends that protect your privacy:

[–] BettercallMao@hexbear.net -1 points 6 days ago (2 children)

Go vegan.

Start by reducing meat consumption.

It will help on this matter and also on many others too.

[–] opiumfree@lemmygrad.ml 12 points 6 days ago

individualism

[–] Maeve@lemmygrad.ml 3 points 5 days ago

I don't know if you have access to a medical care provider or not, but if you do, please talk to them before you do this.