We are running out of time. Personally, I want my children to live in a world where they have clean air and water, they can buy things without exploiting others, and the governement and corporations prioritize planet over profit.

Every bit counts: your vote matters, and the less consumption we have the less resources are extracted from the earth and people exploited.

People of color and those in exploited and colonized countries receive the grunt of pollution caused by places like the United States and the United Kingdom, despite contributing the least. Even in the US, race is the single most predicting factor of who lives near a toxic waste site and who doesn’t.

However, it is important to know that consumers are responsible for very little emissions compared to large companies. To have the for every consumer to take responsibility for the actions of polluting large businesses is reckless and misinformative. Even with individuals, the top 1%  of wealthy individuals are responsible for more than half of consumer emissions- but in the US, that means everyone who makes over 30k a year. That includes a lot of people.

That said, companies will make products that consumers will buy, and voting with your dollar towards sustainable companies makes a difference. Increasing demand for sustainable production makes companies shift their priorities. But this alone won’t solve the climate crisis.

This makes voting for the climate even more important, as a shift to renewable energy and regulations for massive polluters are controlled by our vote and our government officials.

With this in mind, we must hold them and corporations accountable and defund companies that contribute to pollution. We can start by consuming more mindfully and less, using our vote and voices, and that’s the beauty of sustainable living.

Our time is running out, but: Our conscious choices matter. They affect our governments, our products, our world, and our people.